怐September 2026 update怑 Air Canada and Pacific Coastal Airlines have reached a bilateral interline agreement:

  • Nature of the partnership: Air Canada and Pacific Coastal Airlines, which is based in British Columbia, announced a bilateral interline agreement.
  • Single ticket: Travellers can now book a complete itinerary on one ticket that combines Air Canada (including Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express) with Pacific Coastal.
  • One check-in: Passengers check in once at the first airport, collect boarding passes for every sector, and have bags checked through to the final destination.
  • Connecting networks: The deal links Pacific Coastalā€™s 19 regional points in B.C. (such as Trail and Bella Coola) with Air Canadaā€™s Canada-wide and global network.
  • Where to book: These interline itineraries are currently sold on Air Canadaā€™s website (aircanada.com) and through travel agencies and OTAs. Pacific Coastalā€™s own website and phone reservations do not yet issue interline tickets directly.

Overview

Pacific Coastal Airlines (IATA 8P, ICAO PCO, radio call sign PASCO) is a privately owned regional airline in British Columbia. Its headquarters is at Vancouver International Airportā€™s (YVR) South Terminal in Richmond.

Pacific Coastal Airlines terminal

It is a family business. It was formed in 1987 by merging Powell Air with the former Air BC Port Hardy division. Founder Daryl Smithā€™s son, Quentin Smith, is now president. The company has about 400 employees and about 20 scheduled aircraft. Officially it serves 19 scheduled destinations in B.C., with its main base at YVR South Terminal and a secondary hub at Port Hardy.

Besides scheduled passenger flights, it also operates charter and cargo. Its affiliated company Wilderness Seaplanes (which received an independent operating certificate in 2016) flies seaplanes from bases at Port Hardy and Bella Bella, serving more than 50 coastal communities.

September 2026 was the busiest month in the companyā€™s history: Harbour Air announced it would acquire Pacific Coastal on September 15, and Pacific Coastal announced the Air Canada interline on September 23 (see the latest news at the end of this article).

Fleet

The fleet is all turboprop regionals, with two main types:

  • Saab 340B (34 seats): The larger workhorse, with a pressurized cabin, three-abreast seating, an onboard lavatory, and a maximum range of about 2,035 km. About 8ā€“9 are registered (including 340A / 340B / 340B Plus variants).
  • Beechcraft 1900C / 1900D (19 seats): Stand-up cabin, twin turboprop, suited to short runways, with a range of about 2,368 km, but no lavatory. About 11 are registered.

Transport Canada registration data lists 21 aircraft under the company name (plus one Grumman Goose seaplane). The scheduled fleet shown on the airlineā€™s website is 17 aircraft. It previously flew Saab 340s as WestJet Link; that brand shut down on October 26, 2024.

Route network

Every scheduled route is inside B.C. It is a classic hub-to-remote-community network: YVR South Terminal at the centre, feeding Vancouver Island, the Interior, the North Coast, and Haida Gwaii.

The 19 scheduled points (airport codes in parentheses): Vancouver (YVR), Victoria (YYJ), Kelowna (YLW), Kamloops (YKA), Prince George (YXS), Nanaimo (YCD), Comox (YQQ), Campbell River (YBL), Powell River (YPW), Port Hardy (YZT), Bella Coola (QBC), Bella Bella (ZEL), Masset (ZMT, Haida Gwaii), Anahim Lake (YAA), Williams Lake (YWL), Trail (YZZ), Penticton (YYF), Tofino (YAZ), and Cranbrook (YXC).

For communities such as Bella Coola and Anahim Lake that have no mainline service, these flights really are a lifeline. Note that the scheduled Vancouverā€“Cranbrook route was cancelled in April 2023.

Pacific Coastal Airlines route map

Frequent-flyer program

It has no frequent-flyer program of its own. The current substitutes are:

  1. AIR MILES is history: After 34 years, AIR MILES was fully replaced by BMOā€™s Blue Rewards in summer 2026. Existing membersā€™ Reward Miles converted automatically 1:1 into Blue Points (the old Dream Miles / Cash Miles merged into a single Points balance), with no action required. Pacific Coastal used to be an AIR MILES partner (Dream Miles could be redeemed for its flights), but there is still no public word that it has joined Blue Rewards. This is in a transition period; check the airlineā€™s latest official information before you book.
  2. QuikPass prepaid stored-value plan: Aimed at frequent travellers (individuals, families, or companies). You preload a balance for perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding, and priority change protection. The balance is valid for one year (paid extensions are available). This is currently the only confirmed ā€œloyalty-styleā€ product.

What comes next: Harbour Airā€™s acquisition announcement says the new group plans a unified loyalty program covering both the seaplane and wheeled-aircraft brands, but the structure has not been published. Given Harbour Airā€™s existing Aeroplan partnership, this is worth watching.

What stands out

  • Depart from YVR South Terminal: You skip the main terminal crowds. Security lines are shorter, parking is across the road, and a free shuttle runs to the main terminal. That is a hidden perk if you are connecting.
  • Specialist in remote communities: 19-seat aircraft can use short runways and thin-demand airports. Mainline carriers cannot make that work, and it is why this airline has lasted for decades.
  • Interline with both sides: It does not join an airline alliance, yet it has through-ticket partnerships with WestJet (a bilateral interline since 2022, still in force) and Air Canada (new in September 2026). WestJet interline currently has to be ticketed through an agency or OTA; Air Canada interline goes through aircanada.com.
  • Charter + cargo + seaplanes: Besides scheduled flying, it has charter and cargo, plus Wilderness Seaplanesā€™ floatplane network, so revenue is more diversified than a pure regional passenger airline.

Latest news (September 2026)

  1. Harbour Air acquisition (announced September 15): Harbour Air will acquire Pacific Coastal, forming a Canadian regional group with 59 aircraft, service to 25 communities, and more than 900 employees. Both brands, operating certificates, and operating teams stay separate. The deal still needs regulatory approval, and they currently still operate independently.
  2. Bilateral interline with Air Canada (announced September 23): One ticket can connect Pacific Coastal with Air Canada / Rouge / Express. Check in once at the first airport for boarding passes on every sector. Interline tickets are sold only on aircanada.com, through agencies, and through OTAs. Pacific Coastalā€™s own website and phone desk cannot issue them yet.
  3. Interline tickets not yet in bookable inventory (observed September 28): I checked Google Flights. Standalone 8P fares search normally, and the engine can also build through-tickets that combine a small airline with Air Canada (for example Central Mountain Air connecting to Air Canada). The 8P + Air Canada combination did not appear on multiple routes or dates. It has been announced, but the tickets are not on sale yet. Worth following.