Delta Air Lines is backtracking slightly on changes it previously announced in its frequent-flyer program, but it still plans to reshape SkyMiles to favour big spenders over customers who take the most flights.
After a pandemic pause, Norwegian Cruise Line returned to Asia for the first time in three years last week as the Norwegian Jewel set sail from Tokyo to begin an extensive six-month season of voyages in the region.
Flight Centre Travel Group has announced the appointment of Chadd Andre as its new Executive Vice President for Flight Centre Brand (FCB) Canada. The “significant change in Canadian leadership” follows the departure of Brian McLaren, who leaves FCTG after 21 years to pursue other endeavours, having played a pivotal role in steering the Canadian division’s transition into the growing digital market.
A pilot from France who disappeared while hiking California’s towering Mount Whitney during a layover was found dead after falling about 305 metres off a cliff. Tom Gerbier, 38, of Fontenay-sous-Bois, France, was a pilot for Air France, the US National Park Service said Friday.
The Pyramids, the Great Wall, female genitalia. If the International Solidarity Foundation (ISF) is successful, the latter will uniquely join the former, and over 1,200 other natural and cultural places, that are designated by UNESCO as deserving of protection for future generations. More specifically, the bid is a continuation of the ISF’s fight against the “international problem” of female genital mutilation (FGM).
Hurricane Norma came ashore near the Pacific resort of Los Cabos at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula on Saturday afternoon. Hours later, Hurricane Tammy made landfall on the Caribbean island of Barbuda. The storms were each Category 1 hurricanes when they hit.
Transat AT’s chief financial offer Patrick Bui is leaving the company to pursue another career opportunity. The move will take effect on Dec. 15 and Transat says it has started a formal search for a replacement.
Porter Airlines will launch daily flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) starting March 5, 2024. The destination will officially mark Porter’s 17th route from Toronto Pearson since starting operations at YYZ in 2023.
Spirit Airlines cancelled about 100 flights on Friday after pulling some planes out of service for inspections, and the airline expected the disruptions to last several days. The US carrier is telling customers to check the status of their flight before going to the airport.
The Hard Rock Casino Vancouver is in for a rebranding. Effective December, the Coquitlam venue will become Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, according to owners, Great Canadian Entertainment. Along with the name change, the casino will welcome a Gordon Ramsay Burger restaurant and offered enhanced entertainment options with Live Nation.
Canada got going on a new high-speed rail link, but has fallen behind on producing sustainable jet fuel. Other round-up highlights include Canadian air news about Peru and Panama; a partnership between Air Miles and Expedia; a new Margaritaville in Belize; and festival fever in a several interesting destinations.
The UK’s weather forecaster, the Met Office, issued a rare red alert – the highest level of weather warning – for parts of Scotland, predicting “exceptional rainfall” Thursday and Friday,
as much of northern Europe braced for stormy weather, heavy rain, and gale-force winds from the east.
As 2023 nears an end and 2024 optimistically appears on the horizon, many Canadians have emotionally checked out of the news agenda and events at home in order to take a much-needed breather. Where in years past travel has been a means to escape life, new research shows that travel is life with three quarters (74%) of Canadian travellers revealing that they feel more alive than ever when they are on vacation, and 64% wanting to be more like their vacation self in their day-to-day life back home.
With Air Canada flights starting this winter and a new Sandals resort set to open in the spring, there’s a buzz about Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, an idyllic Caribbean destination that has flown under the radar from Canada somewhat in the past, but is poised for major growth from this market, and elsewhere.
Australia’s iconic Sydney Opera House (SOH) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend (Oct. 21-22). Following a month-long celebration of special events, the iconic 22-storey structure overlooking Sydney Harbour is embarking on a “decade of renewal,” with extensive plans and ambitious global goals set for the future, spanning restoration, sustainability, accessibility, environmental, Indigenous heritage, economic, and educational sectors.
