Stephen Harper International Airport?

[FurnaceFace]

Now I have visions of travelers landing at YYC, rolling up to a terminal and gate plastered in NASCAR like sponsor stickers.

[Acey]

Gates are already covered in ads - HSBC in the case of YYC's gates, ATB Financial at YEG. It is different at other airports where the airlines actually own their gates.

The concourses are also full of ads and promotional stuff. I guess you wouldn't want to be the first airport to be named after a fast food joint so nobody will bite that bullet, but I also doubt that a big sponsorship deal would result in the lowering of the Airport Improvement Fee.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by Addick

I'm not an expert but I'd assume that the name Calgary International Airport or McCall International Airport would be the Airport Authority's brand and they want to keep that strong. Similar to how the Flames are okay with getting a sponsor for the Saddledome but would hesitate to become the Scotiabank Flames of Calgary. The terminals on the other hand could be up for grabs but that would have to be weighted against ease of wayfinding.

How would a sponsor change YYC's brand? It's not as though consumers have an alternative choice should they want to travel here, and how effective the airport is in handling, processing and accommodating travelers - the only traits of the experience at an airport that are actually scrutinized by travelers would not change.

Just as nobody really cared when the Saddledome went from the Pengrowth Saddledome to the Scotiabank Saddledome(aside from the annoyance of adjusting to it's name!) the prevailing thoughts on the 'Dome and how it's run have not changed.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by Acey

Gates are already covered in ads - HSBC in the case of YYC's gates, ATB Financial at YEG. It is different at other airports where the airlines actually own their gates.

The concourses are also full of ads and promotional stuff. I guess you wouldn't want to be the first airport to be named after a fast food joint so nobody will bite that bullet, but I also doubt that a big sponsorship deal would result in the lowering of the Airport Improvement Fee.

The Airport Authority would obviously be able to weigh up the merits and considerations that would come with partnering with company X. Maybe it isn't a fast food joint, but a big 4 firm, a tech giant or a more prestigious brand.

Has monetizing the gates or concourses changed your experience at an airport at all? I would be surprised if you answered they had.

What makes you skeptical the fee wouldn't be lowered, or at the very least prevent it from being raised later on when all the renovations and improvements need to be paid for? I'm not attuned to what the Airport Authority has announced they will do, or what common practice is, so I would be interested to hear your thoughts if you are in the know.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

Now I have visions of travelers landing at YYC, rolling up to a terminal and gate plastered in NASCAR like sponsor stickers.

Have you ever flown RyanAir in Europe? It's already begun!

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Dagger

How would a sponsor change YYC's brand? It's not as though consumers have an alternative choice should they want to travel here, and how effective the airport is in handling, processing and accommodating travelers - the only traits of the experience at an airport that are actually scrutinized by travelers would not change.

You left out a big one: Ease of navigation.

See, I don't need a map to know that the B section are one down from the A section. This helps if you are making a connection. If you have to go to find a restaurant or bar or WHY and there's a line at the bathroom or the server/kitchen was slow or the departure time was pushed ahead and you need to rush to your gate how many sections away are the Budget Rent-a-car from the Financial Post? Was it after the Canadian Tire Section but before the Manulife section? Was it the one with Tim Hortons escalator?

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Dagger

How would a sponsor change YYC's brand? It's not as though consumers have an alternative choice should they want to travel here, and how effective the airport is in handling, processing and accommodating travelers - the only traits of the experience at an airport that are actually scrutinized by travelers would not change.

Just as nobody really cared when the Saddledome went from the Pengrowth Saddledome to the Scotiabank Saddledome(aside from the annoyance of adjusting to it's name!) the prevailing thoughts on the 'Dome and how it's run have not changed.

By changing the name of YYC, you are changing the name of your brand and your product. When the Pengrowth Saddledome became the Scotiabank Saddledome, the Calgary Flames remained the Calgary Flames. While the airport may technically be a piece of infrastructure, it is the very brand and product.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by Reaper

You left out a big one: Ease of navigation.

See, I don't need a map to know that the B section are one down from the A section. This helps if you are making a connection. If you have to go to find a restaurant or bar or WHY and there's a line at the bathroom or the server/kitchen was slow or the departure time was pushed ahead and you need to rush to your gate how many sections away are the Budget Rent-a-car from the Financial Post? Was it after the Canadian Tire Section but before the Manulife section? Was it the one with Tim Hortons escalator?

Signage just has to be improved.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by Addick

By changing the name of YYC, you are changing the name of your brand and your product. When the Pengrowth Saddledome became the Scotiabank Saddledome, the Calgary Flames remained the Calgary Flames. While the airport may technically be a piece of infrastructure, it is the very brand and product.

No, the brand is the airport itself. People will still be flying into Calgary, they won't be flying into Burger King. The product remains the same, and the service doesn't change. Montreal becoming Trudeau or Toronto - Pearson, didn't change anything about the airport or people's perception of it.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I'm not a Calgarian, nor Albertan.

While I don't talk about it in excess here, I'm not a fan of Harper and think that history will not look well on his tenure as Prime Minister (as opposed to someone like Mulroney where I think History will recognize him as a d-bag but a good PM).

Regardless, that's not the debate here. I could very well be wrong (I have been before).

I think if you want your airport to share the name of our out going Prime Minister, that's really up to Calgary.

That said, upon the collective request of CalgaryPuck, I'll be more than happy to sign this petition:

https://www.change.org/p/rename-step...edium=copyLink

If you don't think that the airport should be renamed Stephen Harper International Airport, why not simply rename Stephen Harper, Calgary International Airport?

[Amethyst]

I think it's way too soon to name something after him.

If our airport was to be named after someone, I would rather we start the process as,"Let's figure out who we should honour by naming the airport after him/her," rather than, "We need to name something after Harper - okay, let's pick the airport."

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Apparently it already had a name - McCall Airport - after a highly decorated WW1 ace pilot from Calgary named Frederick McCall. McCall also personally flew the first commercial flights out of Calgary after the war ended. For some reason the name was dropped in the 60's when the federal government took over control of the airport.

http://m.calgarysun.com/2015/10/31/t...ro-fred-mccall

Interesting piece of history I was not aware of. Personally, now knowing this, I would much rather any consideration towards renaming the airport be directed at reverting it back to its original name sake.

[Delthefunky]

^^ I like that much better!

[GreenLantern2814]

If this happens, "I'm coming into Harper" is a sentence that I could legitimately say at some point during my life. #### you, that's not a risk I'm prepared to assume.