It was announced today that New Leaf Air will be starting operation in February to seven destinations, with initial service to smaller secondary airports such as Kelowna, Abbotsford, Regina, Winnipeg and Hamilton. Prices will range from about $89 to $149 one way. The 737-400 aircraft will be leased from Kelowna-based Flair Airlines. It's rumoured there are plans to partner with another airline in future to provide service to sun destinations such as California, Arizona, Nevada and Florida.
Pricing will be very similar to the Ryan Air model. For the base price, passengers are provided with a seat and a seat belt. Anything else is extra including carry-on luggage, advance seat selection, snacks, etc. There will be a charge for carry-on luggage as well as checked luggage. The airline feels that stowing of bags in overhead bins slows the boarding process and they want to discourage it, so there's a $25 charge for carry-on.
Service will be limited to begin with. For example for the first month there will only one Regina - Kelowna flight departing on a Sunday and a Regina - Hamilton flight departing on a Thursday.
It will be interesting to see whether Air Canada or WestJet will match prices.