Airlines
Xiamen Air Now Accepting Credit Cards
Xiamen Air, China's first privately owned airline and Sky Team member, is now accepting MasterCard and Visa as forms of payment in Canada. Karl Müller, Xiamen Airlines Canada director, notes that “Xiamen Air is a major Chinese carrier that is serving the increasing needs of corporate agencies, tour operators and leisure networks based in Canada.” With an expanding Asian flight network and strong domestic route structure, airfares and connecting flights will facilitate travel planning for those needing to connect in Asia and within China. Xiamen offers a 3% commission on...
Etihad Opens Refurbished Premium Lounge in Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways has officially reopened its newly refurbished First and Business Class Lounge at Abu Dhabi Airport’s Terminal 1. The upgraded facility measures an impressive 1,044 square metres with seating for 134 guests and boasts stylish design elements inspired by the airline’s new branding and image. Shane O’Hare, Etihad Airways’ senior vice-president marketing, said, “This upgraded lounge embodies the contemporary design, attention to detail and customer focus synonymous with Etihad Airways. Our guests travelling from and transiting through Abu Dhabi Terminal 3, and...
WestJet Issues Corporate Social Responsibility Report
WestJet has released its combined 2013 and 2014 corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, “Building on success,” using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework to outline economic, environmental and social performance. “WestJet maintains a strong commitment to social responsibility, especially within the communities we serve,” said Mike McNaney, WestJet vice-president, Industry, Corporate and Airport Affairs. “In the 2013 and 2014 CSR report, our reporting guidelines have doubled from 10 to 20 indicators. This demonstrates our goal to further our company...
Air Canada Reports Record July Traffic Results
For the month of July, Air Canada reported a system-wide capacity increase of 9.7% and a record system load factor of 87.3%, versus 86.7% in July 2014. On this additional capacity, system wide traffic for July increased 10.5%. Air Canada reports traffic results on a system-wide basis, including regional airlines from which Air Canada purchases capacity and Air Canada rouge. “I am pleased to report a record load factor of 87.3% for the month of July, and surpassing previous records for having served the most customers in Air Canada's history,” said Air Canada president Calin...
El Al Expansion Largest In Its History
El Al Israel Airlines is making an aggressive move to refresh its long-haul fleet with its largest aircraft acquisition ever. According to CEO David Maimon (pictured), the airline is set to conduct negotiations with Boeing Corporation for the purchase and lease of 15 new wide-body 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft – valued at about US$3.4 billion, as well as an additional purchase option for 13 more. Delivery is expected to commence in mid-2017. In related news, the company presented its second quarter results, showing a profit of US$17.3 million. “I am proud to announce...
WestJet Pilots Reject Bid to Form Union
WestJet pilots have rejected a bid to form a union by a vote of 55%. WestJet president Gregg Saretsky made the following statement regarding the outcome of the unionization vote among its Boeing 737 pilots. “We are pleased that the majority of our pilots who voted have voted against union representation. Our model of co-operation and employee representation through the WestJet Pilots' Association has allowed for the continued success of our pilots and our airline. Despite the positive outcome, there is continued work that needs to take place to better understand some of the issues...
LOT Clients Can Now Pay With Bitcoins
LOT is now accepting Bitcoins as a method of payment at http://www.lot.com. According to officials, transactions are convenient and fully secure. “We are open for every need of every single client. We go for innovations thanks to which their journey is even more comfortable and pleasant not only on board, but also much earlier – at the stage of buying the ticket. Many of them do the shopping online, including plane tickets. It's just the matter of time when payments with the online currency will become as popular as using credit cards today. We notice this potential, which is...
IATA Disappointed
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) criticized the decision by the French government to allow the operator of Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Paris-Orly (ORY) airports to continue increasing airport charges for each year of the 2016-2020 period. The French government’s decision ignores the recommendation of the independent Airport Consultative Commission. The commission concluded that the public interest would be best served by using terminal retail activities of Aéroports de Paris (ADP) to implement annual decreases in charges to airlines over the 2016-2020...