Airlines
Flair Launches Comfort Choice Seating
Flair has unveiled Comfort Choice Seating to provide passengers more choices during their travels. The airline notes that recent studies have shown that low-fare travel is important to Canadians. However, many have been hesitant to fly due to the recent events, affecting all airline travel. In response, Flair is now offering passengers who book seats in rows two to six the chance to take advantage of a middle-seat-free-experience for CDN$49. Comfort Choice Seating comes in addition to Flair’s cleaning protocols that include disinfecting the aircraft at each stop using a...
Debt Levels Will Weigh On Airline Recovery
By year end, IATA says, the airline industry’s global debt could rise to $550 billion – that’s $120 billion over the debt levels at the start of 2020. In its analysis, IATA found that: $67 billion of the new debt is composed of government loans ($50 billion), deferred taxes ($5 billion) and loan guarantees ($12 billion). $52 billion is from commercial sources including commercial loans ($23 billion), capital market debt ($18 billion), debt from new operating leases ($5 billion), and accessing existing credit facilities ($6 billion). Financial aid is a lifeline to get...
Airborne – Last Chance to Register
Baxter Media is sending out a last call for agents to sign up for an important webinar tomorrow (May 27) at 12 p.m. (EST). Join Barbara Dirnberger, VP Business Development for Airline Metrics as she moderates a thought provoking panel that includes Gavin Eccles, Consultant and Professor based in Europe and Robert Rennert, Principal of Elevate Innovation from New York. The multiple daily headlines around the health of the aviation industry continue to be impactful with seemingly no landing in sight yet. Service resumption delays, mergers, receivership announcements, refunds, face...
ACV Introducing New Health and Safety Standards
Air Canada Vacations has launched new health and safety standards to provide customers with greater peace of mind through the various stages of travel. As an extension of Air Canada CleanCare+, the new health and safety standards include the enhanced grooming of vacation transfer vehicles and safety protocols throughout the travel journey for vacation packages to Sun destinations. As well, ACV will continue to work with its trusted hotel partners to support the implementation of the highest standards of safety and cleanliness to give customers added assurance when booking their next...
Porter Deferring Service Resumption To July 29
Porter Airlines says it’s deferring its resumption of flights until July 29 – a month later than previously scheduled -- due to ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions. Michael Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines, explained: “We want to see our planes in the sky as soon as possible and are actively working to prepare for our resumption of service. However, the ongoing uncertainty presented by government travel restrictions, including border closures, is impacting our ability to operate flights.” And Deluce added: “We are closely watching developments and know that...
Transat Takes Note Of EC Plan
Transat A.T. Inc. says that it has taken note of the European Commission's decision to open an in-depth (Phase 2) investigation to assess the proposed transaction with Air Canada. Currently, Transat is studying the EC's decision in order to prepare the next steps in the process. In a statement, Transat said that the extension is part of the EC's normal process of assessing the impact of transactions submitted for its approval, which is currently complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it is having on the international commercial aviation market. To take into account...
Summer Time, And Air Canada Is Taking Off
Air Canada is revving up its engines and is set for take-off, offering close to 100 destinations in Canada, the U.S. and around the world in an abridged summer schedule. And to ensure customers can book with confidence, the airline has implemented the Air Canada CleanCare+ biosecurity program and is introducing new cancellation options retroactive to March 1, 2020, to give customers greater flexibility and choice should their travel plans change for any reason. Lucie Guillemette, executive vice-president and chief commercial officer for Air Canada, said: “Air Canada has put in...
Airborne: Are We There Yet?
Baxter Media invites you to attend an informative webinar next Wednesday (May 27) at 12 p.m. (EST). This is one you definitely won't want to miss. Aviation is a key component that supports the complete tourism experience that includes Hotels, Resorts, Cruise Lines, Attractions, Local Ground Operators, Car Rentals, Trains and Coaches. The multiple daily headlines around the health of the aviation industry continue to be impactful with seemingly no landing in sight yet. Service resumption delays, mergers, receivership announcements, refunds, face masks, empty middle seats. Can we...