Sick of the rush and crush when boarding a plane? United Airlines says that it will start boarding passengers in economy class with window seats first effective Oct. 26, a move it says will speed up boarding times for flights. The plan, known as WILMA – for window, middle and aisle – was tested at four domestic locations and one hub and was deemed to shave up to two minutes of boarding time.
Paying homage to the age of tall ships, with more than 44,000 square feet of sails that are unfurled by hand, the new 136-guest Sea Cloud Spirit combines a romantic windjammer atmosphere with the most modern comforts. The newly built three-masted ship follows the role model of her two classic wind-jammer sisters, the Sea Cloud and the Sea Cloud II while offering a generous number of cabins with balconies.
In 2010, the Sydney Opera House embarked on a project to record the Nick Cave (and the Bad Seeds) indie classic “The Ship Song” as a tribute – and anthem – to the famous Australian landmark and cultural cathedral.
Our apologies to our readers. We have just spent two days fixing a hack that prevented us from delivering the news to you. What do these people get from doing this? Our site contains nothing that would be of use to a hacker – unless they really really need to understand travel and tourism. Perhaps they do. Anyway, we’re glad to be back and we hope you are too.
The Palace of Versailles and three airports in cities across France were evacuated and temporarily closed Wednesday, the latest in a spate of evacuations in the past five days around France. The former royal chateau of Versailles apologized to visitors for forcing them to evacuate from the sumptuous 17th-century palace “for security reasons.”
Canada and Quebec have launched an RFP for the High Frequency Rail project, which will be the largest Canadian infrastructure project in generations. Once operational, the “transformational” rail line will span the Québec City to Toronto corridor with dedicated passenger tracks.
Do your clients want to know more about Britain? VisitBritain is set to host a series of travel agent workshops in four Ontario cities this November. And yes, they promise, a cuppa tea and treats will be on hand.
Count Calgary among Porter Airlines’ new destinations from Ottawa, with the airline announcing that flights between the cities will start on Feb. 14. The service is Porter’s latest expansion into Western Canada from the Capital, complementing existing flights to Vancouver and Edmonton.
Malaysian budget carrier MYAirline has suspended operations, citing financial pressures less than 11 months after it took to the skies. The cancellation of the airline’s 40 flights stranded thousands of passengers.
Starting Dec. 16, English Canada will at last have direct access to Martinique – previously the preserve of French Canadians (or those traveling through Montreal) alone. The Air Canada service builds on 14 years of flights from YUL and marks the first-ever flights from YYZ to the magnificent Caribbean island, which is an overseas territory of France.
Canada possesses the key factors to place it at the cutting edge of sustainable jet fuel, making it all the more “bizarre” that Canada lags behind the United States and Europe on the green-flying front, says Airbus Canada’s chief executive.
With increased traffic to Virtuoso.com from Canadians resulting in 227% more page views this year over last, the global network specializing in luxury and experiential travel crunched its latest numbers to produce a festive travel trends report that breaks down the travel habits of Canadians heading into the holiday season and into 2024.
To better accommodate the growing Canada-Panama market and to support tourism, the two countries have announced an expanded agreement that will allow airlines to introduce more flight options and routings. Each country’s airlines are now able to operate a total of 14 passenger flights per week, and an unlimited number of all-cargo flights – up from nine flights per week for passenger and/or all-cargo services.
‘Tis the season for FAMs, and Canadian travel advisors have been hitting the road (and air and waves), according, from destinations as remote as Croatia, and as familiar as Kissimmee. Here’s a quick look at some of the journeys undertaken, including agents from CAA, WestWorld Tours, and Voyages en Direct.
Sandals Resorts is expanding its innovative off-site dining program to Nassau, Bahamas. First debuting with the opening of Sandals Royal Curaçao in June 2022, the “Island Inclusive” program celebrates and supports locally owned restaurants by giving select Sandals guests access to some of the destinations’ top dining experiences – all included with their booking.