Consumer Homes.

Question:

    oh, and one more thing,… this move has done something we rarely see inQuebec.. it actually gives us a choice.. If you or anyone really likes Mirabel there’s no one putting a gun to your head to go to Dorval. There will still be charter flights to Europe (Paris, Lisbon, Rome, Madrid etc..) In Paris alone you can get pretty much anywhere in the world. Furthermore the domestic Canadian charters and US charters are moving there so people in the north will actually have better service to the USA and Canada where they won’t have to go to Dorval to catch a plane. So in effect for those people who insist Mirabel is the best aeroport there is nothing stopping them from using it other than they’ll have to take Air Transat or Canada 3000 overseas instead of Air Canada or Air France. For those who prefer Dorval there will be a fuller service now for them… so with regards to choice we all now have one whereas before we did not so theoretically on this level most people should be better served.     Business people will take their flights where ever they can get them, maybe grumble if the prefer YMX, maybe smile if they’re based near YUL, but either way the location won’t stop them because business only cares that there are flights to take more than the price or location.. If they have to be there then the cost of going should outweigh the expense of travelling otherwise it’s not worth the cost of the trip to the company.     If YMX closes because of natural market conditions then it would tell me the airport was not needed in the first place. Nevertheless I would like to see the governments make an effort to keep it open and provide employment for the people of the region. I don’t want to see them lose their businesses/livelyhoods. But let’s stop talking like YMX is closing and people won’t be able to use the airport and we’ll all have to go to Dorval. That is just not the case, we finally have a choice because both airports will provide flights to anywhere the markets permits them.

Response:

> Please compare apples with oranges. Since Dorval is in the west end of > the island, > how much will the cab cost you to get there and back compared to > Mirabel > ?

Hi JF,    I’m disappointed in you. The last time we debated this subject we were not this far apart in our opinions. Let’s see if we can’t bridge the gap again somehow.     First off taxi fare to Dorval from my home has always been $30. Mirabel will, as I said, be closing in on $100 one way.. ok, make it 80 even for argument sake… that’s still double.. and on this basis alone the move to Dorval will pay for that extra $10 charge you seem so concerned about. I’m ok because the company is paying for this but for the average Joe off on a European vacation it’s an extra $160-$200 (less $60 seeing thed’ have to pay that to Dorval) ontop of their airfare.. that is more concerning to me than any extra $10 charge.. most Montrealers will be saving even with the $10 charge.. it might hurt those up north that’s about it. If I’m taking my own car then the $10 is saved on the amount of extra gas I won’t have to use going to mirabel.     Secondly most companies will pay the $10 no matter what because they have to do what they have to do.. that’s not going to deter them. Of the rest of who are vacationing most wealthy people in Montreal live in Westmount, Kirkland, Outremont, Pointe Claire, Hudson, Laval West, etc… and where are these communities?… all within the vicinity of Dorval. That’s not to say there arn’t wealthy communities elsewhere but the bulk of them are around Dorval.. these are the people hopping of to Madrid, Athens, Paris, Barbados, Casablanca and Tel Aviv.. these people will benefit from the move because it will cost them less to get to the airport and take less time. This has been the crux of the argument against Mirabel from it’s conception. Of course that’s not the only people that travel and the rest will be affected too but the bulk of the vacation market is within these communities.. for the rest of us folks in the east end it’s always been a hop to Dorval for a flight to Florida or South Carolina anyways.. so it’s no big deal other than more congestion. > The bus to Mirabel is NOT an hour and costs about $13.00. You’d be > surprised how > efficient it can be. You can catch it from Berri or Central Station. > (Berri will > cost you even less in cab fare).