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Posted by rod@drury.net.nz in Travel at 2:34 pm on Monday, 19 February 2007
AirNZ is looking at going Direct to Vancouver. That would rock!
Air NZ likely to fly long-haul to Vancouver
Having easy access to Canada may make a lot of sense for a North American entry strategy for many businesses. Getting to the UK should be easier, and of course - quick access to Whistler.
It is amazing how your perspective changes with a direct flight.
blog
… quick access to Whistler - See you there in Feb 2008.
Rod, it won’t be easier to get to the UK as Air NZ will not fly onto London from Vancouver. Even Air Canada who they would team with, don’t fly direct to the UK from Vancouver.
I just wish Air NZ would have a San Francisco to London flight as the airport in SF is not the zoo that LA is.
Whistler … The wife and I drove 3 weeks around the rockies. Driving from whistler down the cost to Vancouver is one of the most amazing drives in the world in my opinion.
I would say Canada is a lot like NZ. They have the US and we have Aussie. The only problem is they don’t like Marmite.
(1st post)
They could just move NZ1 from AKL-LAX-LHR to AKL-Vancouver-LHR. There is increasing passenger resistance to being treated like criminals/terrerists by the Yanks - the Air NZ HK flights fill up much faster than the LA ones.
Rich, they won’t shift NZ1 to Vancouver or anywhere else. While LAX is a problem people from NZ visit it in large numbers. And doesn’t the fact that Air Canada itself cannot find justification to fly Vancouver to London direct say something. And bear in mind that Vancouver has 800,000 people more than Auckland. It’s the third largest city in Canada.
Plus the flights would take longer. The fastest route to London from this part of the world is through LA.
“Air Canada itself cannot find justification to fly Vancouver to London direct say something.”
I think their cause is not helped by the the fact that Canadian airlines in general must be just about the worst in the world (pipped to last only to their cousins south of the border).
Other than that, yes, LAX is the pits across the board hassle.
Rich,
Getting into Canada isn’t any easier then getting into the USA, you have the same .. probably even longer lines and it is the exact same procedure.
I think Air NZ are geting their foot in the door, regarding Winter Olympic being in Vancouve in 2010.
Martin: possibly, but Canadians smile and are nice - I’ve never entered Canada other than from the US though.
And I’m sure the Canadians (like the Singaporeans and HK Chinese) would be happy with people staying airside while the plane gets refueled without needing to perform pointless immigration rituals.
Air Canada certainly does fly direct from Vancouver to London Heathrow (I’ve taken the flight four times, most recently a month ago). It’s about 10 hours. Air Canada was a pretty poor airline, but is more average now that the “restructuring” is over. YVR is vastly nicer than LAX.
Yeah - bring it on.
We are looking at doing a new market strategy up in North America, and are wanting to include Canada in this. Banff is so close to Vancouver and it is a great place for mountain biking in the summer and skiing in the winter… and its close to Seattle and not far from the business action in San Fran of course.