Has SQ completely shut its door on Canada?

[Kiwi Mile]

I recalled when the YVR flights were withdrawn in April, the press release was stated as a "suspension" rather than a "termination". It's been almost 10 months since the last SIA flight departed from Canada and still no word that I am aware of on a possible return to YVR. With some airlines now seeing a light in the end of the tunnel of the slumping global economy by adding flights or reinstating some routes, does anyone have any ideas if SIA is making a push for a return to Canada (i.e. lifting the suspension) or they have completely taken the country out of it's radar for good?

[SQalMundo]

I recalled when the YVR flights were withdrawn in April, the press release was stated as a "suspension" rather than a "termination". It's been almost 10 months since the last SIA flight departed from Canada and still no word that I am aware of on a possible return to YVR. With some airlines now seeing a light in the end of the tunnel of the slumping global economy by adding flights or reinstating some routes, does anyone have any ideas if SIA is making a push for a return to Canada (i.e. lifting the suspension) or they have completely taken the country out of it's radar for good?

Yeah, precisely! The exact same thing happened for Chicago and Las Vegas. As for Toronto, still no news of what's gonna happen. That's one of SIA's 'bad habits'. LOL. What's more, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games is now going on. Are they ignorant of these things?

[BigTop]

I don't think SQ would resume YVR right now. If the demand for YVR flights increased, SQ would be smart enough to know I presume

Yeah, precisely! The exact same thing happened for Chicago and Las Vegas. As for Toronto, still no news of what's gonna happen. That's one of SIA's 'bad habits'. LOL. What's more, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games is now going on. Are they ignorant of these things?

I doubt SQ will just fly to YVR just for the Olympics. Doesn't make sense for them to fly there for a month then stop again. And did SQ ever fly to Vegas?

[SQalMundo]

I don't think SQ would resume YVR right now. If the demand for YVR flights increased, SQ would be smart enough to know I presume

I doubt SQ will just fly to YVR just for the Olympics. Doesn't make sense for them to fly there for a month then stop again. And did SQ ever fly to Vegas?

No, I meant to reinstate flights when the Olympics start. SIA flew to Las Vegas in 2003 but stopped shortly during the SARS period. I mean SARS is long over, but why won't flights to Chicago and Las Vegas resume? Low no. of passengers during SARS doesn't mean low no. of passengers forever (at least that's not proven yet).

[Nick C]

It's been suspend indefinitely.

Until the punitive air service agreement is revised and improved to something on the lines of an open skies agreement, SQ is not going to be suckered to fly to anywhere in Canada.

Even for YVR, it was no bilateral. Just an annual license with no guarantee of automatic renewal.

[EWR]

The Canadian market is ridiculously protected. A round trip from Asia to Eastern Canada (or even Vancouver) easily requires you to divvy up over 2,000 USD

[concept|infinit]

@EWR. Precisely! Unless you're on AC, I recall when I checked a year ago, a flight from SIN-EWR and then taking a train up to Toronto would cost easily S$500 less than a flight to Toronoto directly from SIN

[sumitsan]

It's also almost US$400 cheaper to buy a roundtrip bet SIN-JFK, and then buy a separate roundtrip ticket between JFK-YYZ (most likely non *A flight), than to buy a roundtrip bet SIN-YYZ on SQ.

[globetrekker84]

No, I meant to reinstate flights when the Olympics start. SIA flew to Las Vegas in 2003 but stopped shortly during the SARS period. I mean SARS is long over, but why won't flights to Chicago and Las Vegas resume? Low no. of passengers during SARS doesn't mean low no. of passengers forever (at least that's not proven yet).

I think that they dynamics of alliances and time have a play in this.

For LAS, this was the final leg from HKG. Route started in 2002 and lasted than a year (I believe). Time, I believe, has made this route unprofitable. IIRC, SQ wanted to capitalize on the affluent HKG market who gamble their riches away, hence why they put one of their newest airplanes (-200ER with SpaceBed) on the route. Between then and now, however, Macau became a "Las Vegas of the East". There's really not that high of demand anymore.

For ORD, this is slightly trickier. This was an add-on flight from Amsterdam. Resented-*A partner UA has a hub here and flies this route now, in addition to KLM. Not sure if a third airline needs to be in there. Even AA, who uses ORD as a hub, doesn't fly to AMS.

But coming back to topic, YVR is an interesting one. Both AC and KE fly the YVR-ICN route. It's possible they have the same logic as the ORD route and just cede the market back to AC?

[flyguy]

yes SQ did fly from sin to Las Vegas via HK but its loads were unimpressive - but SQ never flew to Chicago except for its cargo flights only.

[globetrekker84]

yes SQ did fly from sin to Las Vegas via HK but its loads were unimpressive - but SQ never flew to Chicago except for its cargo flights only.

They sure did fly to Chicago...for less than six months. Started up right before 9/11. Here's an old article: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=3746

[mister__big]

The Canadian market is ridiculously protected. A round trip from Asia to Eastern Canada (or even Vancouver) easily requires you to divvy up over 2,000 USD

Not sure how you came to this conclusion. I always fly with EVA from SIN to YVR (stop over in TPE) and the price is almost always less than S$2,000 in economy. In fact I can sometimes get elite seats at less than S$2,000 depending on the season.

[B727]

Until the punitive air service agreement is revised and improved to something on the lines of an open skies agreement, SQ is not going to be suckered to fly to anywhere in Canada

Very true indeed. Flew to SIN on one of the last flights in April last year. What a memorable flight--the IFS rolled out the after-dinner drinks on a table and everything.

Until SQ returns to YVR, I am flying with another old friend, CI. Flew AC transpacific once last summer, but it was (not surprisingly for me) underwhelming.

[ek&sq]

There were whispers of AC extending their HKG service to SIN. Don't know how true that is, but I'd love to see them here.

[SQFFP Silver]

Now that BR operates 3 x weekly service to YYZ, I wonder when SQ will return to Canada. It's been almost 1 year anniversary since SQ pulled out of YVR service and close to 2 decades since the airline pulled out of YYZ.