It was a pretty good year for travel outside Canada, with numerous trips to California, a couple to Hawaii, one to Florida, a river cruise in Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, and two weeks in Western Australia and New South Wales. From Santa Monica to Sydney and Maui to Vienna, here are some of my top experiences, fave foods and hotels of 2022. BEST ISLAND PHOTO: The Abrolhos Islands of Western Australia, as seen from my scenic flight with Geraldton Air Charter. We spotted pods of dolphins from the air. You also can take a trip that includes a nice swim Read more
Europe
Ireland tourism is on the rise. Ditto for Puerto Rico. But the most interesting news of the day comes from China. If you’re like me (I’m not saying that’s a good thing), your biggest pet peeve on an airline is when someone sitting in front of you reclines their seat. I don’t mind if it’s a night flight; that’s to be expected. And I would do the same thing. But unless you’ve just flown in from Australia, I don’t see the need to recline your seat on a day flight and cram the space of the person sitting behind you. Read more
Your travel dollars likely won’t go as far next year. Air Monitor 2023, published today by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), forecasts widespread air fare price rises in North America and around the world, due to a range of factors including inflation, rising fuel costs, and capacity issues. The report is an annual forecast of air fare movements on key business travel routes. North American domestic fares are expected to see moderate rises (3.4% business, 2.9% economy) as more capacity comes online in 2023. Europe-North America routes are expected to see modest rises of 3.7%, while intra-European flights Read more
WestJet today announced its 2023 summer 787 Dreamliner routes from YYC Calgary International Airport, unveiling Tokyo, Japan, as its first destination in Asia with new service to Narita International Airport. The airline is also creating greater two-way tourism opportunities and increasing connectivity between Western Canada and Europe with new service between Calgary and Barcelona, Spain and Edinburgh, Scotland along with increased frequencies on existing European routes. Today’s announcement comes as WestJet prepares for broader expansion within Canada and North America over the coming months. Open Jaw reports that flights from Toronto to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Barcelona and London Gatwick will Read more
Cyber Monday deals are here for WestJet, Air Canada and Air Transat. Air Canada is offering up to 30% off on air fares on flights within Canada and to the U.S. and Sun destinations. They also are offering $50 savings on flights to Europe, South America, and Asia. Bookings must be made today (Monday, Nov. 28, 2022) for travel until June 30, 2023. They have 1,000 bookings at 30% off using the promo code 22CYBER30 and 2,000 bookings at 25% off using the promo code 22CYBER25. There are unlimited bookings at 20% off using the promo code 22CYBER20. WestJet is Read more
