Saskatoon and Regina Air Service

[phone]

Originally Posted by esquire

I haven't been to YXE since 1995... looks a lot bigger, brighter and nicer than I recall! Thanks for sharing.

The terminal was substantially rebuilt in about 2002, and a large expansion that basically amounts to a rebuild took place in the late 2010s. So you would have missed an entire "phase" of YXE's passenger experience!

In my view, YQR has the superior pre-security area, while YXE has the superior post-security area.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Anyone know why WestJet no longer has a Regina Toronto flight?

[PaulR]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

Anyone know why WestJet no longer has a Regina Toronto flight?

Saskatoon as well, by the looks of the recent flights to and from both cities.

[Robag]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

Anyone know why WestJet no longer has a Regina Toronto flight?

It's pretty much reduced to twice a week for the winter. Not sure, but my guess is because of the change to focusing on the west, they might be funneling more passengers through Calgary until they can get their crew levels back up. From what I hear, they cut staff so bad during the pandemic, they are lucky if they have 20% of pre-pandemic work force that is back.

[Dino35]

Originally Posted by Robag

It's pretty much reduced to twice a week for the winter. Not sure, but my guess is because of the change to focusing on the west, they might be funneling more passengers through Calgary until they can get their crew levels back up. From what I hear, they cut staff so bad during the pandemic, they are lucky if they have 20% of pre-pandemic work force that is back.

Current frequency is 4x per week between YXE-YYZ. Looks like YQR is 3X weekly. This reduces to 2x weekly in early December, then increases for the holidays. January is also 2X weekly, then increases up to daily flights as we get closer to summer. Simple supply and demand.

And Westjet is almost back to pre-pandemic staffing levels. There is no way they are operating with just 20% of their ore-COVID workforce.

[EDM753Fan]

AC is down to twice daily from YQR-YYZ. Total PITA to work with their schedule in and out of here right now.

[Robag]

Originally Posted by Dino35

Current frequency is 4x per week between YXE-YYZ. Looks like YQR is 3X weekly. This reduces to 2x weekly in early December, then increases for the holidays. January is also 2X weekly, then increases up to daily flights as we get closer to summer. Simple supply and demand.

And Westjet is almost back to pre-pandemic staffing levels. There is no way they are operating with just 20% of their ore-COVID workforce.

I meant that 20% of the staff that are working for them right now were there before the pandemic. The rest that are working are newer. And they are still way down from pre-pandemic regardless. It's not just simple supply and demand, when a buddy of mine that works for AC at the airport says they are slammed all of the time. The demand is there, the supply is not.

[Dino35]

Originally Posted by Robag

I meant that 20% of the staff that are working for them right now were there before the pandemic. The rest that are working are newer. And they are still way down from pre-pandemic regardless. It's not just simple supply and demand, when a buddy of mine that works for AC at the airport says they are slammed all of the time. The demand is there, the supply is not.

The airlines are not way down in staffing from pre-pandemic levels. In august 2022, air Canada had 34,000 employees as compared to 34,700 pre-pandemic. And there is no way 80% of the employees at the airlines are new. Although I’d be happy to entertain your assumption if you had any stats to back that up.

And I agree that the airports are busy - and the timing and frequency of fights for some cites are terrible - but that doesn’t mean the supply (I.e. available seats) is not there.

[EDM753Fan]

Originally Posted by Dino35

The airlines are not way down in staffing from pre-pandemic levels. In august 2022, air Canada had 34,000 employees as compared to 34,700 pre-pandemic. And there is no way 80% of the employees at the airlines are new. Although I’d be happy to entertain your assumption if you had any stats to back that up.

Ok supposing you are correct in stating this. Why are the flight frequencies, on time %, amounts of baggage lost, cancelations, changes etc so bad right now? I can't find any other way to explain it other than "HR upheaval". How else can you explain the many and constant issues?

[McBean]

Hope nobody is going on a cruise. The first huge COVID outbreak had 800 passengers and crew sick before coming back to Sydney.

[casper]

Originally Posted by EDM753Fan

Ok supposing you are correct in stating this. Why are the flight frequencies, on time %, amounts of baggage lost, cancelations, changes etc so bad right now? I can't find any other way to explain it other than "HR upheaval". How else can you explain the many and constant issues?

I believe WestJet let nearly all of their airport staff go in stations like Saskatoon, Regina, and Victoria. The people wearing those WestJet uniforms mostly work for an airport services company.

The biggest issue is they have limited authority. So when it comes to rebooking that involves a reroute onto another airline they have to call someone in Calgary or it has to be done by the one or two WestJet employees that were retained to supervise the contractors.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by McBean

Hope nobody is going on a cruise. The first huge COVID outbreak had 800 passengers and crew sick before coming back to Sydney.

