WestJet celebrated the takeoff of service between Calgary and Reykjavik (Keflavik) Thursday, adding another option from Western Canada and the airline’s hub to Europe. Flights will operate four times weekly through Oct. 13 on 737 MAX aircraft, departing Calgary at 8:25 a.m.
With the start of the hurricane season less than a month away and 2024 expected to be busier than average, US officials who predict, prepare for, and respond to natural disasters have a message: It’s not a matter of if a hurricane will hit Florida, but when. Even for those not on the coast, the officials said people need to know the potential danger hurricanes pose, such as flooding; and put together an emergency plan that includes a supply kit.
Here we go again. Cruise entrepreneur John Waggoner is reported to be relaunching Victory Cruise Lines to start cruising the Great Lakes in 2025. He scooped up two 190-passenger ships that have come and gone a number of times from the lakes over the past couple of decades in an auction of the assets of the bankrupt American Queen Voyages.
If you don’t survive the zombie apocalypse you can’t gamble, we suppose. With this evidently in mind, the good folks at CasinoHunters have curated a list of which Canadian provinces we should travel to (or not) to survive such an occurrence were it to happen in 2024.
Of all the covers of “Love Shack” one might expect, a version by Brendan Hunt and Hannah Waddingham wouldn’t be among them. That’s because (for the uninitiated) the duo are better known as the beloved characters Coach Beard and Rebecca from the Ted Lasso TV show. But don’t be dissuaded, the talented pair absolutely nail the B52s’ classic.
If 2023 was the year for “revenge travel,” then 2024 is shaping up to be the year for intentional exploration. A recent Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) survey conducted by YouGov reveals that 61% of Canadians are planning to pack their bags within the next year – but this time with a purpose. Canadians are trading impulsive getaways for mindful travel choices, seeking meaningful experiences that align with their values, aspirations – and tighter budgets.
WestJet has announced enhancements to its winter 787 schedule, including expanded year-round service between Calgary and Tokyo, as well as increased daily flights between Calgary and Paris Charles-de-Gaulle International (CDG) and London Heathrow International (LHR) Airports. The airline is also enhancing its presence on popular leisure routes with service between Canada, Mexico, and Hawaii.
All-inclusive pioneer Club Med is planning its first property in the Middle East: Club Med Musandam, a luxurious beach resort set to open in 2028 in Oman. The 300-room, Exclusive Collection resort will incorporate the culture of Oman in its design, entertainment, food & beverage, and provide guests with access to a private beach with incredible scenery.
Offering cinematic beauty, off-the-beaten-track experiences and transcendently beautiful coastal scenery, Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way – the world’s longest-defined coastal touring route – has been one of the island of Ireland’s most successful tourism stories.
Royalton CHIC Antigua has officially opened its doors, marking a new all-inclusive addition to the Blue Diamond Resorts’ portfolio. Featuring 225 rooms, the brand’s first property on the island designed exclusively for adults also notably introduces the innovative ‘Party Your Way’ concept.
Emirates has announced record profits of US$4.7 billion for 2023 as the airline fully took flight after the turbulent years of the coronavirus pandemic disrupted its operations. The airline carried 51.9 million passengers in its 2023 financial year, as compared to 43.6 million the year prior.
It’s not just you. A lot of people think Google searches are getting worse. And the rise of generative AI chatbots is giving people new and different ways to look up information. While Google has been the one-stop shop for decades – after all, we commonly call searches “googling” – its longtime dominance has attracted a flood of sponsored or spammy links and junk content fueled by “search engine optimization” techniques. That pushes down genuinely useful results.
“Bonjour, Quebec!” WestJet Group CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech declared at a staff celebration of the launch of Vacances WestJet Quebec/WestJet Vacations Quebec (WVQ) yesterday at Sunwing’s airport-area office in Toronto. A concurrent event was taking place in Laval as Sunwing staff there also celebrated the launch of a “new tour operator” in the province.
U.S. airlines are suing to block the Biden administration from requiring greater transparency over fees that the carriers charge their passengers, saying that a new rule would confuse consumers by giving them too much information during the ticket-buying process. The US Transportation Department says it will vigorously defend the rule against what it called “hidden junk fees.”
Travel advisors can now register for Sandals Masterclass 2024 – an extensive series of webinars taking place for regions across the country that kick off May 22 in Ontario and continue into September. The sessions are created by Unique Vacations Canada exclusively for Canadian travel advisors to help them drive growth and increase sales to Sandals and Beaches resorts in the Caribbean.
