The Glamour of Air Travel, Plus Top Things to do on Maui, Best Beaches in Florida and a new WestJet schedule

“Temperature checks. Bigger lines. Fewer meals. No alcohol. And ultimately, higher prices.” That’s the way Canadian Press began its latest story on the future of the airline industry. I’ve got a report on that, but also on how WestJet has announced its new summer schedule, with the emphasis on Canada but also five flights to the U.S. and one to Mexico. All in my Future of Travel blog for Monday, June 15.

The future of air travel: It ain’t pretty

Unless you’re one of those people who regularly fly in the front of the plane, you’ll know that flying hasn’t been particularly glamorous for quite some time. 

For most of us, flying in 2019 and early 2020 was a reasonably inexpensive but rather joyless experience, filled with crammed overhead bins, small seats and smushed knees.

Well, guess what? It’s going to be even less glamorous the next time to clamber on board that big ol’ jet airliner. You might get a little more personal space, but chances are you’re going to soon start paying a lot more than you’re used to.

I’ve spotted two stories on the future of aviation on this fine, sunny morning in Toronto, one from the CBC that talks about plans for discount Flair Airlines, and a general state of Canadian aviation and “what’s in store” story from Canadian Press.

The CBC item says that “Canada’s beleaguered airline industry is taking cautious steps to restart operations after travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic grounded much of the sector — but getting planes back in the air will be a costly and risky undertaking.

“Flair Airlines is one Canadian carrier ramping back up operations next month. In July, the low-cost domestic airline, which launched three years ago, will expand its routes across the country,” the CBC said.

The Canadian Press story is even more, well, depressing.

“Temperature checks. Bigger lines. Fewer meals. No alcohol. And ultimately, higher prices,” CP’s Chris Reynolds writes. “Air travel — often a headache before the COVID-19 pandemic — is set to become even more uncomfortable, experts say, as increased in-flight personal space is offset by longer waits, higher airfares and more sterile environments.

“Carriers, whose fleets have largely been grounded since mid-March amid global travel restrictions and extremely low demand for travel, now face the dilemma of generating enough revenue to stay afloat while keeping their passengers and employees safe.”

That’s probably enough bad news for a Monday morning, so I’ll switch to something a bit more uplifting.

20 Top Things To Do on Maui 

This is a good list from hotels.com; a look at the top ten things to do on Maui. Their top ten consisted of Exploring Lahaina Town, Snorkelling at Molokini Crater, Taking the Drive to Hana, Exploring the pools and waterfalls of O’heo Gulch, Swimming with turtles at Kapalua Beach, bopping around the surf town of Paia, taking a whale watching trip. lounging on Black Sand Beach, exploring Maui Tropical Plantation and seeing the sun come up from the top of Mt. Haleakala. 

Those all are fine things to do. I’ll add ten of my own, as I’ve been 20-odd times now and have been in love with Maui since my first visit 52 years ago.

