Ensemble served up a new incentive program for top performers, Flight Centre posted positive profit numbers, and CAA stepped up to help confused air travellers. Also making retail news in this week’s round-up were Air Canada Vacations and the Jamaica Tourist Board – both with incentive prizes up for grabs.
American Airlines announced a massive order for new planes, splitting 260 new aircraft between Boeing, Airbus and Embraer in a move designed to meet growing travel demand and increase the airline’s supply of premium seats. American said it placed options for up to 193 more planes over the next several years.
With the 63rd Annual Can-Am Days set to kick off Saturday (March 9) – coinciding with some school breaks – Canadians will begin their annual seasonal migration to Myrtle Beach. But while the festivities and special offers continue through March 17th, the Grand Strand region of South Carolina has a host of new offers and attractions that carry on throughout 2024.
Warm weather has upended winter recreation across North America and Europe this year, cancelling a 400-km dog sled race in Maine, opening golf courses in Ontario, and requiring snow saved from the previous year to run a ski race in Austria. A warm, dry El Niño weather pattern coupled with global warming is to blame, scientists say, and has put the threat to winter on centre stage.
Thousands of flights and trains are expected to be cancelled again this week in Germany after two unions on Monday called for more strikes over wages and working conditions. While negotiations continue for ground staff of Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn train drivers, the strikes have been called for Thursday and Friday.
Spring is in the air in Arizona – and that means spring training baseball, desert blooms, and plenty of Canadians. And while the former are annual rights of Spring, the latter is especially welcome news as the southern US state expects to at last surpass pre-pandemic numbers in 2024.
JetBlue and Spirit Airlines are ending their proposed US$3.8 billion combination after a court ruling blocked their merger. The announcement was a win for consumers dependent on lower fares, but a disappointment for the carriers who, together, hoped to challenge the U.S. ‘Big 4’ airlines.
When it comes to safety culture at Boeing, there is a “disconnect” between senior management and workers, and employees responsible for checking the company’s planes question whether they can raise issues without fear of retaliation, according to a panel of outside experts.
Carnival Cruise Line has announced plans for a US$100-million pier extension that will double the arrival capacity of Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line’s new exclusive destination scheduled to open on Grand Bahama island in the summer of 2025. With the additional $100- million pier extension investment, the now $600-million flagship project remains the largest of its kind ever undertaken by Carnival Corp.
Who needs planes when you can fly like Iron Man? Last week, Dubai hosted what it called its first-ever jet suit race. Racers zipped along a route with the skyscrapers of Dubai Marina looming behind them, controlling the jet engines on their hands and their backs.
Saudi Arabia welcomed over 100 million tourists in 2023 with the Kingdom having also seen a 56 percent increase in international arrivals since 2019. The results – achieved seven years ahead of expectations – mark the emergence of a new global tourism “powerhouse,” say both UN Tourism and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
WestJet flight WS34 from Toronto touched down in Dublin on Friday, marking the return of transatlantic flying by the carrier between eastern Canada and Europe. The service to the Irish capital also kicked off the 10-year anniversary of WestJet’s entry into Europe, commemorating the airline’s inaugural transatlantic flight between St. John’s and Dublin in 2014.
Celebrating record sales for 2023 – and a 22 percent jump over the year previous – luxury travel network Virtuoso hosted its annual Canada Forum last week at the Four Seasons Hotel. The annual gathering brought together more than 100 owners and managers from Virtuoso’s travel agency members in Canada and preferred partners from around the globe.
MSC Cruises today announced it will base a ship in Spain’s Canary Islands for the winter to replace its previously planned Red Sea winter 2024-25 program, which is cancelled in light of the current risk to shipping in the region.
RIU Hotels and Resorts newest Jamaican property – it’s seventh – is set to open its doors May 4. Located in the Falmouth, Trelawny, 15 minutes from the airport in Montego Bay, the five-star all-inclusive Riu Palace Aquarelle is exclusive to Sunwing Vacations and boasts a beachfront location, water park on site, and international dining options.
