Air Canada announced today the strategic expansion of its international network with the addition of new, non-stop flights from its hub at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to Dubai. The new route will operate four times weekly beginning Oct. 28, 2023 onboard Air Canada’s flagship Dreamliner fleet. The carrier’s new Vancouver-Dubai flights will complement Air Canada’s daily service between Toronto and Dubai, broadening its presence in fast-growing international markets. “We are extremely pleased to add the only non-stop service linking Vancouver and Dubai, two iconic and vibrant global destinations,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management, at Read more

WestJet has issued a comprehensive update on the progress it is making against its new strategic direction, which was introduced in June 2022 and is focused on building a strong, resilient low-cost airline that has a clear runway for growth. WestJet Group Chief Executive Officer Alexis von Hoensbroech provided the update as part of a State of the Airline address to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. “We are now seeing the benefits of our new strategy coming to life across Canada; it is ambitious, laser-focused on our strengths and brings back more of what Canadians love about WestJet,” said von Read more

Early this morning, Air Canada and Dreams Take Flight returned to the skies for the first time since 2020 with a plane load of children from Winnipeg to Florida to experience a trip-of-a-lifetime. Thanks to generous volunteers, many Air Canada employees and retirees, the support of the Air Canada Foundation and the work by the Dreams Take Flight organization, eight flights will operate this year, making dreams come true for an estimated 1000 children with an unforgettable day at a theme park in Florida or California. The flight from Winnipeg left in the early hours of the morning and transported Read more

Flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have launched the “Unpaid Work Won’t Fly” campaign, a national effort to end the widespread abuse of unpaid work in the airline sector that sees the average flight attendant in Canada work 35 hours every month for free. “Much of the Canadian public has no idea that when flight attendants are doing their pre-flight safety checks, or assisting passengers with boarding, or helping passengers when their plane is delayed at the gate after a long journey, that the flight attendant isn’t even being paid,” said Wesley Lesosky, a flight Read more

  A report from Christopher Reynolds of Canadian Press lays out some startling information on the reduction of flight options for Canadians, and the increased cost. In a story that appeared in the Toronto Star, Reynolds wrote that prices on flights between Halifax and Montreal rose 69% after WestJet cancelled the route. He also noted that fares between Winnipeg and Regina umped 39% after Air Canada left the route for WestJet. Quoting the airline website Hopper, Reynolds said that, since 2019, roundtrip air fares for Canadians for trips to Europe have risen 32%, while those to the U.S. have gone Read more

Snoring passengers, cancelled flights and price gouging by airlines are the three biggest pet peeves of today’s traveler, a new study says. A survey of 4,000 American travelers in March by Destination Analysts found that 39.7% of respondents listed flight delays and cancellations as their biggest beef with travel today. That’s not surprising given the mess we saw this winter with Southwest Airlines and others. Next in the list of top irritants was price gouging by airlines at 37.4%. That was followed  by snoring passengers at 37%. Other top ten peeves listed were dirty hotel rooms, people talking too loud Read more