Airlines add more flights next month

Air Canada has added another 70 seats per day to its Vancouver route for the Christmas season.

Air Canada has added another 70 seats per day to its Vancouver route for the Christmas season.

Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah said this morning the airline will move to a larger plane for one of its three daily flights between Dec. 18 and 24 and again from Jan. 1 to 4.

Currently, Air Canada operates all its Jazz flights into the territory using a 50-seat CRJ100.

The change at Christmas will see Air Canada replace its afternoon flight into Whitehorse with a 120-seat Airbus 319.

The change comes in response to demand, Mah explained.

“We’re always monitoring demand,” she said, noting that since the larger plane was put on the route, tickets have been selling well.

“Customers should book early,” she said.

Heading into 2010, Mah said, Air Canada plans to continuing monitoring its routes as it always does to evaluate which planes should be on which routes.

Meanwhile, the other airline traveling down south has booked additional flights over the holidays to accommodate Christmas travellers.

In addition to its regular flights to Edmonton and Calgary on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Air North president Joe Sparling said this morning, the company will also offer additional flights on Dec. 20, 24, 27 and Jan. 3 on its Boeing 737 jet.

The airline also began offering additional flights on its Vancouver route in its fall schedule which will likely accommodate the Christmas rush.

“Bookings are slightly ahead of last year,” Sparling said of Christmas trips, after noting there is also more capacity this year.

As for whether all the seats will be filled during the Christmas season, Sparling said that’s something they won’t know until that time.

Booking patterns for travellers have changed in recent years, he pointed out.

Travellers who once got the best deal by booking ahead of time are now finding they may end up with a cheaper price by waiting for a seat sale just before they plan to fly out, though at Christmas time, they may find themselves out of luck.

Air North, he said, has tried to keep its fares affordable.