Aviation

WESTJET OFFERS FREE MONITORING TO CYBER ATTACK PAX

WestJet says some personal data including information about travel documents such as passports was stolen in a cyberattack earlier this year, but credit and debit card numbers as well as user passwords were not compromised.

AMERICAN CONNECTS QUEBEC CITY AND DALLAS

In a welcome piece of cross-border travel news, American Airlines launched seasonal flights between Dallas and Quebec City on the weekend, offering a direct flight every Saturday between YQB and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) through Nov. 1.

BACK TO BARGAINING: Air Canada and flight attendants try to avoid strike

Air Canada and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants resumed talks over the weekend in an attempt to avoid a strike that could potentially begin next week. The flight attendants can potentially walk off the job as soon as Aug. 16 at 12:01 a.m. with at least 72 hours’ notice provided.

AIR CANADA ALL IN ON ELITES: Major change coming at Aeroplan

In move certain to annoy most members, Aeroplan is changing the way it allocates points. Starting Jan. 1, members will earn their loyalty points on eligible Air Canada flights based on dollars spent rather than the distance they travel. The company says the changes are designed to better recognize Aeroplan members who “spend more and travel more” with Air Canada and who actively engage across the program “while keeping Aeroplan Elite status truly special.”

STRATEGIC LEAP: Air Transat bound for Brazil

Air Transat will offer non-stop service to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this winter from both Toronto and Montreal. The flights are part of a fortified 2025-26 winter program that includes a total of 14 new routes.

UNITED TECH ISSUE CAUSES MAJOR DELAYS

A disruption to a system housing United Airlines’ flight information that caused more than 1,000 delays has been resolved, but delays continued into Thursday as the carrier worked to restore normal operations.

PLENTY OF RUNWAY LEFT FOR AGREEMENT

Around 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants will be in a legal position to strike in less than two weeks, but the airline says it’s confident there is enough runway left to reach a deal that avoids grounding numerous flights.

AIR CANADA EXPANDS LANDLINE COACH SERVICE TO KINGSTON

Air Canada is expanding its multi-modal Landline service to Kingston, enabling customers at Kingston Norman Rogers Airport (YGK) to seamlessly connect with Toronto Pearson. The service adds a third Air Canada Landline service in southern Ontario, following successful launches in Hamilton and Waterloo.

PORTER FLIGHTS CONNECT HAMILTON WITH MCO AND FLL

Porter Airlines continues expanding its network at Hamilton International Airport (YHM) with new routes to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) beginning in December. Flights to Orlando begin Dec. 12, and Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 13, both with three weekly roundtrips.

A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT: US routes hurt Air Canada net income

Air Canada says second-quarter earnings were down from last year in what it characterized as a “challenging environment.” Challenges include an 11% drop in revenue in the airline’s U.S. transborder routes that it attributed to geopolitical tensions and a lower Canadian dollar. 

STUDY SHOWS PAX PENALIZED FOR ONE-WAY FLIGHTS

New research and analysis from a leading travel site shows that the largest U.S. airlines have resumed charging higher fares for most one-way domestic flights than they do on roundtrip bookings.

AIR CANADA FLIGHT ATTENDANTS BEGIN STRIKE VOTE

The union representing Air Canada flight attendants is urging a “strong mandate” to strike by members in voting that beings today.  The process begins after the close to eight months of bargaining and the two sides completing the conciliation process without resolution last week. Voting continues through Aug. 5 and members will be eligible to strike effective Aug. 16.

INTO AFRICA: WestJet announces Kenya Airways interline

WestJet and Kenya Airways have announced a new interline partnership agreement that will enable WestJet guests to seamlessly travel to Nairobi, and beyond, with expanded access to 35 destinations across Africa.

SIGH OF RELIEF: Air ticket cost a big boo-boo

Alex McConnachie couldn’t believe his eyes: When he checked Canadian North’s website Monday morning, it said the price of a one-way ticket from Ottawa to Iqaluit had more than tripled to approximately $2,000.

PAW POWER: Meet two dogs that protect an airport

Hercules and Ned have quite the spacious office at West Virginia’s busiest airport. The border collies and their handler make daily patrols along the milelong airfield to ensure birds and other wildlife stay away from planes and keep passengers and crew safe.

YUL SET FOR $10 BILLION MAKEOVER

The Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and surrounding area is set to undergo a $10-billion transformation over the next decade. The airport authority for the greater Montreal area says it has negotiated a $1-billion loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to support its plan for the city’s main air hub.

NEW SOUTH KOREAN FLIGHTS A FIRST AT YVR

Vancouver International Airport is the first airport in North America to welcome regular service from South Korean airline T’way Air. The inaugural flight on Saturday kicked off four-times weekly, year-round service between Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul and YVR.

AIR CANADA FURTHER EXPANDS LATIN AMERICA NETWORK

Air Canada is adding flights to Latin America as it looks to diversify its global network this winter.  The airline will resume non-stop service to Lima, Peru, this winter with twice weekly flights from both Montreal and Toronto as well as adding three new routes to Central America and Mexico including, Montreal-Belize, Toronto-Puerto Escondido, and Vancouver-Tepic, Riviera Nayarit.

IF THE SHOE FITS: US expected to drop footwear restrictions at security

For the first time in almost 20 years, travellers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain U.S. airports. The Transportation Security Administration is looking to abandon the additional security step that has for years bedeviled anyone passing through U.S airports, according to media reports.

LET THE SUNSHINE IN: WestJet releases winter sked with a grin

WestJet’s 2025/26 winter schedule will feature five new destinations across the Caribbean and Latin America. While departures will increase by three percent year-over-year, capacity will be consistent with last winter, as seats will be removed from former Sunwing/Swoop aircraft, which will be updated to WestJet’s standard configuration before the start of winter.

WESTJET-AEROMEXICO CODESHARE OPENS NEW HORIZONS

WestJet and Aeromexico have expanded their codeshare partnership, offering guests on both sides of the continent enhanced access to a broader network of destinations in the two countries with the ease of a single booking.

WESTJET AND SAUDIA SIGN INTERLINE AGREEMENT

WestJet and Saudia have signed a new interline partnership agreement that will enhance global connectivity to more than 100 destinations across both carriers’ networks and includes single-connection access to Jeddah via Toronto Pearson as well as both Jeddah and Riyadh from London Heathrow and Paris Charles-de-Gaulle.

HERE COMES THE SUN: Porter to launch first flights beyond Canada and US

Porter Airlines phenomenal growth is set to take another giant step with the launch of the carrier’s first sun destination flights, which initially will include Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica this winter. Porter supporters will be able to choose from five destinations and 13 routes originating from Toronto Pearson, Ottawa, and Hamilton, Ont. International Airport.

IATA SAYS FREE BIN SPACE WOULD CAUSE CHAOS

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has accused the European Parliament of meddling in operational and commercial issues that it doesn’t understand, following moves to make cabin luggage allowance obligatory, regardless of whether the passenger needs it or not. 

AIR CANADA, TRANSAT, PORTER LEAD WAY AT WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS

Canadian airlines were once again flying high as this year’s prestigious World Airlines Awards, conducted by Skytrax. Dubbed “Oscars of the aviation industry,” the awards saw five Canadian carriers rank in the top 100 worldwide, as well as taking home hardware – including top spots – in several other categories.

WESTJET CYBERATTACK STILL A MYSTERY

The recent cyberattack against WestJet remains unresolved, as questions linger about the nature and fallout of the breach. The airline said last week it was working to assess whether sensitive data or customers’ personal information was compromised after hackers accessed its internal systems.

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