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Young Canadians Eager to Travel; New iPhone 14 + WestJet Trims Flights Between Toronto and Ottawa

The economy is a bit of a mess, but young Canadians remain eager to travel. 

A new Scotiabank study says 61% of Canadian Gen Z’ers and a third of Canadian Millennials (32%) plan to travel this spring.

Overall, nearly one-in-four Canadians (23%) say they’re planning to vacation this spring, with another 17% considering travel. Among those officially planning a trip, the majority want to venture internationally (53%), while 42% plan to stay within Canada’s borders. What’s more, younger Canadians (aged 18-34) are mostly looking to travel domestically (53%), while Canadians aged 35-54 (58%) and 55+ (70%) are looking at an international destination.

The survey data confirms that Canadians are excited to leave winter behind and embark on a fun vacation. With its many features and benefits including complimentary airport lounge access and no foreign transaction fees when shopping abroad (exchange rate still applies), the award-winning Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* is the credit card that can help them get to their set destination.

“In anticipation of March Break and the spring travel season, we’re seeing a strong desire from Canadians from coast-to-coast wanting to get out and explore the world again,” said Laura Scheck, Vice President of Credit Cards at Scotiabank. “Our data shows us that Canadians want to travel both internationally and within the country and the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* can help. With an array of unique travel rewards and benefits, including no foreign transaction fees, comprehensive travel insurances+, and complimentary airport lounge access, Canadians can explore with peace of mind.”

Choosing the right credit card can be tricky. When asked of the following four main features which one they consider a must for a travel credit card, survey respondents planning on using their credit card to pay for an upcoming spring trip cited they would take most advantage of redeeming points towards the cost of the trip (45%), travel insurance benefits (44%), no foreign transaction fees (14%), and airport lounge access (10%), while 14% of respondents cited other features.

“With so many credit cards on the market, it’s critical to offer something to Canadians for all their travel needs, including flexible ways to earn and redeem points, travel insurance, no foreign transaction fees, airport lounge access and beyond,” said D’Arcy McDonald, Senior Vice President of Retail Payments and Unsecured Lending at Scotiabank. “The Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* helps Canadians stretch their dollars in order to make the most of their trip after such a lengthy period of travel restrictions and roadblocks.”

With the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite*, Canadians can earn 3X the Scene+TM points to redeem towards their next getaway through the expanded Scene+TM loyalty program for every dollar they spend on their card on eligible grocery purchases at over 1,100 participating Empire store brands across Canada including Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland and more. Cardholders can also earn 2X the Scene+ TM points on other eligible grocery purchases, daily transit, and dining and entertainment purchases so redeeming points towards an upcoming vacation can add up quickly.

The Rideau Canal in Ottawa. PHOTO COURTESY VISIT 1000 ISLANDS

WESTJET TRIMMING OTTAWA-TORONTO FLIGHTS

WestJet will reduce its service between Toronto and Ottawa starting May 1.

CTV News reports WestJet currently operates three flights daily between the two cities. The network said the airline’s website indicates that, beginning May 1, there will only be one direct flight per day, departing Ottawa for Toronto at 5:30 p.m.

The network notes that WestJet previously had suspended flights from Ottawa to Halifax, and also had cut winter flights from Quebec City, Fredericton and Charlottetown. WestJet this week announced major increases in its service levels for Western Canada this summer, part of the Calgary-based airlines general shift to a more Western Canadian schedule.

MELLOW YELLOW: NEW iPHONE14  INTRODUCED

Apple today announced a new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, adding even more colour choices to the lineup this spring. Beautifully designed and built to last, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have a durable Ceramic Shield front cover, an updated internal design for better sustained performance and easier repairs, and amazing battery life — with iPhone 14 Plus offering the longest battery life of any iPhone ever. Both models include a dual-camera system for stunning photos and videos, the powerful A15 Bionic chip, and innovative safety capabilities including Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection. The new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available to pre-order this Friday, March 10, with availability starting Tuesday, March 14.

“People love their iPhone and rely on it every day for all that they do, and now there’s an exciting addition to the lineup with a new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The extraordinary battery life, lightweight design, pro-level camera and video features, groundbreaking safety capabilities like Emergency SOS via satellite, and all iOS 16 has to offer make iPhone 14 a great option for anyone in the market for a new iPhone.”

I haven’t tried the iPhone14 or iPhone 14 Plus but I have an iPhone 13 Pro that I dearly love. It takes AMAZING photos and does everything I need a phone to do, short of making cappuccino.

A Beautiful and Durable Design with Amazing Battery Life

The 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus feature a durable aerospace-grade aluminum design that is water- and dust-resistant, with a Ceramic Shield front cover that is tougher than any other smartphone glass, protecting iPhone from common spills and accidents. An updated internal design provides better sustained performance — great for heavy workloads and high-powered gaming — while improving ease and affordability of repairs. Both models include a gorgeous Super Retina XDR display with OLED technology that supports 1200 nits of peak HDR brightness, along with support for Dolby Vision. The larger display of iPhone 14 Plus is fantastic for watching content, streaming Apple Fitness+ workouts, and playing games, while boasting the longest battery life of any iPhone ever.

A Powerful Dual-Camera System to Capture Every Moment

With iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, users have an advanced dual-camera system right in their pockets. The system features an impressive new pro-level Main camera with a larger sensor for gorgeous photos and videos, as well as an Ultra Wide camera to capture unique perspectives. Both iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus include the new front TrueDepth camera that automatically focuses on multiple subjects at different distances for sharper close-ups and beautiful group selfies. And the larger aperture captures brighter colour and finer detail in low-light scenes. 

The iPhone 14 lineup introduced Photonic Engine, improving mid- to low-light performance for photos across all cameras compared to the previous generation: up to 2x on the TrueDepth and Ultra Wide cameras, and 2.5x on the new Main camera. Photonic Engine is able to preserve subtle textures, provide better colour, and maintain more information in a photo through a deep integration of hardware and software.

Video features like Action mode and Cinematic mode are available across the iPhone 14 lineup to help users unleash their creativity. Action mode enables smooth-looking video that adjusts to significant shakes and motion — even when video is being captured in the middle of the action. Cinematic mode supports 4K at 30 fps and 4K at 24 fps, enabling a beautiful depth-of-field effect that automatically changes focus in a simple and intuitive way to capture cinema-style moments.

Groundbreaking Safety Capabilities for Peace of Mind

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus offer critical safety capabilities that can provide emergency assistance when it matters most. Emergency SOS via satellite allows users to message with emergency services when cellular and Wi-Fi coverage are not available through a combination of custom-designed components and deeply integrated software. Additionally, if users want to reassure friends and family of their whereabouts while off the grid, they can open the Find My app and share their location via satellite. This service — which has already helped users in emergency situations in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the U.K. — will come to Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal later this month.

Crash Detection on the iPhone 14 lineup can detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services if a user is unconscious or unable to reach their iPhone. Apple-designed motion algorithms trained with over a million hours of real-world driving and crash record data combine with motion inputs from the new accelerometer and gyroscope, GPS, barometer, and microphone on iPhone to bring this innovative safety feature to life. When paired with Apple Watch, Crash Detection seamlessly leverages the unique strength of both devices to get users help efficiently.

  • iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are currently available in midnight, starlight, (PRODUCT)RED,9 blue, and purple, and will be available in yellow in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities, starting at $1,099 (CAD) and $1,249 (CAD) respectively.
  • Customers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, the U.K., the U.S., and more than 60 other countries and regions will be able to pre-order iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in yellow beginning at 5 a.m. PST this Friday, March 10, with availability beginning Tuesday, March 14.