A321XLR

[MaxAuto]

Air Canada is going to destroy us on this segment with their new XLRs.

https://www.aircanada.com/media/air-can ... s-a321xlr/

[safetyfirst123]

Air Canada is going to destroy us on this segment with their new XLRs.

https://www.aircanada.com/media/air-can ... s-a321xlr/

Westjet continues to make horrible strategic errors in their quest to look good for an IPO. Their lack of vision with their wide-body fleet when they cancelled remaining 787 orders a few years back, and now they can't get more until after 2030. Reconfiguring the 737's with 28" seat pitch flying long flights including across the Atlantic and to Hawaii. They will try to continue trying to sell tickets at AC prices but offer seats with less space and comfort than Flair. Westjet is chasing cost, but at the expense of revenue.

History has been kind to Air Transat despite their many struggles. They were on their way out in 2001, but what saved them was 911 and the collapse of Canada 3000. Today, Transat should be very thankful for Westjet's continued strategic missteps.

[Tbayer2021]

Westjet/onex will purchase transat. You heard it here first.

[ant_321]

Westjet/onex will purchase transat. You heard it here first.

I’ll finally get to fly an airbus!

[safetyfirst123]

Westjet/onex will purchase transat. You heard it here first.

That's been rumoured for years. I'd be okay with it!

[Tanker299]

Dub Jay taking over Transat would be a game-changer. On paper, it makes sense: overlap in Europe/leisure markets, great way to get more widebodies, and stronger east-west coverage. Basically, it would create a Canadian leisure travel powerhouse.

However annother monopoly…. Canada doesn’t shy away from those (just look at our banks and grocery chains). But politically? That’s another story. Ottawa’s Competition Bureau already blocked Air Canada’s attempt, and Quebec won’t easily let go of a Montreal-based airline like Transat.

Smart business, tough politics. Could it happen? Maybe. But I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. Still, I’ve been wrong before.

[safetyfirst123]

Those are valid points, but the government has a soft sport for Transat, so much so that the CEEFC owns 19.9% of Trasnat. It will be in their best interest to see a good deal move forward if Transat does not prove to be a going concern. Maybe once they conclude pilot negotiations, an announcement will be made, just like with Sunwing

[safetyfirst123]

Air Transat currently has 16 A330's in the fleet, and they're not getting any younger. Westjet has seven 787's, with seven more on order to arrive after 2030, and four options, bringing the 787 fleet to 14. Air Transat also has 19 A321LR's with three A321XRL's on order. Westjet has 60 MAX10's on order, but who knows when those will start to trickle in.

Westjet and Transat would complement each other very well. Transat is a very strong brand, but they struggle to produce regular profitability.

[SPR]

Ottawa’s Competition Bureau already blocked Air Canada’s attempt, and Quebec won’t easily let go of a Montreal-based airline like Transat.

No, the Competition Bureau, and the Canadian government overall, approved the merger. The European Commission imposed restrictions on the transaction that made it undesirable for Air Canada to go forward with it. They didn't prohibit it, they just said that the merged company would have to withdraw from some markets where they would have a monopoly, and AC decided that was too onerous.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/air-ca ... -1.5974439

[flyinhigh]

Westjet and Transat would complement each other very well. Transat is a very strong brand, but they struggle to produce regular profitability.

Something EIC and the lack of real leadership at WJ would destroy in a nano second.

[safetyfirst123]

Westjet and Transat would complement each other very well. Transat is a very strong brand, but they struggle to produce regular profitability.

Something EIC and the lack of real leadership at WJ would destroy in a nano second.

You mean Onex, but I agree with you completely.

[safetyfirst123]

Maybe the timing will work like with Sunwing. Transat pilots are currently negotiating, once they ratify especially with pressure on them to not ask for much due to Transat's poor financial health, Onex will buy Transat and merge them with Westjet. The pilot contract at Westjet expires at the end of next year, so once again they will focus on the merge and not ask for too much just like their last contract.

[Bede]

Maybe the timing will work like with Sunwing. Transat pilots are currently negotiating, once they ratify especially with pressure on them to not ask for much due to Transat's poor financial health, Onex will buy Transat and merge them with Westjet. The pilot contract at Westjet expires at the end of next year, so once again they will focus on the merge and not ask for too much just like their last contract.

That makes no sense.

[safetyfirst123]

Maybe the timing will work like with Sunwing. Transat pilots are currently negotiating, once they ratify especially with pressure on them to not ask for much due to Transat's poor financial health, Onex will buy Transat and merge them with Westjet. The pilot contract at Westjet expires at the end of next year, so once again they will focus on the merge and not ask for too much just like their last contract.

That makes no sense.

