A US federal judge is siding with the Biden administration and blocking JetBlue Airways from buying Spirit Airlines, saying the US$3.8 billion deal would reduce competition. The Justice Department sued to block the merger, saying it would drive up fares by eliminating Spirit, the nation’s biggest low-cost airline.
Having been dubbed the city’s “front porch,” the Mississippi River will be the main tenant in an extensive redevelopment of New Orleans’ Riverfront District, including one of the largest contiguous riverfront parks in the US.
According to new report, the United States ranks “nearly dead last” in global competitiveness among top travel markets – a result the US Travel Association (USTA) calls “stunning” and for which it blames decades of underinvestment and a lack of focus and coordination from federal policymakers.
Iceland’s president said the country is battling “tremendous forces of nature” after molten lava from a volcano in the island’s southwest consumed several houses in the evacuated town of Grindavik. Scientists said Monday that the eruption appeared to be dying down, but it was too soon to declare the danger over.
Featuring a new look and feel, Sunwing Vacations has released the 11th edition of Wedding Vacations by Sunwing, designed to be a critical tool to help agents and their clients plan their nuptials in paradise
Boeing told employees Monday that it plans to increase quality inspections of its 737 Max 9 aircraft, following the failure of an emergency exit door panel on an Alaska Airlines flight last week. It is the latest in a series of troubles for Boeing, whose reputation as the premier American aircraft manufacturer has been tarnished by a series of manufacturing flaws that have led some airlines to hold off aircraft purchases or go with its European rival, Airbus.
Continuing it’s ongoing expansion in the U.S., MSC Cruises has announced that Galveston, Texas will be its fourth home port in the country and will serve as the new home base for the MSC Seascape starting in November 2025.
Following a record year for fundraising, Intrepid Travel is pledging AUD$1 million (CDN$890,000) to local communities around the world in 2024, through its non-profit arm, the Intrepid Foundation. By matching customer donations up to a million dollars, the tour company aims to double the philanthropic impact in its host communities.
Russian tourists reportedly going on a ski trip to North Korea in February will be the first international travellers to visit the country since its borders closed in 2020 amid the global pandemic lockdown.
Canada wants to launch a pilot project to explore letting northbound land travellers clear customs before they leave the United States. While the US has been pre-clearing southbound air travellers since 1952, Canada currently has no preclearance operations anywhere in the world.
The US Federal Aviation Administration says it will begin auditing Boeing’s aircraft production and increase oversight of the troubled manufacturer after a panel blew off a jetliner in midflight last week, the last in a string of mishaps for its marquee aircraft.
ACTA is reminding agencies and independent travel advisors that the deadline to access the partial loan forgiveness feature of CEBA loans and the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) loans is Thursday, Jan. 18.
Air Canada has appealed a decision by the country’s transport regulator that seeks to boost accessibility for travellers living with a disability. If successful, the move would overturn a requirement to fully accommodate passengers whose wheelchairs are too large to move into airplane cargo holds.
Officials at the St. John’s International Airport say a bomb threat that halted commercial flights Friday morning was not really a threat after all. A post on the X said police and officials from Transport Canada and the airport determined the threat to be “non-credible” and operations resumed around noon.
US Security officials intercepted a record number of firearms – nearly all of them (93%) loaded – at US airports in 2023, says the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The total of 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints, surpassed the previous record of 6,542 firearms in 2022, and the highest one-year total in TSA’s history. The worst offender was Atlanta, followed by Dallas and Houston.
International air travel recovery reached 99 percent of pre-pandemic levels in November, reported IATA, while visa flip-flops from Brazil and Turkey promised savings for Canadian travellers. In other round-up news, ACTA welcomed the return of a familiar face, Air Canada had a punctual holiday period, we learned the world’s most on-time airlines, Lynx is adding Quebec City flights, plus incentives for agents from G Adventures and Expedia TAAP.
With “no sign” that travel demand is declining in 2024, Kensington Tours has revealed its insiders picks and insights for 2024. With destinations ranging from Africa and Antarctica to Greece and Turkey, the Toronto-based tour company says its list reflects a diverse array of trips sought by clients, from “evergreen European cities to bucket list adventures.”
