Canadians have a great new way to get to one of the top destinations in Florida. Porter Airlines today launched daily, roundtrip service between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Tampa. This is the first U.S. route operated by any airline with the state-of-the-art Embraer E195-E2. Porter is the North American launch customer for Embraer’s newest family of E2 jets. The 132-seat, all-economy aircraft has a two-by-two configuration, which means no middle seat on any Porter flight. Porter passengers also enjoy free WiFi, a selection of premium snacks, and free beer and wine served in glassware. Priority check-in, extra legroom seats, Read more
Canada
WestJet says it is profitable once again, and is re-committing to providing customers with affordable air travel. WestJet CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, today addressed key stakeholders and community members at the Toronto Region Board of Trade. In his address, von Hoensbroech shed light on the airlines’ recent accomplishments and shared insights into its strategic outlook and plans to drive the Group’s growth strategy as Canada’s leading low-cost airline. After a challenging three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WestJet Group has surpassed its pre-pandemic capacity levels and returned to profitability, setting the airline up for success as it continues Read more
Time Out has just issued its annual list of the world’s 40 coolest neighborhoods. Of course, it’s entirely a judgment call; what I call cool might be considerably different from what you like. Still I enjoy these lists. So here are some highlights that include some of my fave countries and U.S. states to visit. UNITED STATES California impressed with two spots in the top 30. The vibrant and funky Arts District in Los Angeles was 13th overall and second in the U.S. only to the Mid-City district of New Orleans. Here’s a Vancouver Sun story I wrote that talks Read more
If you’ve noticed air fares are more reasonable these days, you’re definitely onto something. The latest StatsCan report states that consumers paid less for air transportation (21.1%) in September on a year-over-year basis. That coincides with a gradual increase in flights offered by airlines over the previous 12 months, the agency said. Robert Kokonis, president and managing director at AirTrav Inc., told me that the StatsCan figures estimate the average change of airfares within Canada and between Canadian cities and international destinations. “I am not surprised given the growth of seat capacity recovery over the past 12 months, particularly in Read more
Sports travel has become big business around the world, and Canadians are doing their part. We’re also seeing a good deal of Canadian interest in visiting the U.S. A report released today by Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo finds that almost half (42%) of Canadian sports fans were more likely to travel and see a game on the road rather than attending a game at home or in their closest sports city1. The Sports Travel Road Game Report also found that the average fan takes approximately three sports trips per year, and that 80% of fans are looking to take either Read more
