On a warm Wednesday this month, a cartoon raccoon raised a cocktail glass and sarcastically saluted Air Canada. The social media image, posted by Porter Airlines, included an accompanying toast from the character: “Air Canada has now joined Porter in offering free beer, wine and snacks to all passengers. Thanks for joining our mission to help everyone actually enjoy economy!”
Hurricane Beryl is roaring through open waters as a monstrous Category 5 storm heading toward Jamaica after earlier making landfall in the southeast Caribbean, killing at least four people. A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica and a hurricane watch for Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, and for Haiti’s entire southern coast.
After a wild weekend of flight cancellations and stranded passengers caused by WestJet mechanics going on strike on Friday, ACTA is urging the airline to fairly compensate travel advisors for their “countless hours” working on behalf of clients during the disruption – which was resolved by Monday, though more cancellations were expected this week as the airline re-engages its fleet.
A new air transport agreement between Canada and Argentina promises to increase air service between the two countries. The arrangement updates and expands policies negotiated in 1979 and goes into effect immediately. Argentina is Canada’s second-oldest travel market in South America, after Peru.
Halifax Stanfield International Airport will receive an $18-million upgrade to its international connections facility – improvements that officials hope will attract more international flights to the Nova Scotia facility.
Intrepid Travel is launching a new trip range dedicated to rail travel that includes 40 trips and three brand new itineraries. The travel company says the tours will cater to the rising trends of both slow and train travel, with new data showing 75% of travellers are hoping to take a train on their next trip.
Registration is open for the 68th annual Skal Toronto and Skal North Toronto Golf Tournament, which will take place Aug. 28 at the Royal Ontario Golf Club. The tournament is open to anyone including tourism, hospitality and travel Industry members along with Skal members.
WestJet has reached a deal with its mechanics to end a strike that had disrupted the travel plans of tens of thousands of travellers over the Canada Day long weekend. However, the airline has warned that there will still be flight disruptions in the week ahead as its planes are brought back into service.
Hurricane Beryl began pounding the southeast Caribbean on Monday as a powerful Category 4 storm after becoming the earliest storm of that strength to form in the Atlantic, fuelled by record warm waters. Hurricane warnings were in effect for Barbados, Grenada, Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines as thousands of people hunkered down in homes and shelters. The last strong hurricane to hit the southeast Caribbean was Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago, which killed dozens of people in Grenada.
A strike by screening officers at Toronto Pearson continues to be “on the table” after 95 percent of nearly 3,000 workers rejected a tentative agreement with their employer, according to reporting from the Toronto Star. The Canadian Airport Workers Union, which had reached a tentative deal on June 21 with Garda World Security, said it hopes to return to bargaining soon.
This summer, all eyes will be on Paris as the city prepares to host the Olympic Games (July 26-Aug. 11). But France is the world’s top tourist destination for a reason: there’s no end of opportunities for things to discover in the City of Light and beyond. From summer wellness retreats and ritzy beach clubs to private sailings through the vast, marshy wetland of the Camargue, here’s what not to miss when planning a trip, and where to stay (including recommendations from Transat) while doing do.
With its Small Group tours now accounting for more than half of its non-cruise business each year, Tauck says it will get even smaller with its new “Smaller Group” tours and departures. While Tauck’s Small Group trips will continue to average 24 guests per departure, the new Smaller Group journeys will average just 15 guests.
Known as one of the Mediterranean’s “grande dame” hotels, the newly restored and expanded Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor is now confirming reservations for arrivals beginning in late August. Set amid 40 hectares of seaside woodlands in the heart of a vast private estate that also includes a working vineyard, the property follows the hotel company’s restoration of Four Seasons Hotel Madrid in Spain.
In last week’s news, we learned that a majority of Canadians are “vacation deprived”; WestJet expanded its partnership with Germany’s Condor Airlines; travellers from Halifax gained greater access to Bermuda; Kimpton Hotels is headed for Hawaii; TICO opened applications for positions on its board; Virginia is celebrating country music; and, much more.
