STOP THAT

09 SEP 2010:  What would happen if some border guard or government authority were to confiscate your laptop when you were on a trip?  If that occurred to me - I’d freak. I’m not happy admitting that. It certainly wouldn’t help the situation, but it sure as hell would happen. Read more...

TOURISM IS HOT

09 SEP 2010: The Dubai Commerce and Tourism Development Authority showed a 7% rise in tourism over the first five months of 2010.  Approximately 46% of the increase is due to European travellers compared to 25% from the Gulf region and about 14% from Asia. Read more...

FLETT COMMUNICATES

09 SEP 2010:  VisitBritain has announced the appointment of Ted Flett as the organization’s PR and  communications manager – Canada. In this role, Flett will be busy leading and delivering VisitBritain’s public relations and marketing programmes in Canada. Read more...

ANOTHER FINGER POINTED

09 SEP 2010:  What is going on? It’s not enough that we appear to be ready to turn into tattletales and snitches at the whiff of a passing breath - perhaps that could be understood when our lives might be at stake – but let’s try to get it right before we point a finger. Especially if we’re part of the crew. Read more...

GET OFF

09 SEP 2010: There is a (very) old story about an elderly Scotsman travelling by train from London to Glasgow. As the story goes, he shunned the express and instead took a local train that made a dozen or more stops along the route. Read more...

PAX COUNTS UP

08 SEP 2010: Canada's two biggest airlines both saw a bump in passenger traffic during August compared to a year ago, but their planes haven't necessarily been fuller. Read more...

STRIKES AND NO STRIKE

08 SEP 2010:  A 24-hour national strike brought France to a virtual standstill yesterday as air and rail travel to, from and within the country was at a standstill.  In London, a 24 hour underground rail services strike left millions of passengers inconvenienced, but here in Canada Air Transat reached a tentative labour contract with its pilots thereby sidestepping a potential work stoppage. Read more...

LESSON ONE

08 SEP 2010: A luxury residential building in Manhattan conveniently located just off Times Square has been the ongoing target of an internet fraud this summer.  Foreign tourists buy holiday accommodation on the web and arrive at their apartment rental to find they’ve been scammed. Read more...

LET THE BLOODY COMPUTER FLY IT

08 SEP 2010: Michael O’Leary is at it again. The irrepressible Ryanair boss came up with the suggestion that co-pilots should be banished from the cockpit.  “Really, you only need one pilot. Let’s take out the second pilot. Let the bloody computer fly it.” Read more...

LOTS TO LEARN

08 SEP 2010: It isn’t just the kids back in school... our industry is holding training sessions all over the country. Last week I went to Transat and Nolitours dinner session at the Courtyard by Marriott in Hamilton. Read more...