The union representing WestJet pilots says they have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate. A representative of the Air Line Pilots Association told the CBC that 95% of pilots took part in the strike mandate voting, and that 93% were in favour of giving the union the ability to call a strike. Yahoo finance said pilots could strike or be locked out if notice is given on May 13. A job action that close to the long May weekend would obviously be extremely disruptive for Canadian travellers. WestJet officials pointed out that a strike authorization vote is a Read more

Vancouver International Airport is vowing major changes following a winter of woe. Officials on Monday announced a $40 million action plan will add new staff, improve training, better leverage technology, increase communication, and invest in additional equipment to keep more aircraft moving and passengers well informed. This plan follows a comprehensive review of the December 17-28, 2022 travel disruption at Vancouver International Airport (YVR), when thousands of passengers were stranded due to winter storms. Airport executives said they received direct feedback from more than 1,500 passengers and members of the public for the review. They also admitted they did a Read more

Tourism Ireland’s new global campaign – ‘Fill your heart with Ireland’ – is going live in Canada this week. The campaign is all about celebrating the different ways in which the island of Ireland fills the hearts of our visitors and of locals – and inviting potential holidaymakers to experience those for themselves. It’s an advocacy-led campaign, starring a selection of famous Irish personalities sharing the things about Ireland which fill their hearts and dialling up what differentiates Ireland from other destinations. The new ads will shine a light on Ireland’s characters and culture, through engaging personal anecdotes told by Read more

Yahoo.com reports that Toronto Blue Jays player Anthony Bass is sparking a debate after calling out flight attendants who he said “made” his wife clean up after their kids on a plane. On Sunday, Bass wrote on Twitter (his handle is @AnthonyBass52) that a United Airlines employee forced his wife, Sydney Rae Bass, to get “on her hands and knees” to pick up a mess made by their toddler. “The [United] flight attendant just made my 22 week pregnant wife traveling with a 5 year old and 2 year old get on her hands and knees to pick up the Read more

Inflation worries are causing Canadians to cut back on travel, but Gen Z remains eager to get out there and explore. An Ipsos Reid poll conducted in mid-March for Global News found that 62% of Canadians say they’re scaling back their vacation plans this year. Sixty one per cent of respondents blamed “inflation and the economy” for their travel trimming. A full 24% of those surveyed said they can’t afford a summer vacation, and only 13% said they’ll spend more this year. “Canadians are going to be looking for cheaper alternatives,” said Ipsos VP Sean Simpson. One person interviewed said Read more

A cool vibe, beautiful rooms, and views fit for a Hollywood A-listers. The Kimpton Everly Hotel has tons of great features that make it a welcome spot for hipsters, including a pool table in the lobby, free wine in the evening and a rooftop pool. But it’s not so over the top that your grandmother would feel out of place. We checked in for two nights in April and lucked into a 16th floor (as high as it goes) one-bedroom suite. The living area featured a large window looking directly up at the Hollywood Sign and, off to the right, Read more