As if getting more attention from owners working at home isn’t enough, now we find that dogs are increasingly getting more vacation time. I’ve got a report on that today, as well as an update on Air Canada re-opening some of its lounges.
Rover Goes Road Trippin’
It’s been a crazy few months in the travel and tourism biz.
Trips were cancelled and lockdown measures were enacted to ensure a flattening of the curve. However, as restrictions loosen and cases (mostly) trend down, Rover.com (who knew?) surveyed 500 Canadian pet parents to find out how folks are feeling about summer travel – months after this all began.
The results show that before the pandemic, only 35% of dog owners planned to bring their pup along on their summer trip. Now – after months of quarantining with their dogs – 59% plan to have their pooch in tow. (It seems quarantine may have strengthened the human-animal bond just a little). Also, Canadians are still thinking about travelling, and they’re getting creative with how they plan to do it. Overwhelmingly, pet parents are opting for road trips, instead of flying. Which makes a lot of sense, especially if you rent an RV for RoVer.
Joe Caione Photo/Unsplash
Summer travel plans pre-COVID
- 67% of dog owners had summer plans that they had to cancel due to the coronavirus
- 35% of dog owners planned to bring their pet with them
Current state of affairs
- 62% of pet parents are either considering or still plan to travel this summer, now that lockdown measures are easing.
- 67% of dog owners are planning travel by car or RV this summer
o Only 22% are planning to travel by air
- Now, 59% of pet parents plan to bring their dog with them on their summer trip
- Only 11% of pet parents would feel comfortable leaving their dog at a kennel/boarding business while they travel this summer
Air Canada Re-Opening Airport Lounges
Air Canada today announced the gradual re-opening of its Maple Leaf Lounges, featuring new biosafety protocols for the well-being of customers and employees. The Maple Leaf Lounge at Toronto Pearson, D gates re-opens on July 24 to eligible customers travelling on a domestic or international flight, with the Maple Leaf Lounges located in the domestic departure areas at airports in Montreal and Vancouver set to re-open in the coming weeks.
“We are pleased to welcome eligible customers again to one of our Maple Leaf Lounges at our primary Toronto Pearson hub. The Maple Leaf Lounge experience has been completely re-thought with a range of industry-leading biosafety measures in place for the safety of customers and employees alike,” said Andrew Yiu, Vice President, Product, at Air Canada.
“We are introducing electrostatic spraying in our Lounges as part of our significantly enhanced cleaning procedures for additional peace of mind, and launching new touchless processes, such as the ability to order pre-packaged food directly to your seat from your smartphone. When the Air Canada Café reopens later this year, customers will also benefit from touchless self-entry, a process which we are looking to implement at other lounges. We will progressively re-open other Maple Leaf Lounges throughout our network starting with Montreal Trudeau Airport and Vancouver International Airport by early fall in time for the expected resumption of more business travel.”
The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge (domestic) at Toronto Pearson. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Air Canada‘s Maple Leaf Lounge experience incorporates several multi-layered biosafety measures to enhance health and safety. Highlights include: mandatory face coverings for customers and employees, plexiglass partitions at welcome desks, food and refreshments pre-packaged to-go and a modified assisted beverage service. As well, to better safeguard customers, attendants will continuously clean lounge seating and restrooms, and enhanced cleaning measures include using electrostatic units and medical grade disinfectants. The new lounge services will also offer several touchless features, including presentation of all reading materials in digital format through PressReader.
I had a sneak peek last week and it looked like everything was in order. You can order either a “healthy” or “hearty” snack when you enter, and they’ll now have workers on hand (with masks, of course) to help get your drink for you (versus the old serve yourself method). It looked pretty normal, albeit with more space between tables for social distancing.
Additional details about Air Canada‘s updated Maple Leaf Lounge services are here aircanada.com/serviceoffering.
