With a threatened work stoppage looming for 4,400 flight attendants at Canada’s second-largest air carrier after their union issued a 72-hour strike notice early Thursday morning, WestJet responded to the union’s move by issuing a 72-hour lockout notice. Here’s what that means:
Nearly two-thirds of Canadians support WestJet flight attendants in their job dispute with WestJet, according to a new Abacus Data survey commissioned as flight attendants represented by CUPE 8125 prepare for potential strike action.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Holidays and social media tend to go hand-in-hand, with travellers eager to share not only their exciting experiences, but their whereabouts. And while that might please (or annoy!) friends and family, doing so is nothing short of a leaving a “gone fishin’” sign on the front door for thieves, says Allstate Canada.
Rather than producing a traditional tourism commercial, the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) has released “Croatia – I Hear It’s Beautiful,” a six-minute cinematic film starring Academy Award-nominated actor John Malkovich, who recently became a Croatian citizen.
By WALLACE IMMEN/ The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities has launched a new Digital Visa-on-Arrival System to simplify entry procedures for international travellers. The pilot phase of the new system has begun at Cairo International Airport, and will be rolled out nationwide.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Styx was always particularly popular in Canada in the 1970s and ‘80s, and still is decades later, as evidenced by the Chicago-based band touring the country this summer with a gig in Toronto this week (a double bill with that other great Chicago band, Chicago) and continuing in the fall in St. John’s, Halifax, Moncton and Quebec City.
WestJet and the union representing some 4,400 flight attendants have agreed to an “operational wind-down” plan should a strike go ahead as soon as this Sunday. With the clock ticking down, the two sides this week inked an agreement that lays out how to ground planes and get cabin crew back home in the event of a work stoppage.
Immigration Minister Lena Diab says that online passport renewal is now open to all eligible Canadian adults. To qualify, applicants must have an address in Canada, be older than 16 when they got their last passport, and must have received it within the last 15 years, among other criteria.
Transat A.T. Inc. says it has secured up to $150 million in federal aid to help offset the soaring price of jet fuel caused by the Middle East war. The Montreal-based travel company, which runs Air Transat, says the size of the loan will be based on the difference in the cost of fuel between the next few months and the same period last year, ending on Oct. 31.
Trevor Sadler, CEO of interCaribbean Airways, believes what inspires travellers to choose one Caribbean destination over another begins with storytelling.
An uncontained wildfire four times the size of Paris threatened to surge again in southwest France on Wednesday – as three firefighters died in Greece and crews across southern Europe confronted a punishing mix of heat, drought and strong winds.
Bavaro Beach is one of the Dominican Republic’s most celebrated stretches of coastline and Grand Palladium’s three Punta Cana properties put guests right at the heart of it. Whether travellers are paddle boarding through crystal-clear waters at the family-friendly Grand Palladium Select Bávaro or setting sail on a catamaran at Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort and Spa, every day is shaped by the sea.
Cool is the new hot as luxury travellers abandon the August crush on the Amalfi Coast, trade beach chairs for Arctic lodges and discover that Italy’s best-kept secret is its neighbours, according to new 2026 booking data from Global Travel Collection (GTC).
Rising jet fuel prices, airline route reductions and higher airfares are fuelling concern among international travellers, but destination safety remains the most important factor influencing travel decisions, according to the results of a new Global Rescue SNAP Survey.
By CINDY-LOU DALE/ Few destinations combine spectacular scenery, centuries of history, vibrant traditions and festivals, and year-round sunshine quite like Madeira and Porto Santo. Rising dramatically from the Atlantic Ocean some 1,000 km. southwest of Lisbon and 600 km. off the coast of Morocco, the Portuguese archipelago offers visitors a fascinating blend of natural beauty and cultural authenticity that has attracted travellers for centuries.
With new additions to its portfolio, IHG Hotels & Resorts is celebrating its continued growth in Canada across a portfolio that now includes more than 200 hotels.
Don’t be fooled by the classic 1942 film bearing its name: there’s nothing antiquated or outdated about Casablanca, “The White City” of Morocco, where history and modernity blend seamlessly.
This week: Carnival Cruise Line is expanding its ‘Funnel Faves Advisor Rewards Program; Internova Travel Group is expanding its investment in sustainable travel education through Green Circle, its companywide sustainability initiative; Collette has released the latest installment of Collette University 201, and First in Service (F1S) welcomes a new president in North America.
Canadians plan to spend an average of 18 hours behind the wheel this summer as road trips dominate the season, according to car rental marketplace Turo, whose Summer Road Trip ’26 report further reveals that that 70% of Canadian road trippers have two or more trips planned.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge has opened to motorists after months of controversy over financial aspects of the project. Officials announced in a post on social media that the Howe family crossed first, in honour of the bridge’s Canadian-American hockey namesake.
The fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history has killed more than 1,000 people in eastern Congo as health officials race to contain a virus with no approved vaccine or treatment.
Radisson Hotel Group has launched an AI-powered real-time hotel price matching technology that aims to redefine how travellers book direct online. The new feature automatically detects lower publicly available rates for Radisson Hotel Group properties on third-party booking platforms and instantly matches them on RadissonHotels.com – removing the need for guests to submit claims, screenshots, or wait for manual approval.
A United Nations committee has voted to inscribe a major archaeological site in the West Bank and a set of castles in southern Lebanon as World Heritage sites, despite objections from Israel.
By MOIRA SMITH/ My earliest memory of going on safari was when I was a little girl, no more than eight years old. I was born and raised in South Africa, so my family were no strangers to safari. But it was new to me at the time, and I’ll never forget the thrill of seeing life in the bush play out before my very eyes.
The federal government has rejected Ontario’s plan to expand Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport to accommodate jets on a longer runway. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said public consultations on the future of the island airport got feedback on a range of issues including transportation, noise, environmental impacts and quality of life. The government received more than 87,000 responses, he said.
New U.S. Travel Association polling shows the FIFA World Cup tournament underscored that a majority of Americans recognize the unique role international tourism plays in strengthening America’s image and building global allies.
WestJet is offering customers set to fly ahead of a possible strike by the airline’s flight attendants this summer a chance to make one-time changes to their bookings without fees. The airline says the flexible travel policy applies to those planning to travel between July 30 and Aug. 4.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Saadia Zahidi has been appointed by IATA’s Board of Directors to the position of Director General starting Nov. 1. She will be IATA’s ninth Director General and the first woman appointed to hold the position.
Designed for guests looking to elevate their journey, Sunwing Vacations is introducing premium cabin on eligible seven-night vacation packages. Available for departures beginning Oct. 1, premium cabin offers enhanced amenities and services in a dedicated cabin at the front of the aircraft.
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