Airlines
Air Canada Declares an Impasse in CUPE Negotiations
Air Canada says that negotiations with the Canadian Union of Public Employees -- representing 10,000 Flight Attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge -- have reached an impasse. The parties will be in a position to issue a statutory 72-hour strike or lockout notice at 12:01 am Eastern Time August 13, shutting down the airline as early as August 16. The airline said that it “now believes the talks are at an impasse, after the union submitted a counteroffer seeking exorbitant increases, beyond those presented in earlier submissions, and today rejected an offer by the company to...
Union “respectfully declines” Air Canada proposal for arbitration
In a post on its website, CUPE – the union representing Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights attendants – has acknowledged that it has received a proposal from Air Canada to resolve the current contract negotiations through arbitration and that it has declined to accept the airline’s proposal. Wesley Lesosky President, Air Canada Component of CUPE, said in a written response to Air Canada that: “While we appreciate your acknowledgment of the efforts made at the bargaining table over the past nine months, the Air Canada Component of CUPE firmly believes that the most...
Virgin Atlantic names Dave Hodges as Vice President, Americas
Virgin Atlantic has appointed Dave Hodges as its new Vice President, Americas, effective Oct. 1, 2025. Hodges has been at Virgin Atlantic for 12 years, with roles ranging from government affairs, cabin crew operations, and as Country Manager for India, Virgin Atlantic’s third largest market behind the UK and the US. Currently, he serves as the Head of Heathrow, where he oversees the airline’s operation and presence at its home hub airport. In this cross-functional leadership role, Hodges will be located in Atlanta, overseeing Virgin Atlantic teams across the US, Canada,...
Air North reintroduces seasonal service between Vancouver and Yellowknife
Air North has announced the return of its seasonal, non-stop service between Vancouver and Yellowknife, beginning Mon., Nov. 24, 2025. The flights will which depart twice weekly until March 27, 2026. The airlines said that this reinstated route enhances direct air travel between British Columbia and the Northwest Territories; and it also enables near year-round air service between Whitehorse and Yellowknife: via Vancouver in the winter and through Air North’s eastern gateway in Ontario during the summer. The service will play a key role in enhancing northern transportation links...
Turkish Airlines: 7,708 Canadian Travel Advisors Can’t Be Wrong
In today’s globe, Turkiye is truly the nexus of the world, a country in both Europe and Asia and a relatively short distance to much of Africa. On June 19th at the Agent’s Choice Awards Gala, the Canadian travel agent community chose Turkish Airlines as the winner of the first-ever Airline – Stopover award. In 2019 Istanbul opened its brand-new airport, which is now the second busiest airport in both Europe and the Middle East, and provides the hub for the national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines. Competing with some of the most impressive airline networks in the world,...
Air Transat takes off to Rio, strengthens 2025-2026 winter program
Air Transat has unveiled the details of new non-stop service to Rio de Janeiro from both Toronto and Montreal. The flights will be operated with the Airbus A330 aircraft; twice weekly from Toronto (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) and once weekly from Montreal (on Thursdays), where Air Transat will be the only carrier offering a non-stop service. This addition is part of a broader set of recent announcements that reinforce the company’s winter offering. And this winter, Air Transat will be operating a total of 14 new routes from its Canadian gateways, including several new destinations...
Condor expanding its Inter-European route network in 2026
Condor is continuing to expand its route network for the summer of 2026 with the addition of three European destinations -- Barcelona, Budapest, and Venice. Service on the new routes, launches on May 1, 2026 from Frankfurt Airport. These destinations join Condor’s growing European roster, which in summer 2025 already includes Berlin, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Milan, Prague, Zurich, Hamburg, and Munich. Out of North America this summer, Condor operated from 12 cities that include Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, New York (JFK), Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, Boston, Portland, Las Vegas,...
Air Canada making changes to how members earn Aeroplan Points
Effective for travel on or after Jan. 1, 2026, Aeroplan members will earn points on eligible Air Canada flights based on dollars spent rather than the distance they travel. On the same date, Air Canada will introduce Status Qualifying Credits (SQC), a new single path for achieving Aeroplan Elite status, that will change how members qualify for status based on their activities from Jan. 1, 2026 onward. Members will be able to get SQC through eligible flight purchases, Aeroplan credit card spending, and activity with the program’s travel and everyday partners. The changes are...