A powerful blizzard that a meteorologist termed “as bad as it gets” howled in the Sierra Nevada mountains, closing a long stretch of Interstate 80 in Northern California, forcing ski resorts to shut down, and leaving thousands of homes without power.
Checked bag fees are going up at Air Canada, while Mexico says it may retaliate against new visa regulations for its citizens coming to Canada. Plus, other notable news last week: Blue Cross discovered that Canadians are still prioritizing travel in 2024, Air Transat flight attendants approved a new collective agreement, and a glitzy godmother helped Carnival Cruise officially name new its new flagship.
Mexico says is reserving the right to “act in reciprocity” after Canada re-imposed visas for Mexicans, effective yesterday. In a statement released on its website, Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said it “regrets” the Canadian move and believes that there were “other options available before putting this measure in place.”
CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) says a recent member survey has unveiled concerning statistics regarding the lack of travel insurance awareness and preparedness. Despite the financial risks associated with travelling unprotected, the survey found that 40 percent of CAA members in Ontario who travel don’t always purchase emergency medical travel insurance, highlighting a potential vulnerability.
With war in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, volcanos in Mexico and Iceland, and a seemingly endless list of global dangers always at hand, international travellers may face the possibility of a hasty departure – particularly if they are in, or near, affected regions. But are they prepared?
Days Inn by Wyndham is seeking two adventurous BFFs to become its latest “sun-terns” with the annual program this year tying into the 2024 solar eclipse. One ‘sun and moon’ duo will embark on a journey to witness the rare event on April 8 from a private helicopter experience, giving an unparalleled vantage point of the path of totality.
Lynx Air ceased to fly this week, the latest in a long line of discount carriers to bite the departures dust – brought down in part by stiff competition, high fees, and Canada’s vast geography. Lynx, which filed for creditor protection Feb. 22, marks at least the eighth budget airline to take off and then fizzle out since 2000, joining the ranks of Roots Air, CanJet and Swoop.
With just one accident for every 1.26 million flights, last year was the safest year ever for aviation, says IATA in its just-released 2023 Annual Safety Report. However, despite citing several 2023 parameters showing “best-ever” results, the association’s director general says, “We can never take safety for granted.”
Located on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, Los Cabos might be the “most isolated” region of Mexico – “you have to come by air,” notes the managing director of the region’s tourist board, Rodrigo Esponda – but Canadians clearly have no trouble finding the vacation hotspot.
Mexico’s National Disaster Prevention Center said Wednesday the Popocatépetl volcano, located just 80 kilometres from the country’s capital, had erupted 13 times in the past day. Volcanic ash from the Popocatépetl disrupted flights out of Mexico City’s largest airport on Tuesday and caused another airport even closer to the volcano to temporarily suspend activity.
Leap year. It’s an extra day for finally sorting that annoying sock drawer, or perhaps planning one’s next holiday. Or, for some, celebrating a birthday that comes only every four years. So how did it all begin and why? And what would happen if it didn’t happen? More than you might think.
The podcast is quickly becoming one of the leading tools for persuasive marketing. It has a unique pull for the audience because it successfully differentiates itself from marketing and advertising messages.
United Airlines has raised its fees for checking bags, following a similar move last week by American Airlines. Now in effect, economy-class passengers on domestic flights will be charged US$5 more. That will bring the price to $35 if they pay online at least 24 hours before the flight, and $40 after that.
Brent Carnegie admits he wouldn’t likely have ever listed Albania on his travel bucket list. But the Canadian travel industry veteran recently found himself in what has traditionally been considered a rather mysterious Balkan enclave for a family visit – and he loved it.
The corporate travel landscape is poised for a transformative ride in 2024 according to a new report from American Express Global Business Travel (AmexGBT). The report highlights top trends from pricing, technology, the future of work and corporate responsibility that will shape the business travel landscape this year.