News nuggets, airlines, hotels/resorts, cruising, tours, events, FAMS/incentives, deals, destinations and more are covered in our weekly round-up of travel industry news you may have missed.
NEWS
Air Transat pilots overwhelmingly ratified a new five-year employment contract. Of the 98% of 750 eligible pilots who cast ballots, 91% voted in favour of the deal, negotiated in December, which offered a wage hike of more than 50% on average over five years.
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has launched a new, enhanced Certification Program and exam for individuals aspiring to become Travel Counsellors and agency Supervisors/Managers. The new TICO Certification Program replaces the previous static study manual with a fully interactive, online learning experience that reflects best practices in adult e-learning education. Enroll at https://oliverslearninghub.com/wordpress/tico/ .
Just days after being given the go-ahead by a U.S. district court judge, a federal appeals court ruling blocked Hawaii from enforcing a climate change tourist tax on cruise ships passengers, a levy that was set to go into effect at the start of 2026. CLIA challenged the tax in a lawsuit, arguing that the new law violates the U.S. Constitution by taxing cruise ships for entering Hawaii ports. The order by two 9th Circuit judges granted both requests for an injunction pending the appeals.
BY THE NUMBERS
Aeromexico maintained a 90.02% on-time performance to claim the world’s most on-time global airline title for the second consecutive year, according to Cirium’s 2025 On-Time Performance Review. Saudia was second with 86.53% and SAS third with 86.09%. No Canadian carriers cracked the top 10, though WestJet (73.58%) and Air Canada (73.26%) placed eighth and ninth respectively amongst North American carriers. Delta was best.
AIR
New nonstop service from Flair Airlines between Toronto Pearson and Montego Bay, Jamaica, has taken flight for the peak winter travel season. The service runs up to twice weekly.
On Dec. 20, the Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Board (GITB) welcomed inaugural flight of the new Toronto (YYZ)-Pointe-à-Pitre (PTP) direct service, operated by Air Canada from Toronto Pearson. The seasonal route will operate every Saturday until April 11. Operated by a Boeing 737-800 MAX with a capacity of 166 seats, the aircraft was fully booked for its inaugural flight, reflecting the growing interest of Canadian travellers in the destination.
The Lufthansa Group and travel technology service provider Amadeus have entered into a partnership to make booking, customizing and managing flights even easier and more intuitive for travellers. The focus is on the introduction of an “Order ID,” a new identification number that will replace the previous booking and ticket numbers in the future and bring together all components of a trip. These include the flight, reserved seats, baggage, and additional services such as upgrades or lounge access. This merger replaces the previously separate booking systems and thus creates a holistic overview of the entire trip for Lufthansa Group guests.
DEALS
Discounts of up to 40% off select packages to the South and Europe are available from Transat through Jan. 25, while reduced flight fares to many destinations departing from Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes can be had by Jan. 19. The package discount applies to departures before Dec. 17, while the flight discount applies to departures before Oct. 31.
TTC Tour Brands, comprising Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Brendan Vacations and Costsaver has launched its ‘Big Travel Sale,’ offering 10-15% off select guided tours and river cruises across Europe and beyond for 2026 and ‘27 travel. The sale is available through Feb. 27 for travel through Dec. 31. Repeat customers get more. Advisors can see the full list of discounted trips and download the advisor sales toolkit by visiting: https://agents.ttc.com/
Through March 31 Windstar’s “Beyond Inclusive” Wave Season promotion is available on select voyages through March 31, 2027. Perks include a free all-inclusive upgrade (select drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi; up to $99 value per guest per night), a complimentary pre-cruise hotel night and transfer (where available), and up to $1,000 in onboard credit per guest.
TOURS
Winnipeg-based Roadtrips, which has been providing customized luxury sports travel packages since 1992, is offering FIFA World Cup commissionable programs this summer that include accommodations for all 104 matches in all host cities (across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico), personalized meet-and-greet services, private transportation solutions, exclusive access and curated experiences, on-site support teams and fully customized itineraries tailored to client preferences. “Our team handles the logistics so advisors can focus on building relationships and growing their sports travel business,” says company president Dave Guenther.
