WESTJET POSTS TOP ON-TIME PERFORMANCE
Hailing the ranking as a “major milestone in operational excellence,” WestJet reports it has earned a place among the world’s most on-time airlines in the latest Cirium On-Time Performance Report.
QANTAS PLANS WORLD’S LONGEST FLIGHT: 22 hours much better than four days
Qantas Airways plans to launch the world’s longest direct flight next year, a service of up to 22 hours nonstop between London and Sydney.
UNRUSHED IRELAND: Visitors invited to slow down and smell the shamrocks
In a world where travel often feels rushed and driven by checklists, Ireland has embraced the notion of “slow travel,” in which visitors are drawn deeper and beyond the expected toward richer encounters with its landscapes, culture and communities.
WESTJET HITS NEW HEIGHTS WITH JAYS: Unveils branded plane to mark partnership renewal
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ With nearly 1,000 WestJetters, Toronto Blue Jays representatives – including legendary players Pat Borders and Edwin Encarnacion – and community members in attendance, WestJet celebrated the renewal of its long-standing partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday by unveiling a new co-branded plane that will take the iconic Jays logo to 35,000 feet, and wherever the plane flies.
CUBA ‘EMPOWERS’ TRAVEL SECTOR: Details emerge from unprecedented economic package
As part of an unprecedented emergency economic package designed to open up Cuba’s struggling economy, the Cuban government has announced the rollout of a historic package of 176 free-market reforms designed to completely revitalize the island’s travel sector.
FIRST DOMINO TO FALL? Porter reduces fuel surcharge
With fuel prices dropping in the wake of an apparent agreement between the U.S. and Iran to end the war in the Middle East, Porter Airlines says it is reducing its temporary surcharge for new reward flight bookings to $20.
FRENCH FRY AND EUROPE WITHERS UNDER RECORD HEAT
France recorded its hottest day ever Tuesday as an early heat wave gripped Europe, prompting the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre museum to restrict visiting hours and disrupting school and transportation schedules in multiple countries.
RETAIL ROUND-UP: Agent news, fams & incentives
This week: ACTA is concerned over cuts, Ensemble ups tech ante, Utah Office of Tourism hosts Canadian travel advisors, Flight Centre Canada gets a gift partner, and Collette collects food donations.
EXPEDIA TAAP MOVES BEYOND BOOKINGS: Introduces new back-office API and tools
Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) is redefining its role beyond a booking platform, introducing new capabilities that help travel advisors and agencies streamline back-office operations, reduce manual work and scale their businesses more effectively.
UNPRECEDENTED MEASURES: Cuba aims to open up economy
Citing economic models in China and Vietnam, Cuba’s Communist Party has approved an emergency economic package featuring unprecedented free-market measures aimed at opening up the struggling island’s economy following heightened pressure from the United States.
À BIENTÔT À TOULOUSE: France’s Ville Rose awaits culture-loving Canadians
Toulouse is one of France’s most underrated gems – a mid‑sized, culturally rich, high‑value city that consistently delights travellers without overwhelming them. And it’s easily accessible for Canadians via direct Air Canada flights from Montreal, now on the airline’s sparkling new Airbus A321-XLR aircraft.
CONTEXT IS KEY: The most important skill in the age of AI
By Mike Foster/ One of the most valuable lessons I learned in business is that the first answer is not always the best answer. Over time, I came to understand that good decisions usually come from understanding context before evaluating options. I was reminded of that lesson years ago when I began looking for a new office location.
WITH GLOWING HEARTS: Air Canada’s acclaimed Airbus A321XLR makes international debut
Great planes deserve great destinations (and vice versa), so it’s no surprise that Air Canada’s new Airbus A321XLR aircraft made its international debut en route to Toulouse, France, on June 15, flying from YUL Montréal-Trudeau airport to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS).
FIRST LOOK: Sandals offer glimpse of Jamaican resort 2.0 makeovers
New guest experiences, dining concepts and accommodations will highlight the US$200 million Sandals 2.0 transformation of three of the company’s most popular resorts beginning this fall: Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Caribbean Cay (renamed from Sandals Royal Caribbean), and Sandals South Coast.
FOOTLOOSE IN TOULOUSE: TLS airport a springboard to Southwestern France
Toulouse-Blagnac Airport is far more than a convenient landing point for Canadians headed to the renowned Pink City. It’s a strategic gateway to an entire region – a launchpad into Occitanie, the Pyrenees, the Basque coast, and even northern Spain.
