Airlines
Swoop Celebrates One-Millionth Passenger
Swoop celebrated its one-millionth traveller on a flight from Edmonton to Hamilton earlier this week. William and Emily Burchat were surprised to be selected as the lucky recipients of a round-trip for two on Swoop and a commemorative, Swoop-branded, model aircraft. The pair were travelling to Hamilton with their twin infant daughters who were meeting their grandparents for the first time. A small Swoop team was on hand in Edmonton to kick off the festivities, which included celebratory décor and refreshments at the gate. Travellers were encouraged to record their favourite travel...
SAA, Alaska Airlines Launch Interline Agreement
South African Airways (SAA) and Alaska Airlines have established a new interline partnership which provides new and convenient flight options for both SAA and Alaska’s customers travelling between North America and Africa. Customers are now able to purchase a single itinerary for travel on flights of both carriers in one simple transaction and enjoy connections via New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport and Washington-Dulles International Airport between Alaska Airlines’ expansive North American network and more than 75 destinations in Africa served by SAA and its regional...
KLM Marks 70 Years in Montreal
Seventy years ago yesterday on May 29, 1949, members of the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines crew boarded a Lockheed Constellation 749 to welcome passengers on the first ever Amsterdam-Montreal flight. The “Batavia” touched down at Dorval airport on May 30, after two stopovers. The Batavia passenger list included Prince Bernhard of Holland, the husband of Queen Juliana, and Albert Plesman, president of KLM. Two of the three pilots on the inaugural flight were Canadian as, at the time, 50 of KLM’s 400 pilots were from Canada. As the flight approached, it was preceded by three Vampire...
Solid Passenger Growth Continues: IATA
Global passenger traffic results continued to rise in April, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showing that demand rose by 4.3% compared to April 2018. April capacity increased by 3.6%, and load factor climbed 0.6 percentage point to 82.8%, a record for the month of April, surpassing last year’s record of 82.2%. Regionally, Africa, Europe and Latin America posted record load factors. Comparisons between the two months are distorted owing to the timing of the Easter holiday, which occurred on April 1 in 2018, but fell much later in the month in 2019. “We...
WestJet Now Boarding for Barcelona
WestJet opened greater access to both Europe and Canada May 24 with its inaugural flight between Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) and Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ). The airline's new route is its first to Spain and gives European business and leisure travellers access to the greater WestJet network through the airline's Toronto hub. “This flight between Barcelona and Toronto complements our existing Toronto-London (Gatwick) service in providing our guests with another non-stop flight to a popular European tourism and financial centre,” said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet chief...
CUPE Files To Represent Swoop Flight Attendants
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has filed to represent 170 flight attendants at Swoop, WestJet's low-fare carrier. A majority of cabin crew members at Swoop have signed cards to join CUPE, and an application has been made to the Canada Industrial Relations Board to certify CUPE as their union representation. Swoop issued the following statement from president Steven Greenway regarding the application for certification by CUPE of Swoop cabin crew. “Swoop respects the individual rights of our employees to choose their representation. We continue to concentrate on...
Feds Finalize Air Passenger Protection Regulations
The Federal Government has finalized new Air Passenger Protection Regulations, set to come into effect July 15. Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, said that after months of public and stakeholder consultations, Canadians will soon be covered by robust new regulations that apply to all air carriers flying to, from and within Canada. These new regulations will require air carriers to proactively offer standards of treatment. Additionally, in some cases, carriers will be required to issue compensation to passengers within strict timelines, compensation of up to $1,000 for flight...
Get Exploring in Muskoka With Porter
Travellers taking a flight to Muskoka with Porter Airlines this summer can take advantage of two special programs offered by the regional tourism organization, “Explorers’ Edge.” Travellers booking a minimum two-night stay at participating accommodations by June 21 and who also book a flight to or from Muskoka with Porter can get the Fly & Explore Package, which includes $100 in spending vouchers to redeem at more than 100 attractions, restaurants and shops. “There’s no catch,” says James Murphy, executive director of Explorers’ Edge. “The Fly & Explore...