A round-up of news nuggets, airlines, hotels/resorts, cruising, tours, events, FAMS/incentives, deals, destinations and more are covered in our weekly round-up of travel industry news you may have missed.
NEWS
Jazz Aviation says its negotiations with a union representing more than 1,000 of its flight attendants have reached an impasse. The Halifax-based airline, which operates flights under the Air Canada Express brand, says it will seek a conciliation officer as part of the collective bargaining process. Jazz Aviation’s update comes a day after the Canadian Flight Attendants Union said 99% of voting members cast ballots in favour of a strike mandate.
Porter Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, filed a Notice of Dispute with the Minister of Labour, requesting conciliation assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. With this request, the Minister of Labour now has 15 days to appoint a conciliation officer, who will work with the parties for 60 days to reach an agreement. If both parties remain at an impasse (and unless the parties agree to extend conciliation), a 21-day cooling-off period would begin before the parties can engage in self-help.
Airlines in the UK scrambled Wednesday to dig out from the backlog triggered by technical problems that forced the cancellation of more than 1,750 flights. The problems first surfaced on Tuesday, disrupting travel across the U.K. and stranding passengers for hours on airport runways and in terminals. Flight delays continued through the day Wednesday as airlines rebook stranded passengers and work to reposition aircraft left at the wrong airports by the cancellations.
Flights to and from Indonesia’s capital and nearby regions were closed for two days, resuming Tuesday after ash from a volcanic eruption forced airport closures that halted nearly 3,000 flights.
AIR
Air Canada has embarked on a major expansion of its network overseas, announcing seven new routes in Europe and Asia for next summer. The airline plans to launch new service to five foreign cities including Guangzhou, China – the trip from Vancouver steers clear of Russia – Oslo, Norway, and Dubrovnik, Croatia, cementing its status as the second-largest North American airline by overseas destinations served. The other new cities on the schedule next summer are Shannon, Ireland, and Basel, Switzerland. Flights between Toronto and Shanghai will ramp up to daily service, while trips to Guatemala City from Toronto and Montreal will be year-round.
TravelX, a pioneer in airline inventory and post-booking revenue management technology, announced the successful implementation of its RmX solution at WestJet. The airline adopted TravelX’s platform to evolve from static to dynamic inventory management, enabling more flexibility for their guests and increasing yield on peak flights.
Turkish Airlines Holidays, the holiday brand of Turkish Airlines, has launched a global campaign designed to make family travel more rewarding, convenient and flexible. Under the campaign, children aged 11 and under fly complimentary on eligible holiday package bookings made until Sept. 29. The offer is available for travel to Türkiye, Mauritius, the Maldives and Dubai from Canada by March 30. Additionally, travellers can receive 15% off Economy Class base fares or 20% off Business Class base fares to campaign destinations, as well as selected hotel privileges, included baggage, complimentary seat selection and flexible cancellation options.
DEALS
To celebrate the back-to-school season, Transat is offering saving through Sept. 28, whereby travellers can save up to $1,500 per pair on vacation packages to the South or Europe. The promotion applies to new individual bookings for travel taken by April 30, 2027. At the same time, a new flight promotion offers discounts to Barcelona, Paris, Lisbon, Philipsburg and Cancun when made by Sept. 21 for travel through April 30, 2027.
Club Med invites snow-enthusiasts to book the Winter 2026/27 ski season now with an exclusive sale until Sept. 15. The Winter ‘27 Ski sale is offering the best rates of the season at more than 20 ski resorts worldwide, with priority access to preferred room categories. Travellers dreaming of skiing in the Alps, Canada, or Japan, save up to $1,440 p.p. per week.
Strategically timed to coincide with the Air Canada Vacations Dream Makers fall product launch events held across the country this month, Sandals and Beaches Resorts launches a new Canadian-exclusive Instant Savings offer. All new ACV bookings (air-inclusive packages of five nights or longer) made by Sept. 30 – for travel through May 31, 2027 – will enjoy instant savings of up to CA$700 at select Sandals and Beaches Resorts. The offer is valid in all room categories with no blackout dates.
HOTELS & RESORTS
Hard Rock Hotels has undertaken the redevelopment of two of its most prominent beachfront properties in Mexico: Hard Rock Hotel Cancun and Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta (photo above). Both resorts are pausing operations for five months to undergo extensive physical and experiential upgrades. Reservation systems for both properties remain officially open, allowing travellers to secure bookings ahead of the grand reopening in late December 2026.
Sunwing Vacations strengthening its Jamaica portfolio with the addition S Hotel Montego Bay. Located along the shores of Montego Bay, S Hotel Montego Bay brings together contemporary Caribbean style, authentic Jamaican culture and an elevated all-inclusive experience, all just steps from the renowned Doctor’s Cave Beach. Full details, including applicable terms and conditions, are available through the Sunwing Travel Agent Portal.
BY THE NUMBERS
Downtown Las Vegas properties Circa Resort & Casino, the D Las Vegas and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino are celebrating the success of their “At Par” promotion, which delivered a significant boost in Canadian tourism. By treating $1 CAD as $1 USD, the offer welcomed more than 120,000 Canadian visitors, driving an 80% increase in Canadian visitation, more than $20 million in slot coin-in and over 8,000 hotel room nights. The promotion took place between January and August.
CRUISE
Margaritaville at Sea cruise line is bringing its newest ship and signature island state of mind to Texas, with Beachcomber setting sail from Galveston beginning in October 2027 on four- to seven-night escapes featuring the most diverse and far-reaching lineup of itineraries in the region. These new itineraries are available to book now.
