Airlines
Qatar Incentive Features Designer Shades
Qatar Airways is giving travel agents a classic pair of Ray-Ban Aviators for business class bookings made through July 3 for flights originating in Canada. Agents can visit http://www.promo.baxter.net/contest/Qatar.asp for more information and to access a submission form to redeem the complimentary designer sunglasses, valued at more than $150. Some restrictions...
Singapore Airlines Introduces New Premium Economy
Singapore Airlines' sales manager for eastern Canada is hailing the airline's new Premium Economy service. Les Kovacs told a Toronto gathering Wednesday that the service – “the new kid on the block for us” – has a 2-4-2 configuration on B777s and A380s and those booking Premium Economy will find the likes of WiFi and large tables that can be used for work at their seats. Premium Economy passengers – who will have dedicated cabins – are also offered 13.3-inch monitors, three menu choices and priority check-in and bag service. Sydney will be the first city to see the...
Air Canada Adds Lyon, London-Gatwick to Network
Air Canada has further expanded its extensive global network with the announcement of new non-stop services to Lyon, France and London's Gatwick airport beginning in summer 2016 and providing customers with more convenient options when travelling to Europe for business or leisure. "Pursuing our ongoing strategy to expand internationally, Air Canada is pleased to offer customers non-stop, year-round service between Montreal and Lyon, heart of the second largest metropolitan area in France. Air Canada continues to serve Paris Charles de Gaulle and this new Air Canada mainline route will...
Porter Off to Pittsburgh
Porter Airlines is on its way to Pittsburgh this fall, making it the airline’s 22nd city served. Flights begin Sept. 21 with up to two daily roundtrips between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport. The schedule features weekday departures from Toronto at 8:25 a.m. and 3:05 p.m. Pittsburgh departures are at 10:05 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. A detailed schedule is available at http://www.flyporter.com, with flights now available for booking. Introductory round-trip fares departing from Toronto start at $321 and departing from Pittsburgh starting at US$286,...
China Eastern Opens Up China to Canadians
A new program of flights that will link Vancouver with the balmy city of Kunming in southwest China is set to start this week. On June 26, China Eastern Airlines will launch a schedule of three flights per week between Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) and YVR. The service will connect via Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport and will establish Vancouver as the first North American destination with flights from Kunming – a top tourism region in China. The route will operate with an Airbus A330-200, with two cabins – business and economy. The economy class cabin...
Azul Brazilian Airlines Increases Commission to 7%
Azul Brazilian Airlines has increased its agency commissions on published fares to 7% for all Economy cabin bookings and to 10% for Business Class. The increase follows the recent announcement of credit card acceptance for ticketing in Amadeus and Apollo GDS systems. Azul Canada director Karl Müller points out that, “Azul is Brazil's fastest growing airline with more than 900 daily flights and will increase their international flights to the US. This new commission policy is the result of agency loyalty and Preference and has permitted passengers access to new destinations in...
Budapest Welcomes Transat
Budapest Airport welcomed the inaugural flight of its new airline partner, Air Transat, celebrating a significant stage of its exceptional route network development last week. Operated by its A330s, Air Transat's new weekly service from Toronto Pearson Airport (with an intermediate stop at Montreal Airport), marks the return of long-haul flights from the Americas to Budapest, and also sees the third wide-body scheduled service to arrive at the Hungarian gateway since the daily Dubai service from Emirates began last October, and Air China's Beijing flight in May. The direct service...
Hold My Fare
Emirates is now making it easier for customers in select markets and the UAE to book and lock in fares while they simultaneously plan their travel itineraries for their business trips, family holidays or weekend getaways. “Hold My Fare” is a new feature on http://www.emirates.com that offers customers the opportunity to “hold” their reservations and lock in competitive Emirates fares for up to 48 hours for a nominal fee, which is calculated based on the booked route or destination and applies to every passenger except infants. To lock in the best fare and preferred flight,...