CANADA: WestJet Flight Diverted To Pearson International Airport In Toronto

A WestJet flight that was supposed to land at the Region of Waterloo International Airport on Friday afternoon had to land in Toronto instead.

It was due to what the airline is calling a "mechanical reason,"

Flight 556 landed safely at Pearson International Airport.

The 95 passengers on the plane then continued their journey back to Kitchener via bus.

WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian airline founded in 1996. It began as a low-cost alternative to the country's competing major airlines.

WestJet provides scheduled and charter air service to more than 100 destinations in Canada, the United States, Europe, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

WestJet is currently the second-largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of 777 flights and carrying more than 66,130 guests per day.

In 2018, WestJet carried 25.49 million passengers, making it the ninth-largest airline in North America by passengers carried.

WestJet is a public company with more than 14,000 employees, and is not part of any airline alliance. It operates three variants of the Boeing 737 Next Generation family, the Boeing 737 MAX, as well as Boeing 767 and Boeing 787 aircraft, on select long-haul routes.

WestJet has two direct subsidiaries, WestJet Encore which operates the Bombardier Q400, and WestJet Link, which operates the Saab 340B. The airline's headquarters is located adjacent to the Calgary International Airport.

In 2018, WestJet had passenger revenues of CAN$4.733 billion.

WestJet is operated by WestJet Airlines Ltd., a public company, incorporated and domiciled in Canada. Its shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol WJA.

As a result of the 100% offer from Onex Corporation in April 2019, it emerged that as of June 2019, Silchester International Investors was WestJet's largest shareholder with 16.5% of the float, while Letko Brosseau and Associates owned 10% of the company.

The parent company's accounts include various directly wholly owned subsidiaries, also incorporated in Canada, including WestJet Vacations Inc., WestJet Encore Ltd. and Swoop.

On 13 May 2019, the company announced that it had accepted an offer from Onex Corporation to purchase the company, a $5-billion deal that would require shareholder approval in July and regulatory approval.

The Onex offer was for $31 a share, substantially higher than the closing price of approximately $18 at the close of trading on the previous business day.

WestJet and WestJet Encore currently fly to 108 destinations in 25 countries throughout North and Central America, the Caribbean and Europe including 36 cities in Canada and 23 in the United States.

WestJet's largest hub in terms of daily departures is Toronto Pearson International Airport, the airline's main connection point in Eastern Canada and Calgary International Airport, the airline's main connection point in Western Canada.

WestJet provides the most Canadian flights to Las Vegas and Orlando, offering non-stop routes some of them seasonal from nine Canadian cities to Las Vegas and eleven to Orlando.

Since 2008, WestJet is the largest international carrier, by volume of passengers, flying into Las Vegas. WestJet also serves 20 destinations in the Caribbean and seven in Mexico, some on a seasonal basis.

In July 2015, WestJet announced flights to London Gatwick Airport operated by Boeing 767 aircraft, which had not previously been part of the airline's fleet, starting spring 2016.

In January 2018, WestJet announced its first flight to mainland Europe. WestJet started flying between Halifax and Paris in May 2018. The airline in this route is being operated with its new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

In October 2018, new international destinations and routes were announced. Starting in 2019, WestJet began direct flights from Calgary to Dublin and Paris. WestJet is using its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to fly these new routes.

In addition, the current Calgary to London Gatwick Airport route, which was formerly served by WestJet's Boeing 767 aircraft, has been replaced by new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

At the end of October, WestJet also announced two new destinations. It began flights between Calgary and Atlanta, WestJet's expected joint-venture carrier Delta Air Lines largest hub, in March 2019. WestJet is the only carrier operating a direct route between Calgary and Atlanta.

The airline also announced flights between Toronto and Barcelona, its second destination in mainland Europe which began in May 2019.

CANADA: WestJet Airlines And Scoop Accused Of Predatory Pricing

The Federal Court of Canada has ordered a second senior employee at WestJet Airlines Ltd. to testify under oath in a predatory pricing investigation into WestJet and its budget subsidiary, Swoop, by Canada's competition watchdog.

