Airlines
An Experience To Remember
South African Airways (SAA) teamed up with the South African Tourism, and the Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA), as well as Zambia Tourism and Zimbabwe Tourism to host 50 travel specialists from North America on an educational trip through Southern Africa recently. The group – from Canada and the United States – went on a safari in South Africa, before discovering Cape Town and the Western Cape, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Stroebel Bekker, vice-president sales for SAA in North America, said that: “As the leading carrier from North America to Southern Africa,...
An Award Winning Celebration
Etihad Airways marked a major milestone in its history last night (Oct. 30, 2015), celebrating 10 years of service to Canada and doing it in style. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier hosted about 100 travel trade VIPs, along with representatives from its codeshare and equity partner airlines, such as Jet Airways and Alitalia at Toronto's swanky, Four Seasons Hotel. Special guests included the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) His Excellency Mohammed Saif Helal Al Shehhi and Consul General of the UAE, Sultan Ali al-Harbi. Etihad's senior vice-president -- the Americas, Martin...
Vegas Here We Come!
WestJet has launched twice-weekly service from Abbotsford to Las Vegas, marking the 12th Canadian city with non-stop WestJet service to The Entertainment Capital of the World. John Weatherill, director, network and schedule planning for WestJet, said: “With more than 80 weekly flights from a dozen Canadian cities, WestJet and WestJet Vacations are big players in Las Vegas. In fact, we fly nearly one-third of all international guests into McCarran International Airport – more than one million in 2014 -- and we're delighted to welcome guests from Abbotsford to the party.” The...
More Lift To Auckland
Air New Zealand will be adding additional return service on its Vancouver-Auckland route ahead of the upcoming peak northern summer period between April 2 and May 7, 2016. The popularity of that service, will see the carrier increase its frequency in 2016 from three to four return flights per week. That marks the first time that Air New Zealand has operated four return services on the route during this time period. With the fourth flight departing Vancouver on Saturdays, the airline will add more than 3,700 seats to the route, representing a 33% boost in capacity compared to the...
Air Canada’s Got Seoul
Beginning June 17, 2016, Air Canada will launch a new year-round, daily non-stop service between Toronto's Pearson International Airport and Seoul, Korea's Incheon International Airport. The addition of Seoul is part of Air Canada's ongoing expansion of its international services and to promote the new route, the carrier is offering a special introductory fare starting from CDN$1,399, round-trip all-in, until Nov. 8, 2015 for travel June 17 to June 23 and Sept. 1 to Sept. 30, 2016. Tickets are now available for purchase. Benjamin Smith, president, passenger airlines at Air Canada,...
Cutting Edge Intelligence
Amadeus has unveiled Amadeus Schedule Recovery, a new travel intelligence solution that minimizes disruptions to operations caused by external events such as bad weather or air traffic control congestion. The new solution serves as a recommendation engine, using data analytics to help quickly and efficiently identify the most critical issues, and act upon them. Airlines using Amadeus Schedule Recovery will be able to make critical decisions quickly on matters such as whether to delay or cancel flights; swap aircraft; or reassign landing slots. Schedule Recovery reduces manual effort...
Porter Set For Ski Season
Porter Airlines reports its annual seasonal winter service between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Mont Tremblant will begin on Dec. 5, running through April 6, 2016. Flights are available up to 12 times weekly during the peak schedule. Travellers arriving in Tremblant on Sunday or Monday can catch a lift to the top of the ski hill for free with a special offer available until Nov 1. Each passenger receives two free days of skiing with complimentary lift tickets to help jump start the season. Porter takes passengers from Toronto to Mont Tremblant in just under 70...
A Model Strategy With Mutual Benefits
If you're looking for a recipe for success in the airline business these days, then consider a strategy that involves partnership and collaboration. That was the message delivered by James Hogan, president and CEO of Etihad Airways during this week's IATA Aviation Day in Abu Dhabi. Hogan told his audience that collaboration within the aviation industry drives change and provides consumers with the “benefits they deserve,” observing that Etihad's successful partnership strategy could become a model for other players in the industry. He explained that partnerships and collaboration...