Calgary International Airport - New Terminal, Runway, Control Tower

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Acey

That's bad luck, overall YYZ ain't bad. Statistically...

Avoid EWR
Avoid ORD
Avoid BOS
Avoid LGA

In that order.

Agree about BOS and EWR, I hate them both.

Funny though, I actually actively seek out LGA. It's a giant turd of an airport, but it's small, so its easily the quickest of the NYC airports to deal with, so you're in and out really fast. EWR is a pain to get to, always has weird security issues, and more delays. JFK looks great, but is far from the city, and very rarely do I fly through there and not have some sort of delays. Ive had quite a few flights where Ive spent 2+ hours sitting on the tarmac.

I also prefer ORD over YYZ any day of the week. It's big, but efficient. Plus you don't have to do security again like you do in Toronto, as you've already gone through it in Calgary. They also have a pretty good food selection if you're ever stuck. Unfortunately, flying through Chicago usually means United...ugh.

My favourite airport though to fly through was MSP. Nice and efficient, lots of amenities, and they train between the terminals has a woman announcing the stations who sounds like she's from a James Bond movie.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Every time I've flown through Toronto must've been a "bad day" then. Ive gone through the same scenario as you several times now, and each time it was a total clusterfata. I don't think adding more steps to an already painful process was the smart decision.

There are 3 basic rules I try to follow:
1. Avoid sitting in the middle seat.
2. Avoid United in any capacity.
3. Avoid YYZ.

I've never really had a problem with United (though my sister certainly has, so I can see it), but totally agreed with the other two points. On planes with 3 seat rows, I will pay the extra $20 if I have to to get an aisle seat in the "economy plus" rows. And yeah, YYZ seems to be problematic. But then, so is O'Hare. The busy airports will always suck, period.

Edit: Agreed on LGA. It was a terrible airport, but when i went to New York last year, I was in and out in no time. The bottleneck getting to and from was... YYZ.

My first experience with LAX will be in September, so we'll see how that goes.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by #-3

Forest Lawn is not in the NE

Thus the "and" . . . but I understand how you read it the way you did.

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by rohara66

I suppose... but I still don't like my stuff being on display to others while I'm stuck behind security.

For this reason I always wait until I can go through the metal detector before I send my bin/bag through the xray machine. I don't feel bad about this because my assessment of the setup is that the metal detector / personal screening process is the bottleneck in the system 99% of the time. So I get to keep my stuff with me while adding little to no inefficiencies to the system.

Originally Posted by Table 5

My favourite airport though to fly through was MSP. Nice and efficient, lots of amenities, and they train between the terminals has a woman announcing the stations who sounds like she's from a James Bond movie.

Far and away my favorite airport to be stuck in a layover for. Great ammenities, great shopping, nice layout.

[rohara66]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

My first experience with LAX will be in September, so we'll see how that goes.

LAX sucks. Its a old, run down dump. Was a totally cluster fata last time I was there, security line literally out the front door and a 1/4 mile down the sidewalk. Arrive early!

[getbak]

I went down for Games 1 & 2 in Anaheim a couple of weeks ago and flew WestJet into and out of LAX. The security line wasn't too bad, but the terminal that they fly out of is undergoing a huge renovation right now, so almost everything was behind construction walls and there were only a couple of places open. The line at Starbucks was ridiculous.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I also prefer ORD over YYZ any day of the week. It's big, but efficient.

AA and UA have significantly reduced their operations at ORD, and the airside facilities are undergoing a massive expansion so that helps in terms of air traffic. Only a couple of years ago, cloudy skies in ORD or ATL would literally screw over air traffic for all of North America, such is the amount of volume going through those two airports. Still happens. LGA/JFK/EWR tend to hit the fan as a group and that has a huge impact as well.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Thus the "and" . . . but I understand how you read it the way you did.

Ya, I'll say I grew up in Whitehorn, and Forest Lawn/Dover/Ogden... Is this funny area where people from the Deep SE seem to want to give that area to the NE, and people from the NE seem to tell them they can keep it.

All in All pretty great for Calgary that is the worst area we can muster, there are cities in the US where that would be the nice neighbourhood.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by getbak

I went down for Games 1 & 2 in Anaheim a couple of weeks ago and flew WestJet into and out of LAX. The security line wasn't too bad, but the terminal that they fly out of is undergoing a huge renovation right now, so almost everything was behind construction walls and there were only a couple of places open. The line at Starbucks was ridiculous.

That's just LAX all-the-freaking-time.

