The president of TripCentral.ca is warning that there are still dark days ahead for a travel industry that's already been badly battered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Richard Vanderlubbe told a recent Discover America Canada webinar that the federal government is preparing to wind down subsidies for businesses that have been struggling during the pandemic, subsidies many businesses say they've needed to stay afloat financially.
The travel industry is “coming into a very ominous period,” Vanderlubbe said.
Vanderlubbe also said that “there are a lot of good people leaving”...
Air Canada is launching a trial of a new digital solution available through its mobile app for customers to securely scan, upload and verify their COVID-19 test results.
The new app will help travellers conveniently validate compliance with government health travel requirements prior to arriving at the airport.
Air Canada developed the new solution with the support of Amadeus and it will initially be available beginning June 29 for flights from Frankfurt to Toronto and Montreal.
The carrier plans to roll-out the solution across its network later this summer pending results of the...
Swoop is launching non-stop service from Victoria, B.C. to Las Vegas and Puerto Vallarta.
The carrier, as part of its commitment to supporting the economic recovery of the Greater Victoria Region with access to affordable air travel, is already offering point-to-point service to Toronto and Edmonton and will now provide sun-Vancouver Islanders two new destinations to explore this winter.
Bert van der Stege, Head of Commercial and Finance, Swoop, said that: “The introduction of Las Vegas and Puerto Vallarta are the perfect additions to our route offerings from Victoria for those...
WestJet is back big time, restoring service and inaugurating new routes across the country.
In Ontario, WestJet is further restoring Ontario's domestic and interprovincial connectivity with the restart of nine routes to and from destinations across Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador by June 30, 2021.
And in the process, it will inaugurate two new routes from Toronto and Ottawa to Comox and Victoria.
In British Columbia, the Calgary-based carrier is restarting eight routes to and from destinations...
Set in some of this country’s most spectacular and iconic locations, Air Canada’s new on-board, pre-flight safety video is truly an ‘Ode to Canada.’
Coming to a seatback screen near you, the new video takes customers on a stunning journey across Canada while depicting in unexpected ways the safety features of each aircraft.
Andrew Shibata, vice-president – brand for the carrier, said that: “Air Canada's new Ode to Canada safety video is a celebration of the best of Canada from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Including our own uniformed employees who are responsible for the...
Sunwing is advising that it has reached a new agreement with the Canada Enterprise Emergency Funding Corporation (CEEFC) to provide financing for customer refunds.
Customers with non-refundable bookings whose vacations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and who have received a future travel credit or opted to use their Worry-Free cancellation waiver and received travel vouchers, can now request a full refund to their original form of payment.
The new policy applies to hotels, flights and vacation packages booked on or before June 25, 2021 for scheduled travel from Feb....
Following the federal government’s announcement that it was easing quarantine restrictions for Canadians and permanent residents who are fully vaccinated beginning July 5, the industry’s response has been pretty clear.
The changes, while a small step, are disappointing because they don’t go far enough and fail to outline a clear and science-based plan.
“It was a step forward but only in the context that aviation has been at Stage Zero on the recovery continuum since March of 2020, when all these measures went into effect in the initial stages of the pandemic,” says Mike...
PAL Airlines, which serves destinations in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, has just signed an interline agreement with Air Canada.
The agreement allows passengers to make bookings through a single reservation and transfer between PAL Airlines flights and Air Canada service to domestic and transborder destinations and several destinations on Air Canada's international network.
Passengers won’t have to reclaim luggage or complete a new checking process. Interline bookings are now available through bookings made in a GDS by travel advisors.
Plans are in place to offer website...
FLYGTA has signed a strategic service agreement with SITA that will provide it with the technology needed to expand sales and distribution at a global scale.
Chris Nowrouzi, CEO FLYGTA, said that: “This agreement with SITA will enable our strategic expansion into a market segment which has traditionally been inaccessible in the Global Distribution Systems, which will allow our international partnerships, and their distribution capabilities to thrive.”
Nowrouzi continued: “It's a milestone that will bridge a major gap between the commercial and private aviation sectors,...
Sunwing will be resuming partial service to select sun destinations from Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montréal-Trudeau International Airport starting on July 30, 2021 following the news that the Canadian government will begin easing border restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers effective July 5, 2021
Andrew Dawson, president of tour operations for Sunwing, said that: “After a difficult year, we’re excited that Sunwing Airlines will be returning to the skies with initial service from two of our busiest gateways.”
Dawson continued: “With vaccines rolling...