Today’s travel notebook looks at a variety of subjects, including WestJet trimming flights to Halifax and other cities in Atlantic Canada, a new, long flight between New York City and New Zealand, and the slow opening of Japan to tourism.
WEST JET TO TRIM ATLANTIC CANADA FLIGHTS
The CBC reports that WestJet, which announced earlier this year it would retrench and focus more on Western Canada, has cut fliights to several cities in Atlantic Canada.
Flights between Halifax and Montreal will be suspended Oct. 28, while flights from Halifax to Ottawa and St. John’s will be suspended in early January. WestJet announced earlier this summer that it will not offer winter flights out of Charlottetown, Fredericton, Sydney, N.S. and Quebec City.
It reduces competition in those markets, and gives less choice to residents of Atlantic Canada.
“We understand that this is disappointing news and we apologize for any disruption this caused our guests and communities,” Weatherill said in an email to the network.
A Segway tour of Auckland, New Zealand. JIM BYERS PHOTO
AUCKLAND-NYC DIRECT: THAT’S A LOT OF MOVIES TO WATCH
Air New Zealand’s first non-stop flight to New York arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday.
The first flight from Auckland to NYC weighed in at 16 hours and 15 minutes, according to RNZ news. The return flight was slated to take 17 hours and 35 minutes owing to wind speeds.
With a distance of 14,215km, it’s the fourth-longest currently operating flight in the world.
“As one of the world’s greatest cities, Air New Zealand is proud to add the Big Apple to its list of 29 international destinations,” said Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran, who was on the Auckland-NYC flight. (I bet he had a business ticket, but wouldn’t you love it if he rode in coach to see what it’s like?)_
“By adding greater access to the East Coast of the US, we’re connecting our North American customers to the possibilities of 20 destinations within New Zealand as well as the Pacific and Australia, all within easy reach,” Foran said.
Japan. Clay Banks/Unsplash Photo
ASIA TOURISM SLOWLY OPENS
Lots of headlines around these days about tourism improving in Asia. TravelandTourWorld.com today reports that Japan is getting ready to join other top Asia-Pacific destinations in fully reopening to tourism.
“But the region’s beaches, shopping meccas and cultural sites are finding the return to pre-Covid prosperity is slower than in the U.S. and Europe, in part because would-be Chinese tourists are still largely stuck at home,” the site states.
According to FlightGlobal.com, Airports Council International says the Asia-Pacific will lose the top ranking in passenger numbers this year owing to the travel policies of China and Japan.
The airport operator grouping forecasts that passenger traffic for the region will rise 22% year on year to 1.84 billion, but this will trail international traffic growth of 47%.
