BOMB CYCLONE BATTERS B.C.: Hurricane-force winds, cutting roads and power
- Hurricane-force winds of up to 159 km/h have slammed into parts of the British Columbia Coast as a massive storm swirling off Vancouver Island severed highways and cut power to about 225,000 people. Winds exceeding 100 km/h were recorded in multiple areas late Tuesday, with gusts approaching 80 km/h at Vancouver's airport.
REALLY? A BREATH OF FRESH AIR: Airlines may think so. Consumers probably not.
- The chief executive of Delta Air Lines says the incoming Trump administration will be a “breath of fresh air” for airlines after what he called government “overreach” under President Joe Biden. However, consumer advocates are understandably wary of a second Trump administration, fearing that it could try to roll back a rule requiring automatic refunds after cancelled flights along with another - deplorably unfair - rule that requires airlines to advertise the full price of fares upfront, including mandatory fees and taxes.
AT ACTA’S INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN THE AZORES
- ACTA’s inaugural International Conference kicked off in Portugal’s Azores Wednesday with 150 travel advisors from across the country, plus several partners and media, including Travel Industry Today, for a program of learning and on-the-ground experience in the island archipelago.
DISCOVERING ETHIOPIA’S HEART (THROUGH ONE’S STOMACH)
- Addis Ababa has a bold cosmopolitan vibe, the Dubai-like cityscape changing almost daily with the addition of new skyscrapers. The Ethiopian capital also boasts a rich cultural mosaic, together demanding more than just a stopover. And when doing so, what better way to discover the East African country’s exotic culture than through its food?
LGBTQ+ TRAVEL RESOURCES, SAFETY, HAVE COME A LONG WAY
- Do LGBTQ+ tourists have a green book-like system for staying safe while traveling in these politically precarious times? They don't have one. They have many. In recent years, there's been an outpouring of specialized blogs, cruise and tour operators, and booking sites for accommodations.
NEW YORK PLANS TO RESTORE 5TH AVENUE TO FORMER GLORY
- Manhattan’s famed luxury store row Fifth Avenue is in line for a major makeover. New York City officials have unveiled a plan to transform a central portion of the thoroughfare between Bryant Park and Central Park into a more pedestrian-centered boulevard. The vision is designed to emulate iconic strolling and shopping boulevards such as the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
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CHANGING THE RULES: What you need to know about the UK’s new ETA
- Starting Nov. 27, Canadians can apply in advance for the United Kingdom’s new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) form, which will be required by all Canadians entering the UK effective Jan. 8, 2025. Here is everything you need to know.
WESTJET RETURNS SERVICE BETWEEN HALIFAX AND PARIS: Airline offers a robust summer schedule
- WestJet has announced its full summer schedule for 2025, and Nova Scotians will be pleased at the return of summer service from Halifax to Paris, along with an expanded service to Western Canada. Travellers headed for Paris will also benefit from the airline's recently enhanced codeshare partnership with Air France, providing them seamless access to 52 cities across Europe. Additionally, WestJet will kick off service between Nova Scotia’s capital city and Dublin and Edinburgh one month earlier in comparison to the 2024 summer season.
DIPLOMACY AND DOLLARS: Three airlines making the most of Israel war
- At Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, more than a year of war has taken its toll. Global airlines have cancelled flights, gates are empty and pictures of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip guide the few arriving passengers to the baggage claim. But one check-in desk remains flush with travellers: the one serving flights to the United Arab Emirates, which have kept up a bridge for Israelis to the outside world throughout the war.
SMOG ALERT: ‘Apocalyptic’ New Delhi chokes on air pollution 50 times the safe limit
- Thick, toxic smog enveloped New Delhi on Monday as the air quality became increasingly hazardous in the Indian capital. The deadly haze covered monuments and high-rise buildings in the city of some 33 million, with visibility so low that airlines warned of delays.
TOURISTIFICATION: Airbnb users can play gladiator in Rome’s Colosseum
- The ancient Roman Colosseum will be the venue of gladiator fights – albeit staged – for the first time in two millennia under a $1.5-million sponsorship deal with Airbnb that aims to promote “a more conscious tourism.” Critics, however, say the plan is a disgrace that simply eats away at the essence of “the Eternal City.”
BACK IN BLACK: Black Friday travel offers
- Black Friday (Nov. 29) is now considered the biggest shopping day of the year (ahead of Boxing Day), and it’s hard to find a travel supplier that isn’t eager to try to get in on the action which typically extends to Cyber Monday, ‘Travel Tuesday’ (Dec. 3) and, in many cases, the lead up to, and days or weeks following the event. Here, at a glance, are some of this year’s best travel deals – some of them already ongoing and/or offering travel advisors pre-sale access.