Airlines
Marking a milestone
It's another milestone for WestJet. The carrier has now started its first scheduled transatlantic service, with the recent launch of flights between Toronto and Dublin, Ireland, with a brief stop in St. John's, Newfoundland. Gregg Saretsky, WestJet president and CEO, commented: “It's very exciting to think that we are about to take our guests across the Atlantic Ocean for the very first time ... This represents a very significant strategic step in the growth of WestJet.” Saretsky continued: “As we've expanded our reach, grown our fleet and added new products to broaden our...
Air France Keeps Celebrating
As it continues to celebrate its 80th anniversary, Air France has introduced an “80 Years of Passion for Gastronomy” in which travel agents can win a chance to fly to Europe. The newest game is the second instalment in the three-part series of contests Air France has planned to mark its milestone anniversary, which means Canadian agents now have another chance to win a pair of tickets for Europe. Travel agents can sign up for the contest online through June 30 by answering the eligibility question about Air France and gastronomy. Afterwards, they can register each ticket they...
PED Changes Won’t Impact Most Passengers: Expedia.ca
The federal government recently announced that passengers will finally be able to use their portable electronic devices (PEDs) throughout all phases of flight and while it may be a relief for some to get that extra gadget time in, Expedia.ca found that the majority of Canadians are creatures of habit with 64% stating that this new change won’t affect their in-flight habits. For those travellers who are planning to make the most of this added device time during their travels, here is what they’ll be doing: Catch up on TV shows or watch a movie (14%) – residents of Atlantic...
Royal Brunei Updates Agent Incentive Program
APG-Canada reports that effective June 11, Royal Brunei Airlines will be paying commissions on all published fares. Royal Brunei will pay agents a 3% commission booking the airline on flights throughout their network. “Royal Brunei Airlines has a world class product and a business class service that’s been award a four-star rating from SkyTrax,” said Karl Muller, director of APG Canada. “The airline values travel agents and understands the importance of travel agents to their success. Now, travel agents can earn 3% commission on flights between Royal Brunei and London, Dubai,...
Cathay Celebrates 20 Years of Flying to Toronto
Champagne corks are certain to be popping onboard Cathay Pacific flights today (June 9) as the airline celebrates 20 years flying between Toronto and Hong Kong. On June 9, 1994 Cathay Pacific was the first airline to offer fastest same-plane service with its three times weekly B747-400 flights between Toronto and Hong Kong, with a technical stopover in Anchorage. Over 20 years the airline has increased the number of passenger flights to 10 flights weekly, now non-stop and flown by the fuel-efficient Boeing 777-300ER ultra-long haul aircraft. The airline also operates two times...
A Perfect Landing
Not to put too fine a point on it, Lufthansa is setting a course for a busy summer out of Canada in 2014. The carrier celebrated the launch of its new Toronto-Munich flight late last week and in mid-May, it marked the launch of Montreal-Frankfurt service. Both flights are seasonal, operating daily through to the end of October. Of the Toronto-Munich launch, Hans De Haan, director, Lufthansa Group Canada, said, “This reflects Lufthansa’s commitment to the Canadian market and the high level of demand we are seeing here. The new route is a great addition to our services by adding more...
Air Canada Reports Record May Load Factor
For the month of May, Air Canada reported a record system load factor of 83.3%, versus 81.8% in May 2013, an increase of 1.5 percentage points on a system-wide capacity increase of 8.1%. On this additional capacity, system wide traffic for May increased 10.1%. Air Canada reports traffic results on a system-wide basis, including Air Canada rouge, which began operations on July 1, 2013, and regional airlines from which Air Canada purchases capacity. “I am pleased to report a record load factor of 83.3% for the month of May,” said Air Canada president Calin Rovinescu. “Air Canada...
New Heathrow Terminal 2 Starts Operations
The new Terminal 2 -- home of Star Alliance at Heathrow -- threw open its doors to welcome its first passengers yesterday (June 4), marking the start of a new travel experience for the 12 million Star Alliance passengers who pass through this leading UK airport every year. Star Alliance member airline United was the first to move into the new facility, known as Terminal 2 - the Queen’s Terminal for her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. All 23 Star Alliance airlines operating Heathrow will move over the next six months: the first time all member airlines will be collocated at the airport....