The inquiry, launched by the Competition Bureau in the fall, concerns allegations the two airlines used anti-competitive practices to crowd out B.C.-based upstart Flair Airlines from at least three routes last year.

Federal Court Chief Justice Paul Crampton has ordered WestJet corporate planning manager Michael Claeren to be examined by Canada's commissioner of competition, citing Claeren's former role as a senior leader of revenue and pricing at Swoop.

He is set to appear next month alongside WestJet vice-president John Weatherill, who the Federal Court previously ordered to come before a presiding officer to explain the airline's tactics.

The commissioner launched the inquiry to investigate allegations the parties have abused their dominant position in the provision of air transportation services by engaging in predatory pricing practices on certain routes in Canada, according to a March 27 affidavit from Xavier Mercier, a senior officer at the Competition Bureau.

Flair alleges predatory pricing cost airline $10 million.

Predatory pricing is when a company offers services below break even costs to hobble a competitor, along with an expectation to recoup losses through future price hikes, according to Competition Bureau guidelines.

In this case the accusation applies to routes between Edmonton and the cities of Abbotsford, B.C., Hamilton, Ont., and Winnipeg. On the Hamilton route, Swoop advertised all-inclusive fares for as low as $69 starting last June, court filings state.

Flair Airlines chief executive Jim Scott has said the strategy cost his ultra-low-cost carrier about $10 million between mid-June and mid-October, placing it in jeopardy.

WestJet has said it is compiling information in response to the probe, which has seen piles of court ordered documents and data from the two Calgary based airlines handed over to the Competition Bureau.

Air Canada and WestJet control about 90 per cent of the domestic market and 70 per cent of the transborder market, says David Tyerman, an industry consultant who works with Enerjet, a charter airline aiming to launch as a budget carrier this year.

WestJet's attempts to retain control over ultra low cost flights amount to a pretty aggressive attempt to protect market share and keep new entrants out of the market, Tyerman said in an interview.

The accusation applies to routes between Edmonton and the cities of Abbotsford, B.C., Hamilton, Ont., and Winnipeg. On the Hamilton route, Swoop advertised all-inclusive fares for as low as $69 starting last June, court filings state.

The business models of Canada's two largest airlines make ultra-low pricing on certain routes without incurring a loss tough to fathom, he said, pointing to the cost of premium seating and lounges.

Both Air Canada and WestJet have limited their budget products to certain markets to avoid cannibalizing most of their full-price markets.

It seems unlikely that Swoop and Rouge can achieve truly lowest costs, given labour costs at the incumbents and other potential cost differentials, Tyerman said in an email.

He also noted the Competition Bureau does not have a mandated time frame for the WestJet investigation and called for prompt enforcement of anti-competitive rules.


Tourism Observer

CANADA: Swoop To Cleared To Kickoff Hamilton To Abbotsford, British Columbia Flights

Swoop says it plans to charge less for tickets because its costs will be much lower, and the planes will come with no free perks.

Competition is heating up for Canada's most price-sensitive travellers as WestJet Airlines gears up to launch the country's second ultra-low cost airline Wednesday.

Swoop, an offshoot of WestJet Airlines, will make its maiden flight on its pink and white aircraft before the sun rises in Hamilton, Ont. on a trip to Abbotsford, B.C.

From my perspective coming into this fresh, I've been in Canada four months now I personally believe there's a huge opportunity in Canada, said Swoop president Steven Greenway.

Greenway is an Australian native who has worked in executive positions at airlines including Japanese low-cost carrier Peach, Virgin Blue, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas.

Swoop marks his sixth airline startup.

By discounting travel, Swoop, Flair Airlines and others are trying to repatriate the more than five million Canadians who cross the border to catch flights from airports in Buffalo and Plattsburgh, N.Y., and Bellingham, Wash.

From our perspective there's the opportunity to fill a gap, there's an opportunity to stimulate demand, there's an opportunity to welcome Canadians back from crossing the border. We believe there's a significant enough market to be able to thrive, Greenway said.

He expects competition will increase significantly over the next 12 months as Canada Jetlines gears up to join Swoop and Flair in offering deeply discounted fares along with charges for everything from a onboard drink to carry-on and checked baggage.

