Wonderful Waterloo Archive

This site is maintained by Sam Nabi as a record of the vibrant Wonderful Waterloo community, which was taken offline in 2014. This site is a partial archive, containing some posts from 2009-2013. To read more about the recovery effort and access the data in a machine-readable format, check out the GitHub page.

Flights from Waterloo Airport to Toronto

Post #4230 04-08-2010 10:44 PM Razzie Junior Member Date Apr 2010 Posts 18	http://www.swo.ctv.ca/news.php?id=7131 It just might happen - and they're doing a market research survey to see what the interest might be.
Post #4232 04-08-2010 11:07 PM IEFBR14 Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Location H2OWC Posts 302	They're proposing to fly into the Island airport. I suppose that makes sense for a relatively few well-heeled business types who want to attend meetings downtown. But ISTM there would be a bigger market for flights into/out of Pearson for people who would otherwise use ground transportation to get to/from there. I'd certainly pay $50 and $70 for that service instead of using something like Airways Transit or paying $50/week to park at YYZ. The main problem for me with AT is that they need 2 hours or more to get people from Waterloo Region to YYZ because (1) they need time to pick up passengers to fill their vans and (2) they some slack in case of traffic problems on the 4-oh-1. Driving myself is only slightly faster, especially if I park at a discount lot. I'd pay up to $100 each way if flying out of YKF could save me an hour of time, especially if they could coordinate boarding passes, check baggage through, etc. to make that option as seamless as possible. However I suspect that using YYZ as a "hub" for this purpose is impractical because (1) their landing fees are much higher and (2) there's already too much traffic into/out of Pearson.
Post #4233 04-08-2010 11:11 PM Urban_Enthusiast86 Member Date Mar 2010 Posts 69	Haha, seriously? The plane would get barely 600ft off the ground before having to land again. By the time you get to our awkwardly located airport, check your luggage, and board the plane, you could have already arrived at square one by GO transit for a lot less than $50-70 dollars.
Post #4234 04-08-2010 11:13 PM DHLawrence Member Date Mar 2010 Posts 70	It will probably be more of a mid-flight stop rather than a point-to-point flight. A stop on a Toronto-Windsor flight, for example. It will be great for local travellers going to other points served by Porter--Breslau-Island-Montreal or Breslau-Island-New York, for example. We'll get our flights to Montreal after all!
Post #4238 04-09-2010 07:26 AM Spokes Senior Moderator Date Dec 2009 Location Kitchener Posts 2,027	Ya thats the only way I could see it working like DHLawrence said, as a mid flight stop. Which wouldn't be too bad, gives you more options to fly to out of YKF. Ottawa, Chicago, St. Johns
Post #4243 04-09-2010 09:01 AM IEFBR14 Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Location H2OWC Posts 302	Originally Posted by Urban_Enthusiast86 Haha, seriously? Seriously. Presumably the planes will be smallish (turbo?)props, not jets. They get much better fuel economy than their larger brethren too. By the time you get to our awkwardly located airport, check your luggage, and board the plane, you could have already arrived at square one by GO transit for a lot less than $50-70 dollars. My comments included, "especially if they could coordinate boarding passes, check baggage through, etc. to make that option as seamless as possible." If you're driving to YYZ you need to allow an extra hour or two in case of traffic jams on the 4-oh-1 as well as to queue up at Pearson, go through security there, etc. If all that could be done at YKF then the savings wouldn't just be the 15min in the air vs. typical drive time, but also those other delays. As for taking GO Transit to Square One, you still need to get from there to Pearson. During rush hours that's a highly variable delay, not to mention that you also have to schlep your luggage from bus to bus another time each way. The key here is convenience and seamlessness that leads to time savings. For many people that's easily worth the incremental cost, assuming the carrier can keep the package cost reasonable.
Post #4244 04-09-2010 09:04 AM IEFBR14 Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Location H2OWC Posts 302	Originally Posted by DHLawrence It will probably be more of a mid-flight stop rather than a point-to-point flight. A stop on a Toronto-Windsor flight, for example. Yup. Say Windsor to London to K-W to Pearson or Island. There are already lots of flights from there to Montreal and many US cities.
Post #4273 04-09-2010 07:11 PM Spokes Senior Moderator Date Dec 2009 Location Kitchener Posts 2,027	This is getting a decent amount of press. I heard toronto radio stations talking about it today.
Post #4292 04-09-2010 08:14 PM panamaniac Member Date Mar 2010 Posts 88	I have been thinking for some time now that a frequent Kitchener - Toronto Island link using a small aircraft would be brilliant. With the extensive list of destinations that Porter is building out of the Island, in addition to possible Air Canada flights in the future, it would seem to me to be a good thing, if it happens. Although I wonder whether it would make direct flights from Kitchener to other short-haul destinations less likely?
Post #4342 04-10-2010 11:23 AM IEFBR14 Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Location H2OWC Posts 302	RFP issued for carriers eyeing Island Airport The Toronto Port Authority has issued a request for proposals that paves the way for additional carriers to fly out of the island airport. The agency, which owns and operates the downtown airport, is taking these steps to "diversify the number of destinations offered in an effort to meet the demands of our business and leisure travellers," according to port authority president and CEO Geoff Wilson. Currently Porter Airlines is the lone carrier using the airport, but the port authority has received "informal expressions of interest" from Air Canada and a U.S.-based commercial carrier. Once the new terminal is completed in November, it's expected the island airport will be able to accommodate an additional 90 "slots" – take offs or landings – per day... And as usual, instead of doing something innovative, AC just wants the opportunity to take out Porter... Air Canada is keen to resume its presence at the airport, initially with 15 daily round trips to Ottawa and Montreal and seven daily trips to Newark, N.J.