Cunard announced a significant refurbishment of Queen Mary 2, marking a new chapter for the world’s only ocean liner and an important investment in the future of Transatlantic travel.
Scheduled for March 31 through May 9, 2027, the refurbishment will introduce 31 new staterooms, including 16 Princess Grill Suites, and refresh all existing Grill Suites and their dedicated restaurants. Additional enhancements will include an elevated wellness offering, new luxury retail spaces, upgraded cultural and entertainment venues and expanded kennel facilities for guests crossing the Atlantic with their pets. The refreshed interiors will draw inspiration from classic Hollywood glamour and British tradition while preserving the ship’s distinctive Art Deco identity.
TOURS
Kensington Expeditions, part of Kensington’s Ultraluxe division, has announced an exclusive new women-only expedition across Mongolia led by internationally recognized expedition leader Megan Hine (photo above). Designed for women ready to step beyond their comfort zones and discover what they are capable of, the expedition will take place in fall 2026 with three distinct adventures through Northern Taiga, Altai Mountains and Gobi Desert, each priced from $14,000 p.p. The expedition is divided into three distinct adventures spanning September 30 through Nov. 4, with participants able to join one, two or all three phases.
Trafalgar is positioning itself as a new global travel brand, introducing new travel categories and unifying the 2027 portfolios of Insight Vacations and Costsaver under the single Trafalgar name to create a broader, simpler portfolio for travel advisors and their clients. The expanded portfolio will be on sale in Q4 ahead of the peak Black Friday booking period. The expanded Trafalgar will offer more than 600 itineraries across 75 countries and five ways to travel: Tours, Small Groups, River Cruises, Rail Journeys and Group Sales. Three value tiers – saver, classic and premium – will make it easier for advisors to identify and explain the right experience level and price point for each client, while retaining the product expertise and experiences they already know from Costsaver, Trafalgar and Insight Vacations.
ATTRACTIONS & THEME PARKS
Clients headed for Universal Orlando Resort can purchase a 3-day ticket to access Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Epic Universe from $105.43 (tax inclusive) per day. The “3-Day One Day Per Park Promo Ticket” allows guests can choose the base ticket option, which includes one day of admission to each theme park per day, or upgrade to a park-to-park option that allows them to visit both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure for two days and then enjoy one dedicated day at Epic Universe. This ticket deal can also be combined with savings of up to 30% on a stay of five nights or more at one of Universal’s hotels this fall and winter; and saving up to $300 on a vacation package when combining a park-to-park ticket with a hotel stay of two nights or more. Visit VAXVacationAccess.com.
FAMS & INCENTIVES
By way of introduction to its newest river cruise partner, Avalon Waterways, Air Canada Vacations is offering agents $100 bonus commission on air & cruise bookings made by Oct. 4 for departures through Dec. 31, 2027
EVENTS
Air Canada Vacations is launching its inaugural Air Canada Vacations Academy at Sea, taking place from Jan. 17 to 24, 2027, aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore. Presented in partnership with NCL and other industry partners, the program will feature exclusive ACV and supplier-led training sessions, networking events, hotel site inspections and hosted destination experiences. The itinerary includes visits to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, along with dedicated days at sea focused on learning and collaboration. Rates for the seven-night cruise start at $1,130 p.p. (double) for an inside stateroom and limited airfares are available for major cities. For details, click HERE.
PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS
Nexion Travel Group President Jackie Friedman has announced her retirement, effective Spring 2027, until which time she will continue to lead the company. A native of Canada, Friedman joined the Nexion team in 2004 as VP of Operations. In 2007, she was promoted to president. Prior to joining the Nexion team, she spent 15 years with Sabre, serving in a variety of sales and leadership positions. Friedman started out working as a front-line agent and a travel agency manager in Toronto. Nexion’s new president will be announced at a later date.
Aerial Communications Group has been named Canadian Public Relations Agency of Record for Spring Hotels, an independent collection of six hotels in Tenerife, Spain. The appointment follows Air Canada‘s recent announcement of new non-stop service from both Toronto and Montreal to Tenerife beginning Oct. 25.
DESTINATIONS
Kenya has updated its requirements for foreign visitors, establishing minimum travel health insurance coverage of US$50,000. The new framework comes as the country heads into a particularly popular period for safari travel. The required coverage includes $20,000 for medical expenses, $25,000 for emergency medical transportation, $5,000 for repatriation of mortal remains, $1,000 for mental-health treatment and $300 for prescribed medicines. Importantly, the $50,000 refers to the amount of coverage, not the cost of the insurance policy, and travellers’ existing international policies may qualify if they meet Kenya’s prescribed benefit requirements.
Two new French treasures have joined the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List. The D-Day Landing Beaches in Normandy and the Royal Fortresses of Languedoc, in Occitanie, have officially been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, recognizing their Outstanding Universal Value and further enriching France’s exceptional cultural heritage. That makes 56 UNESCO sites in France.
LAST WEEK IN TRAVEL HISTORY
In 1983, the Canadian government suspended all flights of the Soviet Aeroflot airline into Montreal for 60 days, as a protest over the shooting down of a South Korean jet.
Send info to baginski@travelindustrytoday.com
If you enjoyed or found this story useful, we’d appreciate if you would forward it to a colleague or friend who may also enjoy it. If, on the other hand, a friend shared it with you, welcome! You can get all the latest travel news and reviews from Travel Industry by simply clicking HERE.