Airlines
Air Transat Expands European Portfolio
Air Transat has introduced new destinations from Vancouver, Quebec City and Halifax, giving travellers more access and flight frequencies in Europe, thanks to new flights connecting in Montreal from Quebec City and Halifax, and in Toronto from Vancouver. Residents of Western Canada can add Dublin, Rome and Barcelona to their vacation options by connecting in Toronto. From Quebec City, additional destinations including Rome, Brussels and Bordeaux will be available when connecting in Montreal. From Halifax, this wider offering includes Rome, Brussels and Paris via domestic flight to...
WestJet, Philippine Airlines Enhance Relationship
WestJet has entered into a codeshare agreement with Philippine Airlines (PAL), allowing the carrier to begin marketing and selling WestJet-operated flights. The two carriers are building on an existing interline agreement that has been in place since May 2013. Codeshare designations will be available on select WestJet flights from Vancouver and Toronto, and all codeshare sales are offered directly through Philippine Airlines or through their global distribution network. “The Philippine Airlines-WestJet enhanced partnership, via the new codeshare agreement, allows PAL to carry...
SkyGreece Goes Year-Round Toronto-Budapest
SkyGreece will launch two weekly flights, non-stop from Toronto to Budapest starting May 20 and will continue its service bi-weekly all year long. “I had the pleasure to meet the Budapest International Airport on numerous occasions in the last few years and the numbers they provided during our latest discussions clearly demonstrated that SkyGreece should be the first international carrier to offer direct, non-stop, yearly service between Canada and Hungary,” said Denis Codere, deputy chief commercial officer of SkyGreece Airlines. “We definitely received a warm welcome from the...
Air Canada Reports Record 2014 Results
Air Canada is reporting record numbers for 2014 with full year adjusted net income of $531 million or $1.81 per diluted share compared to adjusted net income of $340 million or $1.20 per diluted share in 2013, an improvement of $191 million or $0.61 per diluted share. EBITDAR (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and aircraft rent) amounted to $1.671 billion compared to EBITDAR (excluding the impact of benefit plan amendments) of $1.433 billion in 2013, an improvement of $238 million or 16.6%. On a GAAP basis, Air Canada reported 2014 operating income of $815...
Transat Haiti Flights on GDS
Air Transat reports its regular aviation activities between Canada and Haiti, and between Haiti and Canada, are available on GDS booking systems available to travel agents. According to officials, this designation reflects the growth of Haiti’s tourism industry, which benefits from development strategies formulated by the Haitian Ministry of Tourism and the collaboration of partners like Transat and Air Transat. Considered a scheduled airline for Haiti since April 2014, Air Transat has been providing weekly service between Montreal and Port-au-Prince for over 15 years. This recent...
WestJet Has Heart
WestJet has created another remarkable guest experience, this time for two love-struck, Toronto-area couples on the island of Barbados. The story begins in November 2014 in a Michael Hill jewelry store in Newmarket, Ont., where WestJet used hidden cameras to select two men, J.P. and Mike, from among those shopping for engagement rings that day. The airline approached the two and asked if they would be interested in proposing to their girlfriends, Stephanie and Heather, in Barbados. “Both J.P. and Mike agreed, but of course they couldn't tell Stephanie and Heather that's why they...
Spring Break Specials In Okanagan
Five Okanagan, BC ski resorts - Big White Ski Resort, Silver Star Mountain Resort, Sun Peaks Resort, Revelstoke Mountain Resort and Apex Mountain Resort – are working with NewLeaf Corp, a new Canadian travel company, to offer lower fares over Spring Break to Ontario travellers. 2015 has been a banner year for snowfall in the Kelowna/Okanagan, BC region. 2015 has also brought about an exciting new partnership for skiers looking for a world class family experience that is still available during this year's Spring Break season. Michael J. Ballingall, chairman of the Thompson Okanagan...
Destination Dubai
2015 is going to be a busy year for the gang at Emirates Airlines in Canada. Canadian Travel Press' executive editor, Bob Mowat reports that travel agents will be well-advised to keep an eye on the carrier as it rolls out some new twists to its flight plan over the next 12 months. Topping the list of what to watch for from the carrier in 2015 will be some aggressive promotion of Dubai as a stand-alone destination – rather than just a stopover – in the Canadian market. To do that, the carrier has teamed up with a number of new tour operator partners that will be packaging...