Airlines
Airports Will Prevail
Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) marked the one year anniversary this week of the decision to close the U.S. and Canadian border to non-essential travel to contain the spread of COVID-19. The Council said in a statement that: “One year ago, this week, governments around the world began implementing travel restrictions and lockdowns to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. At the time, we commended the U.S. and Canadian governments for their leadership in making the difficult but necessary decision to prioritize the protection of the health and safety of citizens...
US Industry Hoping For July 4 Resumption Of Travel
Leaders of the U.S. travel and aviation industry are calling on the Biden Administration to commit to a plan for reopening the country to inbound, international visitation by May 1. The U.S. Travel Association is among the 26 organizations to sign a letter urging the White House “to partner with us to develop … a risk-based, data-driven roadmap to rescind inbound international travel restrictions.” U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow, said: “Travel and tourism is the industry hardest hit by the economic fallout of COVID-19, and the damage is so severe that...
WestJet Restoring Regional Routes
WestJet is restoring flights to the communities of Charlottetown, Fredericton, Moncton, Sydney and Quebec City after service was suspended as a result of COVID-19. The reinstatement of service will restore WestJet's complete network of pre-COVID-19 domestic airports. Ed Sims, WestJet, President and CEO, said: “We committed to return to the communities we left, as a result of the pandemic, and we will be restoring flights to these regions in the coming months, of our own volition.” Sims continued: “These communities have been a crucial factor in our success over...
Air France, KLM Offering Peace Of Mind
Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines -- which fly from and to Canada to provide essential travellers and cargo with transportation options -- are making it possible for anyone looking to plan a trip in 2021 to do so confidently and with peace of mind. The flexible policies of the two Air France KLM Group airlines remain in effect for all bookings with a departure date before Dec. 31, 2021. Whether a cancellation is triggered by changes in the entry rules for a destination, a family emergency or simply because of a last-minute change in plans, all Air France and KLM tickets may be...
Strength In Unity
As trials for vaccine passports roll out in an effort to ensure the flow of safe travel between international destinations, GlobalData is warning that a lack of collaboration will only further delay the recovery of international travel. The data and analytics company points out that forming an internationally recognized system as a global standard for all destinations would help ensure a traveller’s journey is as smooth and easy as possible – an essential factor to help heal international travel demand. With various certificates and passes being trialed, if all are launched,...
Sabre Advances NDC Capabilities
Sabre Corporation has unveiled three further milestones in its progress towards delivering NDC-enabled solutions. These include: NDC content can now be booked through GetThere, Sabre’s corporate online booking tool Sabre received NDC Level 4 certification as an IT provider NDC offers from Singapore Airlines are now more widely available through Sabre’s global distribution system (GDS) to qualified agency customers After last year’s certification as an aggregator, Sabre is now also certified as NDC Level 4 Capable by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)....
WestJet’s Cabin Crew Ratifies Five-Year Deal
WestJet’s cabin crew members -- represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) -- have successfully ratified their first five-year agreement. This ratified agreement is in place retroactively from March 1, 2021, through to and including Dec. 31, 2025. Ed Sims, WestJet president and CEO, said: “We are pleased that we were able to achieve our first collective agreement with CUPE.” Sims continued: “The resulting agreement is a reflection of the interest-based bargaining required to achieve this positive outcome and it is a strong example of how we can work...
Emirates, TAP Air Portugal Expand Strategic Partnership
Emirates and TAP Air Portugal has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand the codeshare partnership currently in place between both airlines. The new agreement will see customers of both airlines benefit from seamless connectivity on many new routes across the Americas, North Africa and East Asia. Emirates and TAP Air Portugal will also explore ways to enhance the co-operation on their respective frequent flyer programs including reciprocal earning and redemption opportunities and popular benefits such as lounge access. In addition, both airlines plan on supporting each...