THE HEAT IS ON: Boeing brass to step down

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will step down from the embattled plane maker at the end of the year after a series of mishaps at one of America’s most storied manufacturers. Board Chair Larry Kellner has also told the company he doesn’t plan to stand for re-election in May. Boeing also said Monday that Stan Deal, president and CEO of its commercial airplanes unit, will retire immediately from the company.

PRE- AND POST-CRUISE: The perfect 48 hours in Greater Fort Lauderdale

Port Everglades, the world’s third largest cruise port, is among the top gateways for Canadians heading off on a Caribbean cruise vacation. And located only 15 minutes from downtown Fort Lauderdale – and even less from the airport – it’s perfectly positioned for clients who want to add on extra time in sophisticated and fun South Florida to their cruise vacation.

EUROPE ON ALERT AFTER MOSCOW ATTACK

Italy followed France on Monday in stepping up security following the attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall and the claim of responsibility by an affiliate of the Islamic State group.

VIP PASSPORT PROVIDES SPECIAL DEALS FOR TRAVEL ADVISORS

Travel professionals can discover special deals and not-to-be-missed attractions now that Visit Lauderdale, the official destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale, has launched its new VIP Passport for travel advisors.

LET’S MAKE A DEAL: Amex GBT to buy CWT

American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) is buying CWT. Subject to customary conditions, the “definitive agreement” between the two business travel giants is valued at approximately US$570 million, with a closing date expected in the second half of the year.

FREE FORT LAUDERDALE, LET US COUNT THE WAYS

Greater Fort Lauderdale’s tropical paradise offers a sweet retreat for all who visit. Better still, there are countless free ways to explore local gems, annual events, and worldclass art venues and attractions, no matter the interest or party size.

INDIA REVEALED AS GX SUMMIT SITE

G Adventures and its non-profit partner, Planeterra, have confirmed that the second annual GX Community Tourism Summit will be held in India this fall. The destination has been a closely guarded secret by G since the inaugural event in Cusco, Peru in 2023.

IS FLYING GETTING MORE DANGEROUS?

By the simplest measurement, the answer to that question is ‘no’ but you would never know that by reading about the torrent of flight problems in the last three months. The last deadly crash involving a North American airliner (Colgan Air, which operated for Continental Express, United Express and US Air Express) occurred in February 2009 – 15 years ago – an unprecedented streak of safety, especially given there were 9.6 million flights in the US alone last year.

US REGULATORS INCREASE SCRUTINY ON UNITED

US Federal regulators are increasing their oversight of United Airlines following a series of recent issues including a piece of the outer fuselage falling off one jet, an engine fire and a plane losing a tire during takeoff.

HAL CREW MEMBERS DIE DURING SHIP INCIDENT

Two crew members on a Holland America cruise ship died during an “incident” in the ship’s engineering space, the cruise line said. The unidentified crew members died Friday while the Florida-based Nieuw Amsterdam was at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Holland America said in a statement.

SEEING IS BELIEVING: Blue Diamond enters the metaverse

Blue Diamond Resorts is mapping its entire portfolio with immersive 3D scenarios that take each resort into the metaverse and make it easy for travellers and travel professionals to experience 360° virtual tours of all on-property details through an easy-to-use interface.

THE WAY TO GO:  Goway taps into hot industry trend

Goway is celebrating having booked 500 group vacations worldwide in the past year – a milestone the tour company says marks its Groups Only division’s most profitable period to date and showcases the burgeoning demand for custom group travel experiences.

COURT CLIPS KLM’S WINGS FOR ‘GREENWASHING’

In a decision hailed by an environmental group as a historic victory, an Amsterdam court has ruled that Dutch national airline KLM misled consumers in statements about sustainable aviation in a case that accused the carrier of “greenwashing.”

ROUND-UP: March 18-22, 2024

ACTA and Avalon Waterways are combining for a 2024 cruise summit and TTAND turned 10; in other news highlights, there were glad tidings for all-inclusives, and plenty of cruise happenings – not least a name for Disney’s newest ship, a date for the MSC World America debut, and release of NCL’S latest agent tool.

