Airlines
Jane Clementino Joins DTW As Director Canada
Jane Clementino is joining Discover the World as its new Director Canada following the announcement that Joanne Lundy is retiring after 28 years in that role. Clementino is a well-recognized travel executive in Canada with 30 years of experience in aviation, corporate travel management, and retail travel. She has extensive knowledge of the travel marketplace, distribution channels, and supplier relations, combined with strategic insights and business development capabilities – which have produced a great track record of revenue and brand growth. As for Lundy, during her tenure...
The Key To The Revival
If there is a key to reviving international travel, then that key is vaccinations according to new research from ForwardKeys. It notes that two destinations, Greece, and Iceland -- which have announced that they will welcome vaccinated visitors this summer -- have seen inbound flight bookings pick up dramatically from the moment of their announcements. And three origin markets, Israel, the US and the UK -- where vaccination campaigns are particularly well advanced -- have seen outbound flight bookings climb more steeply than elsewhere. ForwardKeys points out that Greece -- whose...
IATA Reports Upsurge In March Demand
IATA reports that passenger traffic fell in March 2021 compared to pre-COVID levels (March 2019) but rose compared to the immediate month prior (February 2021). The industry association points out that because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to March 2019, which followed a normal demand pattern. Total demand for air travel in March 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 67.2% compared to March 2019. That was an improvement over the 74.9%...
Air Canada By The Numbers
In releasing the details of Air Canada’s first quarter 2021 financial results, the carrier’s president and CEO, Michael Rousseau said that: “The persistence of COVID-19 and its resurgence in Canada are weighing heavily on the Canadian airline industry, as reflected in Air Canada's first quarter results. Still, through the hard work and dedication of our employees, we are operating a limited schedule for necessary travel and to ship essential cargo. I thank our employees for their professionalism and assure them, as well as our investors and all stakeholders, that better times lie...
No Plan, No Recovery
ACTA is warning that unless there is a plan for the recovery of this country’s travel and tourism industry, Canada will be left behind. The industry association has been outspoken in urging the federal government to develop a recovery plan, outlining what needs to be part of that plan in its 2021 Travel & Tourism Recovery Plan. And it also pointed out that while the travel industry is putting health and safety measures in place, it needs the government to work with industry on rapid testing, contact tracing, vaccine documentation and protocols -- in order to ease travel...
Just What’s Needed, A Good Push
IATA is welcoming the agreement between G20 tourism ministers to support the safe restoration of mobility by following the G20 Rome Guidelines for the Future of Tourism. The airline industry association is urging G20 governments to quickly follow up their endorsement of the guidelines with actions, particularly the five-point agenda to safely restore mobility: Sharing information among industry and governments to inform policies and decisions to ensure safe mobility. Agreeing common international approaches to COVID-19 testing, vaccination, certification and information. ...
Testing Costs Could Stall Recovery
According to IATA, the high costs of COVID-19 testing could put travel out of reach for individuals and families and the airline industry association is calling on governments to ensure that this doesn’t happen And IATA makes it clear that COVID-19 testing must be affordable – as well as timely, widely available and effective – in order to facilitate an efficient restart of international travel. In sampling the costs of PCR tests -- the test most frequently required by governments -- in 16 countries, IATA found wide variations by markets and within markets. The findings...
Delta, Sabre Sign Multi-Year Distribution Deal
Delta Air Lines and Sabre have signed a new, value-based, multi-year distribution agreement that the two companies say represents an industry-first model that creates value for the entire travel ecosystem, including travel agencies and travellers. Jeff Lobl, managing director of global distribution for Delta Air Lines, said: “Our vision is to shift the mindset of the entire ecosystem toward modern retailing, selling customers what they want, where they want it and how they want it across all channels.” Lobl added: “We are grateful to Sabre for their innovative and...