Airlines
International Tourism on Track for a Record Year
Demand for international tourism remained strong during the Northern Hemisphere summer peak season, with arrivals in July and August totalling over 300 million for the first time ever, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Many destinations reported double-digit growth, in particular in the Mediterranean. Between January and August, destinations worldwide welcomed 901 million international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors), 56 million more than in the same period of 2016. This corresponds to a robust 7% increase, well above the growth of previous years. With...
Flying Blue Program Enhanced
As of April 1, 2018, Flying Blue, Air France-KLM's loyalty program, is changing, becoming simpler to use and offering more flexibility, as well as a clearer reward scale and more choice in the use of miles. For each euro spent, Ivory, Silver, Gold and Platinum members will receive four, six, seven and eight miles, respectively. The number of miles earned will no longer depend on the distance flown between origin and destination, on flights marketed by Air France, KLM, HOP! or Joon. This, according to officials, will make the accrual of miles easier. In addition, customers will be...
A Better Way To Fly
The recent celebrations marking a decade of services by Air New Zealand to Vancouver were given special context by the event location, and by the performers who took part, reports western editor, Ted Davis. The gathering was staged at the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, an ideal location for Sam George, an Elder from the Squamish Nation in North Vancouver, to welcome dignitaries and guests to the event. His performance echoed one by his grandfather, Chief Dan George. That was followed by a performance by the Te Tini A Maui Kapa Haka group, which is based in Vancouver, but...
FlyGTA Connects Waterloo Region , Downtown Toronto
FlyGTA Airlines and the Region of Waterloo International Airport have launched twice daily service to Toronto City Airport. Flights will operate Monday to Friday aboard an eight-seat twin engine Piper Panther aircraft. Flight time is 18 minutes. One-way airfare between Waterloo Region and Toronto City is $129, including all taxes and fees. “FlyGTA will operate from an executive terminal on Toronto Island, right next door to the main terminal building. When you arrive a shuttle is waiting to take you to the main terminal, where you can continue your travels by air or use the...
Emirates Celebrates 10 Years in Toronto
Emirates is celebrating 10 years in Canada. Since ITS inaugural flight in October 2007, Emirates has carried more than 1.2 million passengers through its Toronto-Dubai route. In Canada, Emirates’ established codeshare partnerships with WestJet and Alaska Airlines enable it to connect travellers from across its global network to more Canadian cities, and vice versa. Hitting the 10-year milestone in Canada shows Emirates’ continued commitment to its operations in the country. “We’re proud to be celebrating 10 years of operations in Canada,” says Hubert Frach, divisional...
Flair To Expand Fleet, Routes
Low-fare carrier Flair Airlines is set to expand its fleet, increasing seat capacity by 40%. Flair Airlines is finalizing a private financing arrangement that will result in the addition of two more B737-400 aircrafts into its fleet. The aircrafts will begin service in the spring of 2018. “By April 2018, Flair Airlines will be servicing the Canadian ULCC market in earnest with a total of seven B737-400s throughout our existing and future route network,” said Chris Lapointe, vice-president, Commercial Operations for Flair Airlines. “Currently we operate between two and four...
Air Transat Revamps Eco Fares
Air Transat has revamped its Eco Fares. The Eco Fares – Eco, Eco Extra and Eco Max – created in 2014, are designed to offer flexibility to passengers booking flights in Economy Class, providing peace of mind. Among the main improvements to the Eco Fares is the inclusion of standard seat selection in Eco Extra and Eco Max. Eco Max also boasts new benefits, such as an additional piece of checked baggage and priority airport services. In addition, change or cancellation fees have also been revised for some fares. Passengers who book an Eco Max will now pay half as much for...
AC Expands Alternative Payment Options
Air Canada has launched a partnership with Adyen that will greatly expand the range of local payment methods available to customers. Through the agreement, customers around the world will be able to use their preferred local method of payment when making purchases from the airline. “With our global expansion, Air Canada now operates on six continents so it is important to recognize local preferences for payment methods and make it easy for customers to interact with us through their preferred method. Under our agreement with Adyen, we now can offer seamless service to our...