Airlines

Etihad to double flights to New York

Etihad Airways will double its flights between Abu Dhabi and New York City, introducing a second daily service on March 1. The new flights will complement the airline’s current 10:30 a.m. departure to New York, and passengers travelling from New York to Abu Dhabi and beyond will now have the option of a late morning flight as well as the current 9:40 p.m. departure. Initially, the new flights will be operated by Etihad Airways using two tri-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft leased from its strategic partner, India’s Jet Airways. From May 1, Jet Airways will operate these...

WestJet welcomes GTAA review

WestJet has announced support for a review of the recent disruptions that occurred at Pearson International Airport. The review will be conducted by an ad hoc committee of the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) board of directors. WestJet looks forward to participating in the process as it moves forward. “Toronto Pearson is WestJet’s second busiest airport with more than 83 flights departing daily to 52 destinations and we look forward to participating in the process,” said Fred Cleveland, WestJet’s executive vice-president of operations. “Improving guest experience,...

Allegiant goes paperless

Allegiant is now offering its passengers paperless mobile boarding pass capability at all 101 airports it serves. No matter where they are travelling, Allegiant passengers will now have the option to avoid ticket counter lines by checking-in for their flight and receiving their boarding passes directly on their mobile device. While some major airports and large carriers have previously introduced mobile boarding pass technology at their airport security checkpoints, Allegiant has worked with many small- to mid-size airports throughout its system to introduce mobile boarding pass...

Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines partner with Amadeus

Lufthansa and Amadeus have announced a new agreement that will see the airline sell advance seat reservation as an ancillary product in the travel agency channel using Amadeus Airline Ancillary Services. The agreement, which also applies to Lufthansa’s subsidiary Austrian Airlines, Austria’s flag carrier, means that travel agents using Amadeus in 63 markets worldwide will be able to book advance seat reservations in Economy Class for travellers flying on domestic and European routes. Additionally, passengers will be able to purchase seats offering extra leg room both on...

WestJet Encore expands network

WestJet Encore has launched daily non-stop service between Winnipeg, Manitoba and Regina, Saskatchewan. Non-stop service between the two prairie cities resumes after a five-year hiatus, operated twice-daily on board WestJet Encore’s new fleet of Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft. Expansion of the regional carrier’s network continues to build in the New Year, with today (Jan. 15) marking the 16th destination.  More destinations are still to come as more aircraft arrive, creating greater capacity and frequency in the network. “Every new point-to-point connection offered by...

Passenger demand moderates in November

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports global passenger traffic results for November 2013 showed a moderation in the pace of recent demand growth. Total revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) rose 4.1% compared to November 2012. This was slower than the 6.5% year-over-year growth recorded in October. In November capacity expanded by 6.1% which out-paced demand growth. This led to a 1.4 percentage point slip in the load factor to 76.3%. Demand drivers such as consumer and business confidence, however, continue to improve. This suggests that growth may accelerate in...

WestJet offers additional 2% on base commissions

In appreciation for continuing support by travel agents, WestJet is offering an additional 2% on base commissions for new bookings beginning Jan. 26 through to Feb. 28, in anticipation of the termination of its participation in the Sabre GDS. WestJet regrets the inconvenience caused to agencies by the lack of progress in contract negotiations, now halted indefinitely, and is providing additional information on a special site for agents. The westjet.com/distribution page is designed to assist affected agencies with contingency planning, and is the best source for information on how to...

Air Canada reports record load factors for 2013

For the month of December, Air Canada reported a record system load factor of 82.7%, versus 82.1% in December 2012, an increase of 0.6 percentage points. System traffic increased 4.8% on a system-wide capacity increase of 4%. For the full year 2013, load factor was a record 82.8%, versus 82.7%, an increase of 0.1 percentage points. Air Canada reports traffic results on a system-wide basis, including Air Canada rouge, which began operations on July 1 and regional airlines from which Air Canada purchases capacity. “For both the month of December and full year 2013, Air Canada...

Icelandair celebrates new YEG service

Icelandair will be taking off from Edmonton this spring with year-round service to more than 20 destinations in Europe. To celebrate the launch from YEG on March 5, Icelandair will host a YEG Hunt. Starting Jan. 21, Icelandair representatives will be hitting the streets of Edmonton and surrounding areas to give away tickets. One set of round-trip tickets for two will be given away each day through Jan. 23. Also, throughout each day, Icelandair will be handing out additional prizes including gift certificates for travel on Icelandair, T-shirts and other Icelandair merchandise to...