WestJet says it will shift resources to concentrate on Western Canada, and also is scaling back its Dreamliner plans in order to focus on narrowbody planes. WestJet this week brought together leaders, representing all parts of the operations and business, to hear directly from Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alexis von Hoensbroech, as he shared plans for growth into the COVID recovery, and the airline’s commitment to embracing its cost-conscious roots in service of affordable air travel for Canadians.  “The immediate priority is to ensure we are ready for the high volume of pent-up travel demand this summer,” said Alexis von Read more

Following the renovation of the 43rd-floor Club Lounge in October 2021, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel has completed the latest phase of its extensive transformation. This summer, the hotel will welcome travellers and locals to its fully reimagined lobby level which includes two new food and beverage offerings, private collaboration Studios and soundproof Booths, upgraded porte cochère, and an outdoor pool garden. Marking the largest renovation of the hotel’s almost 50-year history, the modernized look exemplifies Sheraton’s new design as part of its global transformation journey, drawing on the brand’s roots as a community hub for locals and guests to create Read more

The government of The Bahamas announced today that fully vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to submit to pre-travel COVID-19 testing to enter the country. All unvaccinated travellers ages 2 and older will be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test — either a negative RT-PCR test or a Rapid Antigen test — taken no more than three days (72 hours) prior to travel and present the negative test results at check-in before travel to The Bahamas.  Changes go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, June 19, 2022. The government on Wednesday said it was eliminating the mandatory Read more

Mayors in Canadian border cities say the federal goverment’s ArriveCAN app is discouraging American visitors from coming into the country. They’re asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to scrap the program. What’s happening right now is Americans are showing up in the minivan with their family at the border with no knowledge of the ArriveCAN app,” Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said. “There’s a lineup of cars behind them. They can’t get into the country.” Diodati said his city depends on tourism. He estimated that some 10 million Americans would cross the border into Niagara Falls, Ontario every year before the Read more

As the car rental shortage persists, Canadians are increasingly turning to alternative solutions to access a car so they can enjoy their summer travels as planned. Turo, Canada’s largest peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace, is seeing a spike in usage to meet the demand, with bookings up 796% year-over- year for the Canada Day long weekend.  Calgary looks to be the go-to domestic travel destination for the season– it’s seeing one the biggest booking spikes amongst all cities this Canada Day and is one of the fastest growing cities for bookings this summer.   According to Turo bookings data, the top four Read more

According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, 41% of them say record-high prices at the pump will greatly impact their decisions to travel in the next six months, up from 32% in May. And 36% of travelers report that higher fuel costs and ticket prices are reducing the likelihood of booking air travel for the rest of this year. “High gas and jet fuel prices are disrupting travel plans for this summer and fall,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International.  “Predictions of even higher fuel costs in future, if accurate, could do significant Read more