Flair welcomed the extra competition.

We think that having more people in the space helps promote the fact the space exists and will work to each other's advantage, executive chairman David Tait said in an interview.

I don't think Canada's big enough for half a dozen players in this space, but there's certainly plenty of room for two and maybe three.

Meanwhile, Tait said Flair plans to move its headquarters to Edmonton from Kelowna, B.C., over the coming months to help promote its growth.

Kelowna was a fine base for a charter operator but it didn't really give us the scope, the potential we need as we're growing.

Swoop is entering an area of the airline business that doesn't have a stellar history of success in Canada: Jetsgo, Air Canada's Tango, Canada 3000 and Roots Air have all floundered in the past.

Canada is the only G7 country without a true ultra low-cost carrier (ULCC) and the model has been successful in Europe, Australia and the United States, said transportation analyst Chris Murray of AltaCorp Capital.

I don't think we've ever seen a true ULCC model in the Canadian marketplace before so I think we're in somewhat uncharted territory, he said.

I think there's also frankly some opportunities if they do it well to be successful with it.

Murray estimates the Canadian ultra low-cost market can handle 10 million passengers per year, enough to support up to 50 aircraft. The service is particularly suited to leisure flights to Las Vegas, Arizona and Florida, he added.

Swoop says fares should be 30 to 40 per cent lower than a national carrier.

The key will be to keep costs down from lower labour costs, cramming 189 seats into Boeing 737-800s, and stimulating demand from people who don't normally fly because of the high cost.

The carrier, however, has already had something of a bumpy takeoff.

WestJet's launch of Swoop had been a source of labour strife between the company and pilots, who were on the brink of a strike last month before reaching an 11th-hour deal.

Earlier this year, the union won a Canada Industrial Relations Board challenge to the company's proposed policy to offer pilots a two-year leave of absence if they go to fly for Swoop.

A federal arbitrator recently ruled that WestJet's unionized pilots will also fly Swoop, which means the airline can no longer outsource Swoop flying, a major disagreement in recent negotiations.

Swoop will recognize the union as the exclusive bargaining agent for all Swoop pilots, who will be on the airline's one seniority list and fly aircraft at Swoop terms and conditions.

Initial one-way flights start at $49 tax included from Abbotsford to Winnipeg, $129 between Hamilton and Abbotsford and $99 between Hamilton and Halifax.

The fares don't include a range of fees, including carry-on luggage and checked bags starting at $26.25, seat selection start at $5, and $15 to contact the call centre if the service can be carried out on the website.

No pets aside from guide dogs are allowed on board and any credits are only valid for 90 days. No loyalty points will be awarded.

Swoop is starting with two planes, with plans to roll out six by year-end and 10 in 2019.

Instead of flying from Toronto Pearson International, flights will fly out of Hamilton's lower-cost airport. Other initial cities are Winnipeg, Edmonton, Halifax and Abbotsford.

Additional destinations will be added, including international flights likely by the end of 2018, said Greenway. Flair plans to fly to Orlando and Palm Springs, Calif., next winter.

While there is a real concern that passengers could feel being nickled and dimed by a series of ancillary fees, experience in Europe over the past 20 years suggests passengers ultimately focus on the fares, said Greenway.

It is an education process and I think people will adapt over time.


Tourism Observer

KUWAIT: Emirates Announces Codeshare Agreement With Alaska Airlines

Emirates today announced a new codeshare and lounge agreement with Alaska Airlines (AS).

Pending governmental approval, Emirates will begin marketing up to 300 daily Alaska Airlines flights, which will give customers the simplicity of purchasing connecting flights on both airlines using one reservation, and a seamless ticketing, check-in, boarding and baggage check experience during the entire journey. In addition, the new codeshare agreement will feature several other new benefits including reciprocal lounge access and priority boarding and check-in for elite fliers.

Greater Connection Choice Across the Combined Network
With two daily flights now departing from Dubai to Seattle, the enhanced codeshare agreement gives passengers easy connections to 49 cities including Honolulu, Denver, Las Vegas, Portland, Phoenix, Pullman, Sacramento, Spokane, Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks as well as Canadian destinations such as Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria.

