Crew Base Expression of Interest Email

[8895]

Glad to see they’re looking to gauge Pilot interest for new bases. Hopefully they post the results, but to further add to the discussion, is there a lot of interest in bases outside of eastern Canada?

YOW and YUL/YHU seem to be an inevitability (YUL isn’t REALLY a functioning base yet imo, even with the captains on the list there), YHZ is hopefully further down the pipe as it would make sense with Porter’s presence in Atlantic Canada.

I’ve heard there are at least a couple of commuters from out west already, I always figured if a western base were to happen it’d be out of YVR considering it’s the biggest market in western Canada. Is there anyone out west who’d come to porter if a base were out there?

[Donald]

YEG/YYC would be popular.

[cjp]

YEG/YYC would be popular.

Yeah I would imagine anyone on the fence at Lynx or Westjet (who got seat displaced) would be strumming their chin for sure if a base went in there.

Personally I feel they could do a lot with YVR, YYC, YHZ with YYZ, YUL and obviously YOW as primary stations.

It doesn't affect me where it goes, but I'm excited to see what happens.

[flyinhigh]

I know of a few pilots who are just waiting for Porter to open YVR and will be applying right away.

[TurkeyFarmYQX]

They would shut down PAL tomorrow if they opened a YYT base.

[CaptDukeNukem]

I think multiple bases coming soon. New airplanes arriving basically every other week. Running out of room fast at Pearson

[Timetoflyagain]

…while YVR would surely get interest..the cost of living, rent, houses, condos etc is sooooo much cheaper in Alberta..far easier to attract the entire crew..CA, FO, cabin crew and AME’s with an Alberta base than a YVR one. Whatever your position when you have more $ in your bank at the end of the month…you’re less inclined to grumble.…and that’s more likely done in Alberta….fwiw.

[cjp]

They would shut down PAL tomorrow if they opened a YYT base.

I don't foresee any interest in YYT coming in as an E2 base. Too small of a market. PAL is not a factor - it is for Jazz, not for Porter. If anything our Q400s may increase service there, but that would be the extent if it. Let me clarify my comments come from a place of pure speculation.

West coast base is a big deal. Halifax is likely where an east coast base would go if they were to pick anywhere as they already have Q ops there.

[8895]

…while YVR would surely get interest..the cost of living, rent, houses, condos etc is sooooo much cheaper in Alberta..far easier to attract the entire crew..CA, FO, cabin crew and AME’s with an Alberta base than a YVR one. Whatever your position when you have more $ in your bank at the end of the month…you’re less inclined to grumble.…and that’s more likely done in Alberta….fwiw.

100% agree on the better QOL in YYC/YEG, unfortunately I’ve just got my money on YVR because I don’t believe the Alberta bases would make as much sense operationally. Hopefully I’m wrong though

[PropDog]

…while YVR would surely get interest..the cost of living, rent, houses, condos etc is sooooo much cheaper in Alberta..far easier to attract the entire crew..CA, FO, cabin crew and AME’s with an Alberta base than a YVR one. Whatever your position when you have more $ in your bank at the end of the month…you’re less inclined to grumble.…and that’s more likely done in Alberta….fwiw.

100% agree on the better QOL in YYC/YEG, unfortunately I’ve just got my money on YVR because I don’t believe the Alberta bases would make as much sense operationally. Hopefully I’m wrong though

Why does YVR make more sense operationally? I’ve never flown in Western Canada and they seem close enough together that it shouldn’t matter?

[8895]

…while YVR would surely get interest..the cost of living, rent, houses, condos etc is sooooo much cheaper in Alberta..far easier to attract the entire crew..CA, FO, cabin crew and AME’s with an Alberta base than a YVR one. Whatever your position when you have more $ in your bank at the end of the month…you’re less inclined to grumble.…and that’s more likely done in Alberta….fwiw.

100% agree on the better QOL in YYC/YEG, unfortunately I’ve just got my money on YVR because I don’t believe the Alberta bases would make as much sense operationally. Hopefully I’m wrong though

Why does YVR make more sense operationally? I’ve never flown in Western Canada and they seem close enough together that it shouldn’t matter?

Bigger market, currently have more capacity out of there, not sure if YEG market could support a base, and I’m assuming YYC is simply too much of a WJ monopoly for its non ULCC market. At least that’s my highly unqualified take on it.

[PropDog]

100% agree on the better QOL in YYC/YEG, unfortunately I’ve just got my money on YVR because I don’t believe the Alberta bases would make as much sense operationally. Hopefully I’m wrong though

Why does YVR make more sense operationally? I’ve never flown in Western Canada and they seem close enough together that it shouldn’t matter?

Bigger market, currently have more capacity out of there, not sure if YEG market could support a base, and I’m assuming YYC is simply too much of a WJ monopoly for its non ULCC market. At least that’s my highly unqualified take on it.

Interesting. That’s fair enough!

[lowoleo22]

I voted for YYC, but I also think they aren't ready for the challenge of a Westjet showdown. YVR makes more sense for the business model. It's a larger market and more clientele suited to their target customers. Looks like I'll have to commute.

[accountant]

I think multiple bases coming soon. New airplanes arriving basically every other week. Running out of room fast at Pearson

They’re not running out of room at Pearson.

They can run the B1-5 gates all day long if they wanted to. There are huge gaps in the schedule.

The 915 to YYc is 30pct full any time I fly it. Was 31 last night, and 29 the time before two weeks earlier.

It’s more whether they can crew the planes. They wont fill them to capacity for a year or two consistently.

War of attrition.

[8895]

I think multiple bases coming soon. New airplanes arriving basically every other week. Running out of room fast at Pearson

They’re not running out of room at Pearson.

They can run the B1-5 gates all day long if they wanted to. There are huge gaps in the schedule.

The 915 to YYc is 30pct full any time I fly it. Was 31 last night, and 29 the time before two weeks earlier.

It’s more whether they can crew the planes. They wont fill them to capacity for a year or two consistently.

War of attrition.

YYC loads over the last couple days have been good, the late flight you’re talking about was by far the lightest.

[accountant]

I'm assuming that's the least popular flight.

YYC would be a decent base though, if they could send more jets and do YYC-YXE, YYC-YQR to feed more traffic out east. Same with adding YYC-YVR.

With AC pulling out of Sask, and WS pulling out of YUL via YYZ until April there's a ton they could do.

[Aviationanalysis234]

New Porter E2 crew bases in YOW, YUL and YVR all coming in 2024