Will NewLeaf succeed where other cheap Canadian airlines have failed?
Posted January 7, 2016 12:36 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – There’s no question a new airline offering cheap flights within Canada sounds appealing, but will a new airline set to launch next month succeed?
NewLeaf is filling that discount gap in our country’s airline market, according to McGill professor Karl Moore, who has previously provided consulting services to the likes of British Airways and Air Canada.
“We don’t really have a low-cost carrier in Canada at the moment,” says Moore. “So in theory, this sounds like a good idea.”
He says the choice to fly out of second-tier airports will keep costs down and reduce risk for the company — and the no-frills approach will appeal to certain customers who don’t require the extras.
“They’re not flying from Vancouver, or Pearson in Toronto, for example,” says Moore. “Part of what they’re offering is saying, ‘We don’t have a business class. We’re not offering frequent flyer points. We’re not offering [complimentary] meals. You’ve got to pay for your baggage.’ It’s something where it’s low cost, but you may add to that if you want certain seats or so on.”
Moore points out WestJet offered a similar sort of discount service at one time, but has since evolved to become a more mainstream airline.
