Airlines
Rewards For Agents From RIU, Sunwing
RIU Hotels & Resorts and Sunwing got together to thank their top-performing agents this month with appreciation lunches in Quebec City and Kitchener, Ontario. Top producing agents were invited to enjoy a complimentary lunch, meet with RIU and Sunwing sales teams and learn about upcoming renovation and expansion plans for RIU Hotels & Resorts. At both events, director of business development for partner marketing, Hugo Aguilera, talked to attendees about the latest resorts that opened in Mexico; including Riu Palace Costa Mujeres and Riu Palace Baja California. He also...
WestJet Rewards Goes Platinum
WestJet has launched its newest WestJet Rewards tier, Platinum and enhancements to its Rewards program are here in time for the holidays. As of Dec. 12, WestJet Rewards Platinum, Gold and Silver tiers make it easier for members to get even more value from WestJet's frequent flyer program. Milestone awards will be issued more frequently, and WestJet Vacations packages will also be added towards qualifying spend. WestJet's vice-president loyalty programs, d'Arcy Monaghan commented: “Our WestJet Rewards program is fully transparent and provides our members with more benefits,...
United Expands International Network Out Of SFO
United Airlines has unveiled its largest ever international network expansion from its hub at San Francisco International Airport. The airline will now be offering nonstop year-round service to Toronto, Canada; and Melbourne, Australia; and seasonal service to New Delhi. It also announced it will begin a second daily flight between San Francisco and Seoul, South Korea. All routes subject to government approvals. In addition to the new routes, in 2019, United will begin new year-round nonstop service between San Francisco and Auckland, New Zealand, Tahiti, French Polynesia and...
Azores Airlines Offering Agents More Choice
Azores Airlines is preparing to offer travel agents more money and their clients departing from Toronto more choices. The carrier, which will close out 2019 with four weekly flights between Toronto and the Azores' Ponta Delgada, will see daily service between the destinations during the peak May-September summer season, a Tuesday Toronto gathering was told. There will also be Thursday summer service from Montreal to Ponta Delgada. The June-September period will also see weekly service from Toronto to the island of Terceira. Toronto flights are now on Monday, Wednesday, Friday...
Showcasing The Flavours Of Germany
About 60 travel trade types were taken on a tasty journey of Germany last night (Dec. 10) by Julia Dywelski, director of marketing & sales, Canada for the German National Tourist Office. Joined by partners, Lufthansa and Wines of Germany, the Flavours of Germany event was held at Ricarda's – a nifty spot on Richmond Street West in downtown Toronto – and offered those attending a chance to sip on mulled wine, while sample Maultaschen, Roesti, carmelized almonds and German gingerbread. “I hope everyone is ready to promote Germany,” Dywelski said in welcoming everyone to...
LOT Increasing Toronto Service
Starting in June 2019, LOT will increase the frequency of flights on its North American routes, including service from Toronto, thanks to deliveries of new B787 Dreamliners scheduled for 2019. From Toronto, there will be an increase from nine flights a week to 12. Service is also increasing from Los Angeles and Newark. The increase in frequency is possible thanks to the expansion of LOT’s wide-body fleet planned for 2019, namely, the deliveries of aircraft ordered from Boeing. Currently LOT has 11 Dreamliners, including eight 787-8s (with 252 seats for passengers) and three 787-9s...
EXCLUSIVE: Forecast 2019
Is the glass half full or half empty? That's a question I've been asking for a while now, writes executive editor, Bob Mowat in Canadian Travel Press' special Forecast 2019 issue. By all accounts, 2018 has been a good year for the Canadian travel industry, not to mention for the global travel industry. Yet as the year winds down, there are some disturbing signals that raise concerns that all is not well – the turmoil in Alberta's oil industry and the closing of GM's Oshawa car plant are but two examples of such concerns. Consider as well, recent comments by IATA's director...
WestJet Advisory Board Talks About The Future
From Dec. 3-5, WestJet looked into the future as it hosted more than 40 members of its Travel Agent Advisory Board (TAAB) at the Paradisus Playa del Carmen in Mexico for its annual conference. Representing more than 30 agency partners from across Canada, the TAAB participated in discussions on the future of WestJet and what the airline’s travel partners can look forward to in 2019. After a welcome event on Dec. 3, TAAB members spent the next two days engaging with guest speakers from WestJet on topics including Loyalty and WestJet Rewards, WestJet Vacations Operations, the...