Business Class Lounge Access and Priority Check-in
In addition to the codeshare agreement, Emirates Skywards® Gold & Platinum members will soon have access to Alaska Airlines Board Room lounges in Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles any time they book an Emirates flight that connects with Alaska Airlines. Likewise, Alaska Airlines MVP® Gold and MVP® Gold 75K members will also enjoy access to Emirates Business Class lounges at Dubai. At a later date, Emirates and Alaska Airlines elite members will also enjoy reciprocal priority check-in and boarding at Dubai, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Redeeming Miles for Reward Travel
Since launching a frequent flier partnership in 2012, members of Emirates Skywards and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan have enjoyed earning and redeeming Miles for travel around the world.

“Passengers will appreciate the greater choice, improved connections and many added comforts and conveniences such as lounge access and priority check-in, as a result of our new codeshare agreement with Alaska Airlines,” said Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline. “Alaska Airlines’ superior service and exceptional connectivity across the US and Canada, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, perfectly complements our global network and extends the range of travel options for both our customer bases.”

“Our new codeshare agreement gives customers connecting through our West Coast hubs seamless access to Emirates’ global network,” said Brad Tilden, Chief Executive Officer and President of Alaska Airlines. “As Seattle’s hometown airline, our partnership already connects 2,500 customers a week to Emirates and we expect that to increase as we streamline the travel experience for customers traveling between Alaska and Emirates. In addition, elite members of our Mileage Plan program will enjoy unique access to the stunning Emirates lounges at Dubai.”

Passengers on Emirates flights can enjoy over 2,000 free channels of films, TV shows, music, games and podcasts through ice, the airline’s multi-award winning in-flight entertainment system, regionally inspired gourmet cuisine and Emirates’ renowned inflight service from the airline’s multi-national cabin crew comprised of over 135 nationalities. Additionally, First Class and Business Class passengers can experience Emirates’ Chauffeur-drive service, available in over 70 cities worldwide.

Emirates Flights to Seattle
Flight EK 227 departs Dubai at 3:15 a.m., and arrives in Seattle at 6:55 a.m. while flight EK 229 departs Dubai at 9:35am and arrives in Seattle at 12:55pm.

Emirates first launched service to Seattle just over three years ago in March 2012 and has since flown more than 600,000 passengers on the route. On 7th July, Emirates announced its second daily service from Dubai to Seattle. This second Seattle flight, operated with a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, takes the number of weekly seats to Seattle to 4,340.

At Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Alaska Airlines operates from Concourses C, D, and N, with an easy tram ride to the Emirates gates at the South Satellite to ensure a quick connection between flights.

Explore More of the Americas with Emirates’ Pass
Emirates passengers looking to explore beyond the airline’s network of American destinations now have dozens of options with the Americas Pass.

With one combined ticket, travelers flying to any of Emirates’ 10 U.S. destinations can connect to more than 90 cities across America, Canada and Latin America through Emirates’ five partner airlines: Jet Blue, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America, WestJet Airlines and Porter Airlines.

Through Emirates local office or with the help of a travel agent, Emirates customers worldwide can now simply look at the destination list, browse a variety of options and select the best route to match their itineraries.

Emirates and the U.S.
Founded in 1985, Emirates is a global connector of people, places and economies. Based in Dubai, the airline’s global network serves 147 destinations in 79 countries across six continents. Its luxurious amenities, regionally inspired gourmet cuisine, award-winning in-flight entertainment system – ice – and unmatched hospitality provided by its iconic multilingual Cabin Crew have made Emirates one of the world’s most recognized airline brands.

Emirates has carried more than 11 million passengers on U.S. flights since launching services to New York in 2004. The airline currently serves 10 U.S. gateways – Orlando (MCO), Chicago (ORD), Boston (BOS), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Seattle (SEA), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), Washington (IAD) and New York (JFK), as well as operating a trans-Atlantic route between JFK and Milan and a freighter service to Atlanta. Emirates SkyCargo transports up to 650 tons of U.S. exports each week – including auto parts from New York, apples and cherries from Seattle, and oil and gas equipment from Houston – stimulating trade and opening new markets for American businesses across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.