A possible long-weekend strike at WestJet has been averted. The federal government on Thursday directed the airline and plane mechanics into binding arbitration to resolve their dispute, steering clear of a work stoppage that could otherwise have disrupted flights for hundreds of thousands of travellers over the Canada Day long weekend.
Porter Airlines is launching two new seasonal, nonstop routes connecting Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) with Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The YUL-LAX route offers four-times weekly service beginning June 27, while the YUL-SFO route operates three-times weekly starting June 28.
The union representing food service workers at Vancouver International Airport says more than 200 have walked off the job to push for higher wages. A statement from Unite Here Local 40 says the workers are employed by SSP America, which operates more than a dozen food outlets at the airport.
Oceania Cruises is making the 2025 season in the South Pacific it most expansive yet. Two ships, Nautica and Regatta are plotting unique itineraries in fascinating corners of Tahiti during the winter and summer seasons.
WestJet says it faces a possible strike by its mechanics starting as early as Friday. According to the airline the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association has issued a strike notice that could mean a work stoppage as early as 5:30 p.m. (MT) on Friday.
With the reality of airline delays, cancellations, and other unexpected travel issues, the expenses associated with travel remain steep. But travellers who rely solely on their credit cards and the government for travel insurance may be unaware of the potential risks.
Clean-up crews and business owners were inspecting the damage Wednesday after sudden storms lashed southwestern Switzerland the previous night, sending torrents of water through roads and temporarily halting air traffic at Geneva’s airport.
Solo traveling is no longer a niche sector, it’s growing fast. According to Global Rescue’s survey of the world’s most experienced travellers, the percentage of solo travelers has more than tripled in the past 12 months. In the spring of 2023, only nine percent of women and 12 percent of men planned any solo trips. A year later those percentages skyrocketed to 37 percent for men and 32 percent for women.
Canadian North says it is taking a significant stride in advancing pilot training in Canada with the introduction of a state-of-the-art Boeing 737NG Full-Flight Simulator (FFS) that will begin operations in August at its new training centre in Edmonton.
As emotional and mental health concerns surged during the pandemic, so has research pointing to the healing effects of outdoor/nature experiences and active lifestyles – activities and lifestyles that align closely with the leisure travel experience.
With Four Seasons Yachts preparing to debut in 2026, the company has revealed its first 10 voyages, featuring more than 130 distinct destinations across over 30 countries and territories.
A Korean Air flight to Taiwan was forced to return to Incheon airport west of Seoul after a sudden depressurization on the plane, a Boeing 737 Max 8, the transport ministry said Tuesday. Separately, Malaysia Airlines said one of its flights en route to Bangkok on Monday made a U-turn back to Kuala Lumpur after the Airbus A-330 experienced a “pressurization issue.”
Montréal-Trudeau International Airport is warning that conditions are likely to be congested at the facility again this summer due to increasing passenger numbers and the resulting car traffic that comes with it. Last summer, construction added to chaotic situation that left many travellers – both coming and going – frustrated and angry.
Congratulations to Air Transat who have been named the World’s Best Leisure Airline for the sixth time at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. The World’s Best Leisure Airline Award represents passenger satisfaction of the product and staff service standards that leisure airlines provide to customers onboard flights and at the airport.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reminds travellers of what to expect when crossing the border for the upcoming Canada Day and US Independence Day holidays. The CBSA works to protect Canadians, and ensure the safe and efficient movement of people and goods across our borders. In 2023, they welcomed over 86M travellers and intercepted more than 72,200 kg of prohibited drugs, cannabis, narcotics, and chemicals, representing an increase of close to 30% from 2022.
At an event celebrating “Caribbean Queens: Saluting Women Shaping the Future of Caribbean Tourism” Breakfast & Awards event held during Caribbean Week in New York last week, Tourism marketing professional Beverly Nicholson-Doty from the United States Virgin Islands received the “Secretary-General’s Distinguished Service Award.”