Airlines
WestJet Adds Service Between Nanaimo, Comox and YVR
WestJet has unveiled plans to begin operating daily, year-round service from Nanaimo Airport and Comox Valley Airport to Vancouver International Airport on WestJet Encore. “WestJet is looking forward to providing Nanaimo and Comox with improved connectivity into the broader WestJet network,” said Brian Znotins, WestJet vice-president, Network Planning, Alliances and Corporate Development. “WestJet Encore’s Bombardier Q400s offer an affordable, quick and comfortable option for leisure and business travellers looking to hop back and forth between the island communities and...
Sunwing Set To Resume Camaguey Flights
Sunwing has confirmed it will be resuming flights to Camaguey, Cuba as per its original schedule from Nov. 1. According to officials, all hotels in Camaguey will be fully re-opened in time for the first flights. Flights into Cayo Coco will be available once more from Nov. 7. Flights to Cayo Santa Maria will recommence from Nov. 10 onwards from Montreal, while services from Toronto and Quebec City have been rescheduled from Nov. 11. (Flights to all other Cuban destinations are already operating as normal.) Sunwing has been working closely with the local authorities and their...
An Uplifting Experience
Trafalgar has announced an arrangement with Air Canada Vacations on vacation options that will truly be uplifting for clients flying to Europe. Trafalgar president Wolf Paunic told a Wednesday Toronto gathering that 16 Trafalgar Europe itineraries will be found in an Air Canada Vacations' 2018 brochure, with Air Canada Vacations providing the air travel to and from Europe, and other “perks,” while Trafalgar will provide the actual land programs. The “seamless” packages will be “bundled,” providing all aspects of the vacation, he added. Paunic said Trafalgar stands to...
QTA, Qatar Airways Extend ‘Free’ Stopover Offer
Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Qatar Airways will continue offering their stopover package until the end of the year. The enticing offer -- part of a broader +Qatar campaign -- encourages all transit passengers to add Qatar to their travel plans and provides transit passengers with an opportunity to discover the country. The offering includes free luxury hotel stays and complimentary transit visas. Initially planned to run from May until the end of the summer, the offer will now continue until Dec. 31 December. During the initial period, the country welcomed 34% more transit...
Committed To Vancouver
Vancouver’s growing prominence in the Air Canada route network was confirmed at a New Routes event by the airline last week, at a club in the fashionable Yaletown district of the city. Leading the presentation was Bonnie Walker, AC director of sales for western Canada. She told assembled agents, tour operators and corporate partners that Air Canada had inaugurated 11 routes from YVR in 2017. These include the destinations of Denver, Dallas, Boston, Phoenix, Frankfurt, Nagoya, Taipei and Gatwick. In December, Air Canada will start flights to Melbourne, which is the airline’s third...
WestJet Partners With The Chopped Leaf
WestJet has partnered with fresh casual restaurant, The Chopped Leaf, in a move that will see the restaurant's whole-food offerings available on board WestJet aircraft. “WestJet and The Chopped Leaf have a common goal to break down the 'airline food' stigma,” said Rossen Dimitrov, WestJet chief guest experience officer. “The ingredients in our new menu have been sourced to provide healthier options with quality and taste in mind. We continue to evolve our onboard offerings to meet the needs of our 22 million annual guests.” “WestJet values are very similar to ours at The...
WestJet Unveils Canada’s First Boeing 737 MAX
In an aviation first for Canada, WestJet has unveiled its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, one of 50 scheduled for delivery in the next four years. “We are proud to make history as the first Canadian airline to receive the Boeing 737 MAX,” said Ed Sims, WestJet executive vice-president, Commercial. “The MAX's design updates, including Boeing's Advanced Technology winglets and the Boeing Sky Interior, will contribute to improvements in fuel efficiency and overall guest experience. We look forward to welcoming guests on board our sleek new aircraft along with our signature caring,...
Hawaii Flying High
Economic sustainability for the Hawaii tourism industry relies almost exclusively on the volume of airline traffic that flies into the islands, and between the islands. So delegates to the recent Global Tourism Summit held in Waikiki were pleased to hear a generally bullish outlook in the forecast for Hawaii's airline capacity in the near future, in a presentation by Brad DeFiore, managing director of Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting, reports western editor, Ted Davis in the Hawaii: Paradise Perfected supplement in the Oct. 9 issue of Canadian Travel Press. For example, his...