Airlines
An Anniversary No One Wants To Celebrate
One year. I have been thinking about the passage of time. In those early days, it passed like a dripping tap … drip … drip … drip … we left our offices, closed our businesses, abandoned our daily routines and barricaded ourselves in our homes because we needed to stay away from each other. As we scurried to our safe place, we searched frantically for toilet paper, paper towels, antiseptic wipes, masks, gloves and other supplies that we bought in bulk, believing by doing so we'd be protected from something that couldn’t be seen, but we all knew was out there. At home,...
Time To Plan For A Restart – IATA
In its latest polling of recent travellers, IATA reports that here is a growing confidence in a return to air travel; frustration with current travel restrictions; and acceptance of a travel app to manage health credentials for travel. On the issue of travel restrictions, IATA found that: 88% believe that when opening borders, the right balance must be struck between managing COVID-19 risks and getting the economy going again 85% believe that governments should set COVID-19 targets (such as testing capacity or vaccine distribution) to re-open borders 84% believe that...
Aeroplan Partners With Starbucks Canada
Aeroplan has announced that a new partnership with Starbucks Canada will allow its members to earn and redeem points by enjoying their favourite Starbucks beverages and snacks. Members can now link their Aeroplan account to a Starbucks Rewards account and double-dip by earning both Aeroplan points and Starbucks Stars at participating Starbucks locations throughout Canada. Linking takes less than a minute and can be done at www.aircanada.com/starbucks. Mark Nasr, senior vice president, products, marketing and eCommerce, Air Canada, said: “We redesigned Aeroplan with the...
Air Canada Salutes Women On IWD 2021
Air Canada is marking International Women's Day 2021 by celebrating the contributions and achievements of its women employees. Four Air Canada women in non-traditional aviation careers share how they pivoted, then navigated with flexibility and resilience the ever-changing events related to the COVID-19 pandemic during a year like no other. The airline also championed the next generation of women aviators as it announced four winners in the second year of the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship. Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, executive vice president, chief human resources officer and public...
More Space In Economy On Emirates
Emirates’ economy class customers can now enjoy even more personal space and privacy onboard with the ability to purchase up to three empty adjoining seats on their flight. The seats will be offered to all Economy Class customers holding a confirmed booking. Customers will not be able to pre-book empty seats, as these are subject to availability. Empty seats will only be offered for purchase at the airport check-in counter prior to flight departure, and costs range from AED 200 to AED 600 (US$ 55 to US$ 165) per empty seat, plus applicable taxes depending on flight...
Tracking The Trends
The Conference Board of Canada has released its Outbound Canada update on Canadian outbound travel activity, revealing that Canadians made almost 9 million outbound overnight trips in 2020 compared to 33 million in 2019. The update reported that total overnight trips fell 73% during the year with overseas activity down by two-thirds (-67%) and transborder trips declining by more than three-quarters (-77%). Eighty-eight per cent of activity took place in the first quarter, before the pandemic was declared and restrictions and health measures were implemented. United...
Discover Canada With Sunwing
For the 16th consecutive year, Sunwing is making it easier for Canadians to reconnect with loved ones this summer with the launch of its domestic summer program. Flights will commence in May and run weekly until the beginning of September, with weekly routes to some of Canada’s most popular destinations. And to help customers make the most of their travel budget, the tour operator is offering savings of up to $200 per couple on domestic flights. Andrew Dawson, president of tour operations for Sunwing, said: “With lots of Canadians staying closer to home this spring and...
Clearing The Air
Air Canada says that there has been “no update” since its Feb. 12 earnings release which “clearly says that discussions are ongoing and that is still the case. There is nothing new since we issued this release.” The carrier’s comment came following multiple media reports that said that Air Canada had agreed to the carrier had agreed to provide refunds to travellers who had flights cancelled due to the pandemic as part of a possible federal government financial support package. In its Feb. 12 release, the carrier stated: “In the fourth quarter of 2020, the Canadian...