I have seen some absolutely amazing deals on cruises but then I read things like this, ha

[djforsberg]

Originally Posted by esquire

I have seen some absolutely amazing deals on cruises but then I read things like this, ha

They were floating Petri dishes before Covid. You couldn’t pay me to be on one of those floating outhouses.

[SkydivePilot]

Don't forget the fact guys that there's a shortage of flight crews as well. ✈ ✈ ✈

[Robag]

Originally Posted by Dino35

The airlines are not way down in staffing from pre-pandemic levels. In august 2022, air Canada had 34,000 employees as compared to 34,700 pre-pandemic. And there is no way 80% of the employees at the airlines are new. Although I’d be happy to entertain your assumption if you had any stats to back that up.

And I agree that the airports are busy - and the timing and frequency of fights for some cites are terrible - but that doesn’t mean the supply (I.e. available seats) is not there.

I wasn't talking Air Canada, I was talking WestJet, and you can see in another post that smaller centres like YQR and YXE that WestJet cut almost if not all of their staff. And re-calculate your math, 20% of pre-pandemic staff, does not necessarily mean 80% of the employees are new, as there is no way they are even close to the staffing of pre-pandemic levels. That 20% that stayed could work out to be 50 or 60% of staff now. Again, these are things I heard from a source that works at YQR. Take it how you want. The demand is there, the supply is not.

[djforsberg]

It was pretty shortsighted to think employees would come crawling back after canning them. Most of those people went on to other careers. A lot of workplaces are experiencing this and to re-build that workforce is not going to be easy. The world is a far more expensive place and people aren't willing to work stressful jobs for low pay any longer. The induced recession that is coming is also being used to try and discipline labour, as it did in the 70s (which is disgusting, btw), but the problem this time is unemployment is low and corporate profits is high, so the results are likely not going to be as expected. I can't see the travel industry rebounding for a very very long time, even with an expected influx of immigrants.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Current booking search has May 1st with the resuming of 3 flights daily with Air Canada mainline (A220-300) YQR - YYZ.

[kattiff]

Originally Posted by casper

I believe WestJet let nearly all of their airport staff go in stations like Saskatoon, Regina, and Victoria. The people wearing those WestJet uniforms mostly work for an airport services company.

The biggest issue is they have limited authority. So when it comes to rebooking that involves a reroute onto another airline they have to call someone in Calgary or it has to be done by the one or two WestJet employees that were retained to supervise the contractors.

WestJet let go or well fired all WestJet employees across Canada except in YVR YYC YEG YYZ l, everywhere else they are a third party contract.
My friends in YWG wished they unionized because they could of had a better fight to keep their jobs but WestJet was bleeding money and found Covid the prefect excuse to let go the check in/gate employees except in the main 4 cities. Their old CEO made that announcement during when Covid restrictions began saying everyone is gone except the 4 cities. Was a sad day for WestJet. And now these third party contract employees barely know anything of how to read/ understand a ticket or e ticket and interline rules with other airlines. They just know basic check in and that’s it. Or as said only 1 or 2 contracted supervisors understand what to actually do. I have switched to Air Canada until WestJet gets their home issues sorted first as it is a new young generations with limited experience

[casper]

Originally Posted by kattiff

WestJet let go or well fired all WestJet employees across Canada except in YVR YYC YEG YYZ l, everywhere else they are a third party contract.
My friends in YWG wished they unionized because they could of had a better fight to keep their jobs but WestJet was bleeding money and found Covid the prefect excuse to let go the check in/gate employees except in the main 4 cities. Their old CEO made that announcement during when Covid restrictions began saying everyone is gone except the 4 cities. Was a sad day for WestJet. And now these third party contract employees barely know anything of how to read/ understand a ticket or e ticket and interline rules with other airlines. They just know basic check in and that’s it. Or as said only 1 or 2 contracted supervisors understand what to actually do. I have switched to Air Canada until WestJet gets their home issues sorted first as it is a new young generations with limited experience

Agreed.

With Air Canada you get those agent that work for a services company in places like Rome or Nashville where they may only have one or two flights a day. The contractor wears an Air Canada uniform for a few hours then goes on break and come back with a different airlines uniform for the second half of their shift.

If there is anything beyond a very basic issue they are on the phone to someone at the airline to resolve. But domestically in Canada I think Air Canada has their people or Jazz staff at all the stations they serve.

WestJet contracting out most of their domestic stations is a real step back.

[djforsberg]

Let’s not forget that Westjet is now owned by a gigantic private equity fund so the cost cutting pressures will be brutal. Canada really needs a high speed rail network to compete with these greedy companies. Would be a good way to lower carbon emissions too.