1. A sunset drink at the Sea House bar at Napili Kai Beach Resort or Merriman’s Restaurant next door, where they have what might be Maui’s best patio.
2. Drive the north shore. The road to Hana is fabulous but can get quite crowded. For a more rugged experience with much less traffic (albeit with two one-way sections that can be a little scary), take the drive from Kapalua to Wailuku via the island’s north side.
3. Don’t stop at O’heo. Continue on in your car and explore the south side of the island. The road ultimately (after several hours) will take you up to Tedeschi Winery, which makes some pretty good wines.
4. Explore the Iao Valley. The Iao Needle is a giant slab of rock that rises high into the sky in a lush, deep green valley with a pretty stream and gardens that are definitely worth exploring. There’s also fabulous hiking.
5. Inexpensive golf. The Municipal Course at Waiehu (north of Wailuku, the Maui county seat, which is adjacent to Kahalui and the airport) charges only $50 or $60 for a round of golf on a course that has several holes on the Pacific Ocean. Not fancy, but loads of fun.
6. Stand-up Paddleboarding at Ka’anapali Beach. The folks at Ka’anapali Beach Hotel can set you up and give you pointers.
7. The Slack Key Guitar Show at Napili Kai. Grammy award winning musician and singer George Kahumoku puts on a weekly slack key guitar show at the Napili Kai Beach Resort that’s outrageously entertaining.
8. Free hula shows. The Cannery Mall in Lahaina has regular, free hula shows, as does the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel and other properties
9. A fabulous Mai Tai. The drinks (and the sushi) are to die for at the Farimont Kea Lani hotel/resort, which has enormous rooms, a wonderful pool for kids and a terrific beach.
10. The Keanae Peninsula. Roughly halfway down the road to Hana is this marvellous, small piece of lava rock that juts out into the blue Pacific. There’s a stand that sells hot dogs, drinks, banana bread and other goodies, as well as a large baseball diamond where the kids can stretch their legs. There’s also a pretty church. But the star of the show is the way the blue water rises and falls and pounds the black lava rock, sending foamy sprays of water high into the air. Warning: stay well back from the edge to avoid unforeseen waves.

WestJet’s new summer schedule: more Canada + Vegas, Orlando, LA and NYC

Rooftop pool at the sexy Nomad Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. JIM BYERS PHOTO

WestJet today released its updated July schedule, developed to allow Canadians the pleasure of summer travel while economically supporting communities across the country in safely reopening travel and domestic tourism. In addition, the airline has added flights to Mexico (Cancun) and five markets in the U.S. (Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York/LGA and Atlanta).

To ensure guests can book with confidence, the airline maintains its stringent Safety Above All hygiene program and continues to provide flexibility in booking, change and cancellation policies.

“Today’s schedule reflects our commitment to orderly and safe travel while providing steps to allow Canadians to get out, explore, and take part in critical economic activities like staying in hotels, eating out, visiting tourist attractions or simply just travelling to see friends and family,” said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. “Governments and Canadians from coast-to-coast are working together to lessen the impact of this pandemic and we are grateful that these efforts have put us in a position to add more options for travel this July.”

From July 5 through August 4, 2020, WestJet will offer operations to 45 destinations including 39 in Canada, five in the U.S. and one in Mexico an increase of approximately 102 per cent more flights from June, but down 76 per cent from July 2019.

Continued von zur Muehlen, “As we emerge from the pandemic, health vigilance must be balanced with the gradual reopening of our economy. WestJet has done our part and spent millions of dollars to ensure the safety and well-being of our guests and our people. We’re ready to get Canadians flying.”

On March 22, WestJet suspended its international and transborder operations. The airline’s schedule now contains flights to key transborder and international destinations including Los Angeles (LAX), Atlanta (ATL) and Las Vegas (LAS).

“Jurisdictions around the world are opening, allowing citizens to begin flying once again which is kickstarting their economies for recovery. We’ve heard from the communities we serve and look forward to having Canadians safely participate and stimulate domestic tourism this summer,” said von zur Muehlen.

Top Beaches in Florida: Not a Bad List

Caladesi Island, Florida

Hotels.com recently published a list of the top ten beaches in Florida. According to their way of thinking, these are the ones: Fort Zachary Taylor, Key West (never been but hear great things), Sanibel Island (agree, although I slightly prefer next-door Captiva), South Beach, Miami (not my personal fave but great for young folks), Grayton Beach State Park in South Walton (I do love the panhandle’s white sand beaches), Siesta Beach near Sarasota (solid choice), Pensacola Beach (another fine panhandle spot), Fort Lauderdale Beach (another solid option), Caladesi Island (amazing place in Dunedin/Clearwater), Pass-a-Grille in St. Pete (nice) and Amelia Island near Jacksonville (most definitely).

I’m not saying my choices are better, but I also love New Smyrna Beach, Jupiter Beach and the small beach in Cedar Key, Florida, a town I fell in love with on a visit earlier this year.