Airlines
Here Comes The Sun
Transat is offering more sun vacations to Canadians all across the country, with expanded programs out of Ontario, Atlantic Canada and Western Canada during the 2015-2016 winter season. Across the country, Transat's flight program features 36 sun destinations, including its most recent addition of Curacao from Toronto. That service will operate on Sundays from Dec. 2015 to April 2016, featuring resorts that include the Sunscape Curacao Resort Spa & Casino, the Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino, the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort and the Hilton Curacao. Other new...
Speedier Security Checks For WestJet Passengers
WestJet is speeding up security processing for its passengers by offering TSA Precheck to eligible travellers. The program offers trusted guests a less-intrusive search when departing from U.S. Airports. Ed Baklor, senior vice-president, guest experience for WestJet, commented: “We are pleased to offer TSA Precheck and make transborder travel easier for our guests. Part of a larger suite of amenities aimed at the business market, the introduction of this smart security experience will be appreciated by time-conscious business travellers and guests who are constantly on the...
Alitalia Turnaround Takes Off
Alitalia is making it new as it works to speed up its return to profitability. Alitalia's chairman, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo and the president and CEO of Etihad Airways, James Hogan (who is also the vice-chairman of Alitalia) revealed the details of a number of customer service enhancements designed to improve the travel experience for its passengers, as well as confirming its three-year business plan was on track for profitability by 2017. Highlights of the enhancements include two new long haul destinations, the first chauffeur service for business travellers, the opening of...
Virgin Australia Signs New Sabre Agreement
Sabre Corporation has signed a new agreement to provide content, merchandising solutions and Sabre Marketplace Analytics to Virgin Australia. Using Sabre’s data analytics technology, Virgin Australia will be able to view shopping activity made within the Sabre travel marketplace for their routes, and generate insights that drive incremental revenue and increased yield. Additionally, Virgin will be able to market and sell airfares as well as ancillary products and optional extras such as seats with extra legroom through Sabre using industry technology standards developed by ATPCo...
National Connects Windsor-Orlando
National Airlines will offer non-stop service between Windsor, Ont. and Orlando, Fla. (Orlando Sanford International Airport), beginning Dec. 17. Plans are to fly the route year-round, with return service taking place Thursdays and Sundays. Reservations can be made at http://www.nationalairlines.com or by calling 1-855-757-6999. Special introductory fares are available through Oct. 15 for travel between Dec. 17 and May 31, 2016. National has also introduced an exclusive partnership with Tourico Holidays to package flights with hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities, vacation...
Finnair Takes Delivery of Europe’s First Airbus A350 XWB
Finnair took delivery of the first of its next-generation Airbus A350 XWB aircraft yesterday (Oct. 7) at a special ceremony at the Airbus delivery centre in Toulouse, France. Finnair is the first European airline to fly the fuel-efficient Airbus A350 XWB. The airline intends to double its Asian traffic by 2020 from the 2010 baseline, and the A350 fleet investment is the backbone of this strategy. The company has ordered a total of 19 A350 aircraft, making it the largest investment in Finnair's history. The first four aircraft are expected to arrive this year, with another seven being...
KLM Marks 96 Years, Adds to Delftware Collection
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines celebrated its 96th anniversary yesterday and true to tradition introduced its latest Delftware miniature. This year, the choice for KLM’s 96th house went to the Hamel House in Gorinchem. The 96th house was festively unveiled in Gorinchem and added to KLM’s collection by KLM president and CEO Pieter Elbers, who presented it to Piet IJssels, chairman of the Hamel Foundation and South Korean Ambassador Jong-hyun Choe. KLM has been flying to South Korea since 1984 and currently operates daily service between Amsterdam and Seoul. Elbers commented,...
Africa Showcase rolls into Canada
The 2015 Africa Showcase made its Canadian debut yesterday (Oct. 7) following stops in Los Angeles, Dallas and Boston. Presented by South African Airways (SAA) and On Show Solutions, the seventh annual road show event featured 30 tourism partners, rotating briefing sessions with suppliers, prizes and destination presentations by the Zambia Tourism Board, South African Tourism, Namibia Wildlife Resorts and Namibia Tourism Board. “The real goal of [the Showcase] is to educate people, make them feel more comfortable with selling the destination and knowing the product,” Stroebel...