Airlines
TIABC, Key Partners Pen Letter To Government
In a letter to B.C. Premier John Horgan, TIABC and a number of its local and national partners stressed the importance of a cooperative approach between the federal and provincial governments to take immediate steps to coordinate and facilitate the restart of Canada's tourism and travel sector. The letter was signed by TIABC, Canadian Gaming Association, BC Chamber of Commerce, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, International Air Transport Association, InnVest Hotels, Marriott Hotels of Canada/Marriott International, Tourism Toronto, Toronto Board of Trade,...
Connecting The Caribbean
World Bank Director for the Caribbean, Tahseen Sayed has penned a noteworthy opinion piece on the importance of air travel for the Caribbean region, observing at one point that “improvements in the air transportation sector will help meet the future flow of travelers, whether visiting family, coming for business, or to enjoy the sun, sea and sand of the Caribbean.” Sayed writes: “Living in the time of COVID-19 has underscored how difficult it is to maintain our distance. Many of us are longing for a time when we can feel comfortable to reconnect with our family and friends and...
IATA Goes Interactive With COVID-19 Map
IATA has introduced a free online interactive world map to provide travellers with the latest COVID-19 entry regulations by country. The map relies on IATA’s Timatic database which contains comprehensive information on documentation required for international travel. To keep pace with the dynamic situation with respect to COVID-19, Timatic is updated more than 200 times per day to provide accurate travel restrictions specific to the current pandemic, based on one’s citizenship and country of residence. Anish Chand, IATA’s assistant director, Timatic, explained: “As the...
Join The Movement With #timetotravel
The Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable has sent an open letter -- signed by 130 senior travel and tourism executives -- to Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau and the provincial Premiers urging them to reopen this country’s travel and tourism industry as soon as possible. The letter begins by telling the country’s leaders: “As a society, we have faced a threat like no other, COVID-19. And we are still dealing with it. Under the leadership of our governments, we agreed to implement tough decisions to protect our health and safety. We shut down our schools, our businesses, and...
Etihad Initiative Encourages Travel
Etihad Airways is encouraging travellers to start planning their next trip, once travel restrictions ease, with the launch of Etihad Travel Voucher. Guests who purchase an Etihad Travel Voucher between June 10 and June 24, 2020 will receive an extra 50% cash value for future travel from Aug. 1, 2020 onwards. Robin Kamark, chief commercial officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Now, more than ever, we want to give the world something to look forward to. Valid for two years, Etihad Travel Voucher will give our guests plenty of time to plan their future trip, and with 50% extra...
Transat Resuming Operations July 23
Transat A.T. Inc. will be resuming its flights and tour operator activities as of July 23, 2020. The company says that it will offer a new flight schedule to 22 destinations in Europe, the South, the United States and Canada until the end of the summer season on Oct. 31, 2020. It also indicated that it will offer South and Europe packages during this period and will gradually reopen travel agencies in its network starting June 15, 2020. As well, Transat has unveiled its Traveller Care program, rolling out new health measures to ensure the safety of its customers and...
Lufthansa Set To Expand Canadian Services
The Lufthansa Group of airlines will be significantly expanding its services in Canada and abroad over the next few months. This applies to both short and long-haul flights. In Canada, Lufthansa began offering three weekly, non-stop flights from Toronto to Frankfurt and back the week of June 1. On June 22, three weekly flights between Munich and Montreal will resume. On July 2, the airline will begin operating three weekly flights to and from Vancouver via its hub in Frankfurt. Edelweiss – a leisure-focused air carrier and SWISS subsidiary – is planning to resume service to and...
Safety Above All
WestJet has unveiled its travel hygiene program under the Safety above all umbrella, detailing what WestJet guests can expect when travelling to ensure their health and safety. Billy Nolen, vice-president, safety, security and quality for WestJet, explained that: “Safety, including hygiene and health, is above all at WestJet, which is why the already-existing mantra was selected to communicate our hygiene efforts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Nolen continued: “Safety is at the forefront of every decision and initiative at WestJet and our efforts on health and hygiene...