Now in its 108th year, Collette has a seen a few trends come and go over the years. For 2026, the Rhode Island-based (with a Canadian HQ in Mississauga) tour company has shared its top travel trends 2026: Solo Adventures, Historical & Cultural Immersion, Food as Experience, Travel that Gives Back, and Small Group Experiences. “Today’s modern travellers aren’t focused on checking off major sights; they want a more immersive understanding of the places they visit and the people who live there,” Collette President and CEO Jaclyn Leibl-Cote.
HOTELS & RESORTS
RIU Hotels & Resorts has added a new property to its RIU Plaza portfolio. The Hotel Riu Plaza London The Westminster builds on the success of the Hotel Riu Plaza London Victoria, which RIU opened in July 2023. The new 464-room hotel is a neighbour to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.
CRUISE
Oceania Cruises is now adults only, with the culinary- and destination-focussed cruise line accepting only guests aged 18 and older for all new reservations (as of Jan. 7) for future voyages. All existing reservations made prior to Jan. 7 that include travellers under the age of 18 will be fully honoured. Oceania says the policy shift reflects its dedication to providing a serene atmosphere, sophisticated service and unhurried pace for guests.
Yacht expedition operator Atlas Ocean Voyages has expanded its partnership with Approach Guides to launch free personalized, co-branded websites for travel advisors, giving them a seamless way to market and sell the company’s transformational voyages. The co-branded website works in parallel and tandem with Atlas’s pre-designed marketing pages and every content experience now connects seamlessly to the advisor’s personalized version of atlasoceanvoyages.com. Those already using Atlas content will find that every link now connects clients to their co-branded website. To join, go to inspires.to/atlas – no login required.
FAMS & INCENTIVES
Taking place over the next four months (through April 30), G Adventures’ G-Normous incentive is designed to supercharge advisor sales while giving agents across the country a chance to compete for a ‘G Dollar’ grand prize worth $10,000, which can be used to book any G Adventures trip globally. In total there are more than $45,000 in prizes to be won during the incentive period. In effect through April 30, the 13th annual G-Normous incentive includes weekly and monthly prizes across various sales categories, plus spontaneous mystery prizes throughout the campaign, including trip giveaways. All agents with a G Adventures Sherpa account are automatically entered.
PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS
Expedia TAAP has announced the appointment of Gail Lea as Business Development Manager and Account Manager for Canada. Having begun her career as a travel agent, her CV includes Barcelo Hotels and Tahiti Tourisme North America. In her new role, Lea will focus on strengthening partnerships with agencies across Canada, delivering tailored support, and contributing to the continued growth of the Expedia TAAP program in the Canadian market.
DESTINATIONS
Route 66’s centennial year celebrations kicked off Jan. 3 with ‘The Drive Home VII: Route 66 – A Century of Adventure Caravan’ seeing nine vintage vehicles embark on a journey along the full length of Route 66 from Santa Monica, Ca., to Chicago, then onward to the Detroit Auto Show in Michigan. The caravan began at the iconic Santa Monica Pier, home to the “End of the Trail” sign symbolizing Route 66’s western point. The Drive Home marked the first in a series of officially recognized Route 66 Centennial activities and projects planned throughout 2026. For more information on the Route 66 centennial, visit route66centennial.org.
Ontario Northland has released a proposed service schedule for the Northlander, offering what travel between Timmins and Toronto could look like when passenger rail service resumes later this year. The original Northlander service was replaced by buses in 2012. Southbound trains would depart Timmins at 12:15 a.m., making 13 additional stops in Matheson, Kirkland Lake (Swastika), Englehart, Temiskaming Shores and Temagami before arriving at Toronto’s Union Station at 10:55 a.m. Northbound service would leave Union at 6:30 p.m., arriving in Timmins at 5:10 a.m.
LAST WEEK IN TRAVEL HISTORY
In 1969, the Concorde supersonic jet was flown for the first time at Bristol, England.
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