Flair could trigger price war
Kelowna-Calgary route part of low-cost carrier’s summer schedule announced Friday
Ultra-low-cost airline Flair will start flying between Kelowna and Calgary June 16, likely starting a fare war on the route.
In making the announcement, the Kelownabased airline mentioned that when it initiates service, fares almost immediately drop by more than 20 per cent on the route.
The fare to fly Flair one-way, non-stop from Kelowna to Calgary on June 16 is $99.
On the same day, the lowest price offered by Air Canada is $117 and WestJet, $129.
The thinking is, to be competitive, Air Canada and WestJet will soon have to match the $99.
The difference is, Flair will only fly Kelowna-Calgary on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Both Air Canada and WestJet fly multiple times daily between Kelowna and Calgary.
Flair already flies daily between Kelowna and Edmonton and twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, from Kelowna to Vancouver.
WestJet and Air Canada fly multiple times daily Kelowna-Edmonton and Kelowna-Vancouver.
However, Flair has created competitive friction on those routes and fares have come down.
Flair’s Kelowna-Calgary announcement was part of much bigger expansion news.
The airline currently operates 90 flights a week. By bumping its number of jets to seven from three, Flair will start operating 208 flights a week starting June 15,
Other new routes include service between Toronto and Halifax, Winnipeg and Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver, Saskatoon and Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, Edmonton and Prince George, Edmonton and Victoria and Prince George and Vancouver.
Flair started in Kelowna as a charter airline flying workers to Alberta’s oil patch and tourists to sun destinations in the U.S., Mexico and Caribbean.
It diversified into scheduled service when it purchased the assets of ticket reseller New Leaf, which had been using Flair planes and crews.