I'm half joking, but it makes a lot of sense. Sunwing negotiated with their pilots knowing full well that the deal with Westjet was imminent. This was bargaining in bad faith. It is entirely possible that Transat has pending news that they aren't disclosing, and if that news could be a merger with Westjet, then Westjet pilots will use significant bargaining power on that aspect rather than advancing other metrics just like the last negotiations. As pilots, we are all pawns unfortunately.

[Bede]

[It is entirely possible that Transat has pending news that they aren't disclosing, and if that news could be a merger with Westjet, then Westjet pilots will use significant bargaining power on that aspect rather than advancing other metrics just like the last negotiations. As pilots, we are all pawns unfortunately.

Scope protections were a major focus of CA2, but this wasn't brought about by SWG, it was brought about by Swoop. Folding in SWG was ancillary to solving the Swoop issue. There's still improvement to scope that are required, but most of the heavy lifting was done in CA2.

The big items in CA2 were pension, RIGs, and scheduling improvements.

[safetyfirst123]

[It is entirely possible that Transat has pending news that they aren't disclosing, and if that news could be a merger with Westjet, then Westjet pilots will use significant bargaining power on that aspect rather than advancing other metrics just like the last negotiations. As pilots, we are all pawns unfortunately.

Scope protections were a major focus of CA2, but this wasn't brought about by SWG, it was brought about by Swoop. Folding in SWG was ancillary to solving the Swoop issue. There's still improvement to scope that are required, but most of the heavy lifting was done in CA2.

The big items in CA2 were pension, RIGs, and scheduling improvements.

Fair points, but it did seem like a lot of negotiating capital was put into ensuring Sunwing was not allowed to operate as a separate OC. And for Sunwing negotiations, a lot of the company's efforts were to make it as attractive as possible for the merger.

We are pawns, and something has to give over at Transat, unless Westjet's continued efforts to deteriorate its own product helps Transat in the long run.

[dc-9-31]

Quebec will never allow AT to be bought by Albertan WJ, especially as they're part owners and just gave them a bailout.

[flieslikeachicken]

Westjet continues to make horrible strategic errors in their quest to look good for an IPO. Their lack of vision with their wide-body fleet when they cancelled remaining 787 orders a few years back, and now they can't get more until after 2030. Reconfiguring the 737's with 28" seat pitch flying long flights including across the Atlantic and to Hawaii. They will try to continue trying to sell tickets at AC prices but offer seats with less space and comfort than Flair. Westjet is chasing cost, but at the expense of revenue.

History has been kind to Air Transat despite their many struggles. They were on their way out in 2001, but what saved them was 911 and the collapse of Canada 3000. Today, Transat should be very thankful for Westjet's continued strategic missteps.

I cannot agree with your comment more than I do now. Onex is sucking the blood from WestJet and will leave the corpse to rot after they sell it off.

[safetyfirst123]

Westjet continues to make horrible strategic errors in their quest to look good for an IPO. Their lack of vision with their wide-body fleet when they cancelled remaining 787 orders a few years back, and now they can't get more until after 2030. Reconfiguring the 737's with 28" seat pitch flying long flights including across the Atlantic and to Hawaii. They will try to continue trying to sell tickets at AC prices but offer seats with less space and comfort than Flair. Westjet is chasing cost, but at the expense of revenue.

History has been kind to Air Transat despite their many struggles. They were on their way out in 2001, but what saved them was 911 and the collapse of Canada 3000. Today, Transat should be very thankful for Westjet's continued strategic missteps.

I cannot agree with your comment more than I do now. Onex is sucking the blood from WestJet and will leave the corpse to rot after they sell it off.

Exactly. All these decisions will only enable competitors to thrive. The decisions being made in the last little while are all very short-sighted with the goal go public with an IPO. I'm not convinced that the stars will align to allow this to happen. Hopefully Westjet will start to learn from Delta and adapt accordingly.

[co-joe]

...
I cannot agree with your comment more than I do now. Onex is sucking the blood from WestJet and will leave the corpse to rot after they sell it off.

I think the investment by Delta, Air France-KLM, and Korean, is Onex finally admitting they have no idea how to run an airline, and bringing in investors that do.

[safetyfirst123]

...
I cannot agree with your comment more than I do now. Onex is sucking the blood from WestJet and will leave the corpse to rot after they sell it off.

I think the investment by Delta, Air France-KLM, and Korean, is Onex finally admitting they have no idea how to run an airline, and bringing in investors that do.

One can only hope. Let's see how long it takes them to add a row of Plus seating at the front and remove two rows of economy from the back.

[cdnavater]

...
I cannot agree with your comment more than I do now. Onex is sucking the blood from WestJet and will leave the corpse to rot after they sell it off.

I think the investment by Delta, Air France-KLM, and Korean, is Onex finally admitting they have no idea how to run an airline, and bringing in investors that do.

One can only hope. Let's see how long it takes them to add a row of Plus seating at the front and remove two rows of economy from the back.

Seems you’re adding non reclining seats instead