GETTING TO KNOW GARNER: New brand is fastest growing for IHG
Garner Hotels, a midscale conversion brand within the IHG Hotels & Resorts portfolio (IHG) portfolio, has reached 100 open hotels globally since its August 2023 launch – IHG’s fastest ever brand to scale globally.
FIRE DESTROYS PACKED D.R. RESORT: 1,700 tourists evacuated, one died
A large fire almost completely destroyed a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic on Friday, forcing the evacuation of almost 1,700 tourists. Local media reported an Italian tourist died in the fire and several other tourists required medical assistance.
ARCH NEMESIS: Trump triumphal arch flagged over aviation safety
A U.S. senator is urging the head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resist any pressure from President Donald Trump to prioritize construction of his planned triumphal arch over aviation safety.
ALBANIA MANIA: Transat flights a first from Canada
One of Europe’s emerging “it” destinations now has direct service from Canada courtesy of Transat, which officially inaugurated its new non-stop service between Toronto and Tirana late last week. The first flight (TS422) marked the launch of the first air link between Canada and Albania.
EMIRATES OFFERS ‘INDUSTRY FIRST’ INSURANCE COVERING CONFLICTS
In response to recent global airspace disruptions, rising jet fuel costs, and heightened travel uncertainty amid the U.S.-Iran conflict, Emirates has introduced Comprehensive Travel Cover, a product the company says is an industry-first travel insurance offering broad, multi-risk protection for travellers throughout their journey.
‘TRULY STUNNING’: Parthenon restoration reveals new-old look
Visitors to the Acropolis can now see the Parthenon’s western side looking whole for the first time in about 220 years. Officially unveiled last week (June 18), restorers have slotted two new marble blocks into long-empty gaps high on the temple’s western end – the view visitors see when they first enter the ancient monument in Athens.
LAST WEEK THIS MORNING: June 15-19, 2026
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.
MIND THE GAPS: Booking security threats that agencies often overlook
Booking flights and accommodation online means vacationers share a lot of sensitive information with travel businesses – names, addresses, passports, and more besides. However, this data may be at high risk of hacker interception – especially if travel firms don’t take steps to protect it adequately enough.
CUBA ‘GETTING READY’ TO FIGHT U.S.: Diplomat also praises Canadian aid
Cuba is prepared for a fight with the United States and is praising Canada for its humanitarian aid, said a senior diplomat visiting Ottawa from Havana this week.
THE ‘ROCKY’ ROAD TO PHILADELPHIA: City celebrates film’s 50th anniversary, and other summer highlights
Every day, visitors from around the world make their way to the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art – not necessarily for the galleries inside, but for a statue of a fictional boxer from South Philadelphia. The bronze figure of Rocky Balboa – arms raised in victory, clad in boxing trunks and boots – has become a point of pilgrimage for people around the world.
MULLET MANIA: Danish championship celebrating maligned hairstyle a cut above
Business in the front, party in the back. A packed Danish crowd recently celebrated the much-maligned but enduring mullet hairstyle, defined by very short hair at the front and longer hair at the back.
A CONTROVERSIAL CRUISE SHIP FACES TROUBLE AGAIN
By WALLACE IMMEN/ A cruise ship with a checkered history, Gemini is reported to have been arrested in Greece due to unpaid debts the owner owes to a Turkish financial institution.
LISTENING IN: My, my, my, it’s Tom Jones
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ From The Cult last week to Tom Jones this, don’t say we’re not versatile. At any rate, what were you doing on April 21, 1968? I don’t know either (I was alive), but we know that the hunky Welsh crooner was performing on the Ed Sullivan show.
WATCH, LISTEN AND GO: Pop culture re-shaping travel booking decisions
Films, series and music tours are increasingly shaping destination choices, turning cultural content into measurable travel demand, according to new data from Civitatis. Travellers are increasingly choosing destinations based on what they watch, listen to and engage with digitally, says the activities booking platform.
EUROPEAN UNION UPGRADES PASSENGER RIGHTS
After more than a decade of negotiations, the European Parliament and EU members reached an agreement on reforming air passenger rights this week, beating the June 15th deadline before expiry. The rules had not been updated since 2004.