Coinciding with Travel Advisor Month in May, Globus family of brands – Globus, Cosmos, and Avalon Waterways – has introduced new business-to-business brand marketing platform and a new and improved Travel Advisor Portal (TAP) for partners under the theme “We’ve Got U.”
Transat Distribution Canada hosted its first training academy since before the pandemic, this time taking to the high seas for a cruise-focussed session aboard a Virgin Voyages vessel in the Caribbean; Ensemble convened its owner-managers for a Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona; and Direct Travel and FCM both made key executive appointments.
The union representing staff in New Brunswick’s Tourism Department says money spent by the tourism minister and her deputy on a European trip could have helped stave off staffing cuts at popular attractions in the province. CUPE Local 1190 president Jonathan Guimond said the $42,000 Tourism Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace and staff spent last September on a trip to France and the United Kingdom amounts to 2,000 additional hours his members could have worked.
What were they thinking? Airport security officers in Miami found a slithering surprise recently – a bag of snakes hidden in a passenger’s pants. According to an X post by the US Transportation Security Administration, officers at Miami International Airport found the reptiles concealed by an unnamed traveller at a checkpoint.
In a move that resonates on many levels, the Sunwing Vacations Group has launched WestJet Vacations/Vacances WestJet Quebec (WVQ) in La Belle Province as a “new tour operator with new destinations” for Quebec consumers, starting next winter. It also represents the latest step Sunwing’s integration into the WestJet fold, though as a standalone division that will also operate WestJet’s overall tour operations.
Nassau & Paradise Island are havens for travellers seeking sun, sand, and sustainability, and visitors can easily find numerous ways to enjoy the destination in an eco-friendly way. From serene nature excursions to immersive cultural experiences, here are five Earth-friendly ways to explore while making sure that the natural wonders of The Bahamas are preserved for generations to come.
We wouldn’t have known it while waiting over an hour for our bags to arrive at LAX on a recent visit – even with the 15-minute head start afforded by having to trek from gate to carousel – but at least they did arrive (and in one piece), which is an occurrence that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) says is steadily becoming more common.
With white sand beaches that seem to stretch on forever, sparkling blue waters, abundant marine life, cultural activities and adventures, Nassau-Paradise Island is guaranteed to live up to its name for couples visiting The Bahamas. With this in mind, the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board has curated some top experiences to help couples make their romantic retreat even more special.
Air Transat has released its flight schedule 2024-25 winter season featuring, at peak, 300 non-stop flights per week from seven Canadian cities. In addition to Toronto, Ottawa, and London, it will also offer flights from Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, and Moncton, to more than two dozen destinations covering the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, and Europe.
Nassau & Paradise Island are ideal destinations for anyone who loves to kick back and relax, but what about those who crave a little excitement mixed in with their lazy days spent on the sand? A sure way to make a splash is to ride on one of the Bahamian destinations many thrilling waterslides.
It wasn’t a normal Tuesday for staff at an Iqaluit airport gift shop when 260 passengers were unexpectedly stuck in the airport terminal for nearly 11 hours last week. The passengers made their unplanned arrival at the airport when their Air France flight from Paris, bound for Seattle, Wash., made an emergency landing in Iqaluit after a “heat smell” was detected inside the plane.
While the US Travel Association revelled in its 55th annual IPW trade show in Los Angeles last week that welcomed 5,700 attendees from 70 countries (among them close to 150 Canadians and a 20% increase over 2023), the tourism organization nevertheless bristled at current tourism metrics for international travel to the US it says are caused in part by self-inflicted wounds – ones that can and should be overcome.
Canada’s Competition Bureau says it will begin a market study looking into the state of competition in the Canadian airline industry and how governments can make improvements. In a market study, the bureau examines barriers to competition, such as regulations or policies, within a specific sector.
The union representing WestJet Encore pilots says its members rejected the tentative deal reached last month, with just over half voting the agreement down. The union says despite improvements to compensation and scheduling, the pilots wanted to see more action from WestJet to address ongoing issues with pilot recruitment, retention, and morale.
Disney has received another key approval to expand its Southern California theme parks in its first push to make major changes to its iconic Disneyland in decades. Anaheim City Council voted unanimously for the plan to transform Disney’s 488-hectare campus by moving parking to a multi-storey structure and redeveloping a massive lot with new entertainment and rides.