Will Westjet Expand Kamloops Service Again?

(Aired on May 28, 2010)

Having cancelled the Edmonton run, it's hard to imagine that Westjet will be increasing service out of Kamloops again any time soon.  A spokesman for the company said the passenger numbers just weren't there for the Edmonton route, and the seasonal Vancouver flight wasn't doing well either before it ended.

Airport Society John O'Fee mentioned in passing that it would have been nice if the airline would have given the city a fighting chance instead of cancelling the run just a few weeks after it first took off.  O'Fee is not in a position to raise a stink about it, but really, that deserves more attention.  The airline said with pre-bookings happening since December, it had plenty of time to gauge customer interest.  But the initial decision to start the flight in the spring and summer was probably flawed.  Enough people who want to travel to Edmonton will decide to drive in the nice weather.  It's the winter when the roads are treacherous that people would more likely make the decision to fly.  Now, they won't get a chance.

And while some people may book as far in advance as December for flights in May, that's not nearly the entire market.  There are a lot who wait for the smokin' deals that come from those rare seat sales.  That's when the bookings start to pile up.

I'm not saying I can read the market better than Westjet, but what I am saying is that it's clear that there is little margin for failure in this industry right now.  Westjet needs something as close to certain as it can get.  Sometimes you need to spend money to make money, but Westjet likely can't afford the first part of that equation.  And that's why I wouldn't expect a whole lot of expanded service in the near future.