Quote:
Originally Posted by mykalberta
Their lowest fares are lower than Air Canada. However unlike Air Canada and UAL (United Airlines), the reason they havent declared bankruptcy yet is that once those fares are sold out then the fares increase as the plane fills up, its airline economics 101. If you saved $500/ticket going to Vegas then you tried to book close to your departure time or durring a high travel period.
What at Air Canada differentiates them from Westjet on competing routes? Within 30 days of Westjet instituting this policy Air Canada will match.
Westjet is a buisness whose philosophy is low cost point to point routes. Westjet buisness model doesnt fly someone from Calgary to Vancouver only to save them $20 on a flight to Toronto - that loses airlines money. That is the hub model that United Airlines and Air Canada uses.
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There is no way their lower fares are lower than Air Canada's economy fares. I can't remember one instance in my lifetime where Westjet was $1 dollar cheaper than Air Canada for a similar flight.
And you are out to lunch on Vegas as well. I booked two months in advance, and the only time I could get a comparable rate on Westjet to United/Delta was if I left on a Sunday and came back prior to Friday. I went to the Mandalay (2 people) with hotel and flight included during the May long weekend last year for $1,100 (Thursday to Sunday). I couldn't even fly to Vegas for that on Westjet.
I'm convinced people out here are brainwashed that Westjet is an actual good airline. Maybe their commercials send subliminal messaged to people in Alberta specifically designed for people who have relatives who work for Westjet.
Westjet is a low-cost airline that charges full rates. Simple as that. It drives me insane that they come off as some sort of saviour of the airline industry. You want to see what a low-cost airline is all about, take a look at Porter Airlines in the east or Southwest as someone has already mentioned. Unfortunetly we'll never have Porter out here because Westjet will do everything its power not to be shown up on home turf.