Air Canada today announced the strategic expansion of its winter sun network, including four new routes from Toronto and Montreal to Monterrey and Los Cabos in Mexico and, La Romana and Fort-de-France in the Caribbean.
The airline is also deploying a substantial increase in capacity from its Vancouver hub to sought after sun destinations such as Mexico, Miami, Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Diego, and additional flights from coast to coast to popular winter vacation destinations in Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean. Seats are available for purchase now at aircanada.com, via the Air Canada App, Air Canada’s Contact Centres, and travel agents. Vacation packages are available for purchase at aircanadavacations.com
“We are seeing strong, ongoing interest for winter leisure travel, and as the leading carrier from Canada to popular sun destinations with up to 683 weekly flights planned this winter, we are thrilled to add exciting new services from Toronto and Montreal to the Caribbean and Mexico and significant increases from our Vancouver hub in response to pent up demand,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President, Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada. “With the most flights to choose from coast to coast this winter to popular leisure sun destinations and convenient travel package options through Air Canada Vacations, customers can begin booking their vacation to their preferred destination now.
The Caribbean island of Martinique. Mu photo courtesy of Unsplash.
“Air Canada continues implementing its global network strategy and has extended several European routes to year-round including Toulouse, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Lisbon, Rome, Madrid and Copenhagen,” he said. “We have optimized our schedule to conveniently connect Europe to popular leisure destinations in Florida and Mexico, enabling customers from Spain, France, Italy, the UK and Denmark to enjoy one-stop travel to sought-after North American vacation destinations this winter.”
Air Canada’s winter sun schedule anticipates an 11 per cent capacity increase from 2022 and plans to operate eight per cent more than its 2019 pre-pandemic sun schedule. Key highlights include up to 20 routes from across Canada to Florida, increased flights from across Canada to Cancun, Montreal to Palm Beach, Toronto to Fort Myers, and from Vancouver to Miami, Cancun, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Air Canada will boost Vancouver-Las Vegas flights from 7 per week to 14. The same goes for Vancouver-Phoenix. Capacity between Vancouver and San Diego will go up 110%.
The airline will boost Toronto-Cancun flights from 11 per week to 21, and will increase Toronto-Saint Vincent flights from 2 per week to 4 per week.
They’re also boosting Halifax-Cancun flights and Ottawa-Cancun service from 2 per week to 3 per week.
CARIBBEAN
Air Canada is the leading carrier between Canada and the French Caribbean, featuring new flights from its Toronto hub this winter complementing its year-round flights from Montreal. With 7 weekly flights from Canada to Martinique this winter peak, Air Canada has also optimized connections to and from its Toronto and Montreal hubs, bringing more people to discover Martinique.
MONTERREY
Air Canada becomes the only Canadian airline to offer flights between Canada and Monterrey, Mexico’s third largest metropolis that is home to business headquarters and commercial interests as well as historical culture, art and architectural attractions. Flights have been timed for convenient connections between Monterrey and Europe through Air Canada’s Toronto global hub.
PORTER AIRLINES AWARD
A Porter Airlines Embraer E195-E2 jet. Photo Courtesy Porter Airlines.
Porter Airlines is being recognized as winner of the 2023 Passengers Choice Awards for Best Cabin Service in North America from the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX). Porter’s unique approach to service sets it apart by offering a generous service experience and effortless travel for every passenger.
Earlier this year, Porter updated its renowned economy air travel experience, further challenging what every airline in North America offers. This starts with its signature in-flight service that offers every passenger complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, and a selection of premium snacks. Features such as free, fast WiFi with full internet access for all passengers on its new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, plus fresh, healthy meals and premium ready-made cocktails on longer flights are the latest additions. Porter prioritizes partnering with Canadian food and beverage brands who also take pride in high-quality products and generous service.
“For over 16 years, Porter has redefined the economy travel experience” said Kevin Jackson, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Porter Airlines. “Our team members take great pride in the level of service they provide to all of our passengers, not only frequent flyers or those who purchase more expensive fares. While menu items are important, our in-flight team’s focus on delivering overall cabin service with style, care and charm is a crucial part of what resonates with air travellers across Canada and in the U.S. We are grateful to receive this award that comes directly from passengers’ feedback.”
The awards are based on anonymous passenger feedback collected by TripIt® from Concur®, the world’s highest-rated travel-organizing app. For the 2023 Awards, nearly one million flights were rated by passengers across more than 600 airlines from around the world, using a five-star scale. Passengers also have the opportunity to provide anonymous ratings in five subcategories: seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment, and Wi-Fi.
