LH wrote:xsbank -----I've travelled once a month from Winnipeg to Ft. St John, BC. WJ charges approximately $167(with all the add-ons) on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thurday into Edmonton. In Edmonton, I book with CMA which costs $270-$315 into Ft St John. I can take AC direct Winnipeg-FSJ for slightly over $900. Guess which airline I've been using to make those once-a-month trips with for the last two years? If you can find a better deal with AC for 12 months a year, then I please ask you to contact me. I'll also take the seating room on a 737-700 over the "sardine-like" seating of an AC CRJ making the same trip.
When I make that trip, I'll also get into destination many hours before the same AC flight arrives.
Ummmmm, they wouldn't charge that fare if the market didn't support it. Would you sell a stock at below market value?? It's a new system call free market. The growth on segment is unlikely to increase substantially due to lower pricing.
Reasons to go direct or same airline? If mechanical then there are options supplied. If you miss your CMA/WJ connection your hooped due mechanical, wx, etc. With AC you can fly from anywhere in the AC route structure and be supported ie SYD, ZRH, YYT, Wabush, etc.
If you think WJ is low cost maybe you should quickly review how much airfares on BOTH AC/WJ have gone up since 2010. In 2010 the average fares for both companies were up almost 50% with WJ being higher % increase. Jets go was long dead by then. From a consumer point of view you can almost start to argue that price fixing/collusion is in play. Airlines worldwide have recently been tagged for this, particluarily the freight market.
PS Winnipegers are notoriusly cheap so do as you please. Several major retail chains do price testing in YWG including Walmart.