I was in that same terminal in March taking Hawaiian to Maui. LAX is such a dump.

However I think the international terminal is nice, but I've never been in it.

[Bigtime]

WestJet will be announcing their summer 2016 767 flights to London-Gatwick either today or tomorrow, here are the routes:

-YYC 5x weekly
-YYZ daily
-YVR 6x weekly
-YEG 2x weekly
-YWG 1x weekly

http://airlineroute.net/2015/09/14/ws-lgw-s16/

[Bigtime]

A few more changes coming up next season for YYC flights:

-Air Canada is dropping the 2nd LHR flight that operated 4x weekly in the summer
-Winter '16 (October start) KLM is upgauging their AMS flight to the new 787-9 from the A332 (6x weekly operation)

Some info on how this affects the overall seats to Europe from Johnny Aussie on SSP:

Despite the loss of the four weekly AC flights to LHR.

YYC will still have a 7.8% increase in seats to Europe next summer compared to last summer. About 1,030 seats per week.

The additions of Westjet to LGW, Edelweiss to ZRH and the upgauge of KLM to AMS greatly offset the loss of the AC flights and the loss of one weekly Condor to FRA.

So it ain't all bad!

This is assuming, of course, nothing else changes... but it's only October!

[KelVarnsen]

KLM 787-9

[Bigtime]

If you liked that KelVarnsen you're gonna love this, AC is going all Dreamliner on YYC:

According to this press release, Air Canada will upgauge all three international routes out of YYC to Dreamliners.

http://aircanada.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=933

Not specific whether they will be 787-8 or 787-9.

My hunch is YYC-LHR and YYC-FRA go 787-9 and with YVR-PVG going 777 replacing the 787-8 this frees up a 787-8 for YYC-NRT.

YYC-LHR going to be a 787-8 from Jan - April anyway.

[CroFlames]

Are Dreamliners noticeably nicer or more comfortable compared to traditional aircraft? (Economy class only, obviously).

From what I read, they are just more fuel efficient...

[rotten42]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I've never really had a problem with United (though my sister certainly has, so I can see it), but totally agreed with the other two points. On planes with 3 seat rows, I will pay the extra $20 if I have to to get an aisle seat in the "economy plus" rows. And yeah, YYZ seems to be problematic. But then, so is O'Hare. The busy airports will always suck, period.

Edit: Agreed on LGA. It was a terrible airport, but when i went to New York last year, I was in and out in no time. The bottleneck getting to and from was... YYZ.

My first experience with LAX will be in September, so we'll see how that goes.

I'm the same as you. I've rarely had a problem with United. Whenever I fly to Chicago I always get the economy plus because most people are too cheap to pay the extra fee. There isn't really a noticeable difference in the leg room but that isn't a problem for me...but quite often I end up with a full row to myself.

Now Delta...I have problems with.

[Tron_fdc]

When in the name of all things holy will there be a YYC-PEK direct route?

I'm getting really tired of connecting through YVR

[MRCboicgy]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Are Dreamliners noticeably nicer or more comfortable compared to traditional aircraft? (Economy class only, obviously).

From what I read, they are just more fuel efficient...

It all depends on the carrier. BA's 787-8 economy is so cramped, that they had to put in wider seats for their 787-9.

It was a plane designed for 8 across, but the airlines jam in 9 back in cattle class.

You do notice the better humidity and such though. The big windows make for a better feeling too.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

When in the name of all things holy will there be a YYC-PEK direct route?

I'm getting really tired of connecting through YVR

When a good landing slot time opens up in PEK for an airline willing to serve the route (Air Canada and Air China are the two most likely, both Star Alliance), and probably when our economy gets better too.

In the case of Air Canada they'll probably also need some spare metal to operate it. Right now they are pretty much maxed out on their widebody fleet.

How about connecting through Narita using the YYC-NRT flight?

[Tron_fdc]

I looked at NRT and for some reason the pricing is insane and I can never really get the times to work.

My final destination is Qingdao, so right now I fly YYC-YVR-Pek-TAO

Ideally, I would like to eliminate a flight and go YYC-(XXX)-TAO, and do it in under 18 hours. I haven't found a way to do it yet that is as cheap as my current routing.

[Bigtime]

Hainan Airlines has applied with the Civil Aviation Administration of China to operate Beijing-Calgary 4x weekly starting June 2016. Flight to be operated by either their A330's (they have both 200 and 300 series) or the 787.

http://www.chinaaviationdaily.com/news/48/48804.html