PANDEMIC LOAN CONDITIONS COSTLY TO TRANSAT CEO

Conditions on federal loans to Transat A.T. Inc. mean the tour operator’s CEO lost out on nearly half a million dollars in compensation last year. A document prepared by the Montreal-based company for its shareholders shows that strings attached to $743 million in emergency loans from Ottawa during the pandemic deprived chief executive Annick Guérard of $489,500 in cash in 2023.

ACTA, AVALON ANNOUNCE 2ND RIVER CRUISE SUMMIT

Avalon Waterways and ACTA are reprising their successful European River Cruise Summit for a second year during which 130 Canadian travel advisors will be invited to sail the Danube River aboard the Avalon Illumination on Oct. 28, 2024. Deadline to apply is April 8.

80TH ANNIVERSARY: ‘Great Escape’ exhibit remembers war horror, heroics

On March 24, 80 years ago, in one of the most ingenious and audacious acts of defiance of World War II, 76 prisoners of war tunneled out of a German POW camp into a snowy forest. For most of the escapees, it ended tragically. Three made it to safety, but the others were recaptured and 50 of them were executed.

THE CLOCK’S TICKING FOR MSC WORLD AMERICA

It’s really unusual to get a birth announcement a year in advance. But MSC Cruises thinks the arrival of its new flagship MSC World America is an event cruisers need to make a priority in their planners for 2025.

WHAT TO DO WHEN WINGING IT THROUGH BUFFALO

Canadians are not only polite, but also a punctual bunch, observe execs at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.  With this in mind, the facility – a popular gateway for southern Ontarians heading to New York, Florida, and other points in the US – is eager to point out to travellers from north of the border that it has plenty of options and activities for those who arrive early at BUF before winging off to somewhere else.

ADVOCATES AND AIR CANADA CLASH OVER ACCESSIBILITY

Advocates and Air Canada served up opposing views of on-board accessibility for passengers in the House of Commons on Tuesday, though both sides agree that consistency remains a problem. Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau told the House transport committee that an overwhelming majority of the 1.3 million passengers who requested special assistance last year had a positive experience. About 1,950 – or 0.15% – filed complaints.

DISNEY HAS A DATE WITH DESTINY

Disney Cruise Line revealed the first details about its next ship, including its name – Disney Destiny – as the ship marked a construction milestone this week with a keel laying ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The ship will sail in 2025.

LESS IS MORE AS WESTJET TOUTS SUSTAINABLE GAINS

WestJet says it achieved an 11 percent reduction in its fuel emissions intensity in 2023, compared to (pre-pandemic) 2019, aligning with its ongoing commitment to responsible growth and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) goal for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

COLIN WOOD RETURNS TO VOX, HAWAII

VoX International has announced the return of Colin Wood as Senior Account & Business Strategy Director to lead the Hawaii Tourism account and support overall client strategy and business development for the Toronto-based marketing and PR firm.

UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE OFF-SHORE IN CUBA

Cuba is renowned for its sandy beaches, but there’s more: unlimited opportunities for adventure and discovery lie just beyond the shore. From calm, shallow waters that are ideal conditions for a family swim to sunken shipwrecks on the ocean floor waiting for the true adventurer, the Caribbean Sea offers unforgettable experiences above and below the surface.

DIGITAL DIGEST: AI vs. the tyranny of the search bar

Those who are open to innovations are best equipped to make the most of artificial intelligence for their businesses, delegates at the recent ITB Berlin travel trade show in Germany were told. For example, AI enables the search and reservation processes to at last “escape the tyranny of the search bar.”

IT TAKES A VILLAGE: Anniversary milestone for The Travel Agent Next Door

It sounded like an Oscar speech, so many people thanked by Flemming Friisdahl. And in a way, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the company he founded, The Travel Agent Next Door, was an Oscar of sorts from the Canadian travel industry. But the point, Friishdahl was determined to make, was he couldn’t have done it alone.

FLYING BY THE SEAT OF THEIR PANTS

Beleaguered Boeing is now telling airlines to inspect switches on pilots’ seats in its 787 Dreamliner jets after a published report said an accidental cockpit seat movement likely caused the sudden plunge of a LATAM Airlines plane flying to New Zealand.

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