As the busy winter travel season continues, Canadian travellers are being reminded that, in most cases, their health coverage does not follow them abroad. Only the Canadian territories and the province of Prince Edward Island are obeying the requirement of the Canada Health Act to provide portable universal health care for the more than 56 million trips Canadians take abroad each year, according to the ninth edition of the Canadian Travellers’ Report Card, released by the Canadian Snowbird Association (CSA).
Three years into the unlikely ownership of Wrexham AFC soccer/football club by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the appeal of their accompanying (and explanatory) documentary series “Welcome to Wrexham” continues to skyrocket. The series, and overall exposure, generated by the celebrity owners and the fairytale story that has ensued, has gifted the city with an unexpected moment in the global spotlight and, subsequently, a not-surprising surge of visitors to sleepy North Wales.
It’s not the oldest of London’s top-tier luxury hotels but The Savoy is arguably the most famous. Many would also argue it’s also the best, living up to every inch of it’s outsized reputation. Founded in 1889, the iconic property has hosted a bevy of rich and famous patrons (Monet painted from it’s windows) over its nearly 135 years, and even some who weren’t famous yet – like Guccio Gucci, who once worked there as a luggage and lift-boy early.
Scrambling up the masts of one of the world’s largest sailing ships on rope ladders, crew members gingerly balance on tightrope-like lines to untie knots and let her huge sails unfurl in the wind. On deck below, a ballet begins as other sailors have to use all their weight to manually pull sail lines taut and meticulously loop miles of rope onto belaying pins. A spectacular morning has begun on Sea Cloud Spirit.
An odd New Year’s record in Las Vegas and ghosts in Nevada, plus David Bowie news in Paris and a Banksy brouhaha in London highlight this edition of weird and wacky world news.
Last week I proffered my favourite song from 2023; now it’s time to tout last year’s best (in my humble estimation) album: The Rolling Stones’ “Hackney Diamonds.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m not typically blinded by any and every offering from rock bands whose best days are years (decades!) in the past, but dropped-jaw kudos to Mick, Keith et al, whose latest album is, I daresay, right up there with some of their best.
In a sign that 2024 will prove to be the year that air travel is fully recovered from the pandemic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that data for November 2023 indicated that air traffic demand topped 99% of 2019 levels.
Recently we learned that passengers perhaps ought not set their watches by Canada’s major airlines. But which carriers do boast the best on-time performance? In its annual 2023 On-Time Performance Review, respected aviation analytics firm Cirium celebrated operating excellence in the aviation sector, including airlines and airports, hailing a host of winners from every corner of the globe.
Train travel across Germany and in many cities came to a near standstill on Wednesday leaving commuters and other travellers struggling to find alternatives involving long-distance bus or car travel or flights after a union representing many of Germany’s train drivers started a nearly three-day strike.
In this week’s bumper retail round-up ACTA welcomes back a new old face, Celebrity celebrates with TTAND, Virtuoso makes moves with Malta, Travel Edge is looking to inspire new agents, and Canadian agents join the Uniglobe Chairman’s Circle.
From key tourism developments and new launches to new festivals and global events, World Expeditions has designated its three top destinations for active travellers to explore in 2024… and why.
Kempinski Hotels has doubled its footprint in Dubai after signing a partnership with Abu Dhabi National Hotels to rebrand two iconic properties. On Jan. 1, the Kempinski flag was hoisted above Kempinski The Boulevard Dubai and Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai, formerly Address Boulevard and Address Dubai Mall respectively. The addition of these two landmark properties to the Kempinski portfolio significantly expands the brand’s presence in Dubai, which was one of the best-performing destinations worldwide for the luxury hotel group in 2023.
As the new year begins, evaluating your performance for 2023 is essential to understanding how 2024 will shape up. Whether you are an agency, a brand, or an entrepreneur, crafting your digital media report will unearth functional insights and also help to align expectations for the coming year.