[hurley_108]

xkbal wrote:

This is not to say that Westjet (or any airline) is perfect but if you're going to run down a whole airline at least be factual. For what it's worth, I've had good and bad flights on Westjet, AC, BA, Lufthansa, Zoom Air Transat, PIA, Air France, Air Afrique, Canadian, Candian North. None of them are perfect.

This is true. Best airline I've ever flown, though, is Cathay Pacific. That was 20 years ago, though, so I don't know if they're still up to the same standard. They were all better then than they are now.

[Regina]

hurley_108 wrote:

WJ's folksy attitude comes across to me as unproffessional. AC has always impressed me with their matter of fact attitude.

Given my 'druthers, I'll always fly AC. I'll only fly WJ if it's clearly more convenient in terms of leaving later and getting home earlier.

I know what you mean by folksy attitude, but that attitude made me feel a whole lot better when I missed my flight to Tampa in April. I slept in and it was totally my fault yet they re-routed me to Orlando later that day and didn't charge me extra for the higher priced flight either. All they kept saying was don't worry we'll get you there....and they did.
I still fly AC more often and last time I checked had over 356,000 Aeroplan miles in my account as proof. Depending on what type of AC flight you book though, you get no AP points and need to upgrade to Tango Plus to get a some.
AC also use the regional jets which have virtually no room for carry on bags and are very small. During heavy travel times like Christmas they can not carry a full load of passengers and their luggage so it is sometime ground shipped to your destination days later. They have a slower flight speed and will arrive later than WJ although they took off sooner.

[hurley_108]

Yea, AC's regional jets aren't as nice as WJ's 737s, but I'd take a Dash 8 over either, even though it's probably the slowest of the bunch. I love that its fuselage is under the wing.

My favorite carrier, incidentally, was a little outfit called QuikAir that ran flights from Edmonton to Calgary and back (and a few other places I think) out of the Muni in Edmonton, on King Air 200s. Ten passengers, every seat was aisle and window (not that it mattered, there was no service and no bathroom), and there wasn't even a curtain between you and the pilot. But god was that ever fun. I tried to sit right behind the pilots if I could, so I could watch the guages as we flew. I loved those flights. They got forced out of business, though, in the most recent round of flight restrictions imposed on the Muni.

We never fly during the holidays, though, so I guess my experiences are different from yours. And I'll fly WJ before driving the QEII to Calgary for work. That road is teh suxxorz.

[dino_bobba_renno]

kenmore wrote:

I have flown westjet a few times in the past year. ok for short flights like 4hrs or less.... but mostly they suck...

Leave it to Kenmore

Now if it was called "EastJet" or even better yet "Looneyleft Jet" he'd probably be all for it.

[bootlegga]

I prefer Air Canada to Westjet anyday.

I've heard tons of people who had bad experiences on AC, but I've flown across Canada and around the world, and never missed a flight or had lost baggage.

Those honours both go to WJ, which as my father would say I fly twice (my first and last flight). I agree with Hurley, their chatty cathy attitude stirkes me as silly and unprofessional. They are also the reason service levels have decreased on AC, as AC has to compete with WJ, even though they operate on two totally different business models. I have to buy a meal...thanks for nothing WJ.

I'm glad that WJ has turned into a real competitor, but I wish it wasn't as the Wal-Mart of the skies.