After a summer 2022 air travel season filled with delays and disruptions, NBC News says air travelers should prepare for what could be more of the same this summer.   In an interview with CNBC, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said customers are more interested than ever in getting out of town this summer. Air travel “is something the consumer’s prioritizing,” he said. “They may be pulling back in other areas … but I don’t see it in our credit card data, I don’t see it in our bookings.” The New York Times recently reported that three of Read more

The “father of the atomic bomb” in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer biopic was a tortured, brilliant man who was an assistant professor at Caltech at a mere 26 years old. The character portrayed by Cillian Murphy lived on and off in Pasadena for 12 years. Visitors curious about “Oppenheimer” can visit Pasadena to further explore the science, as well as the life he lived while roaming Pasadena in his powder-blue Cadillac convertible.   Tour the California Institute of Technology: Caltech Campus  Located in the heart of Pasadena, the Caltech campus is a lush respite with a turtle pond, fountains, historic buildings, and beautiful trees that hang overhead. Here, Read more

Porter Airlines is expanding its Western Canada network with the addition of a non-stop route between Ottawa International Airport (YOW) and Edmonton International Airport (YEG).  The new route begins October 4, with one daily roundtrip flight operated on the 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. Introductory roundtrip fares start at $184. The Edmonton-Ottawa route offers a variety of connections to Eastern Canada via Ottawa. Porter also operates multiple non-stop daily flights between Edmonton and Toronto-Pearson.  Here’s a story I wrote about Ottawa a few years ago.  And one from Edmonton back in 2014. Route Departure Arrival Ottawa-Edmonton 7:15 p.m. 9:40 p.m. Edmonton-Ottawa Read more

Thinking of a trip to Europe next year? You’ll likely need a special waiver form/authorization statement. Americans, Canadians, Australians, Mexico citizens and many others heading to Europe have traditionally not needed special documentation, other than a passport. But the European Union is changing the rules for 2024, and will now require a special authorization for people travelling from visa-exempt countries (1.4 billion people in all) to so-called Schengen Zone countries, which you can apply for in advance through the European Travel Information and Authorization System, or ETIAS. NOTE: This does not apply to the United Kingdom or Ireland, which are Read more

One of the world’s favourite foods is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary in January, 2024. And a weary, hungry world says thank you. The story goes that Lionel Sternberger, a 16-year-old worker at a restaurant in Pasadena, California, was making up some hamburgers at a place called The Rite Spot in the first month of 1924. Apparently one of the patties started to fall apart. Rather than serve a good customer a fragmented burger, he is said to have found a slice of cheese and placed it on top to cover up his poor patty work. Voila! A star was born. Read more

  WESTJET NEW WINTER SCHEDULE   WestJet today announced its winter schedule, unveiling significant opportunities for Canadians to plan their winter escapes and extending key domestic and international routes from summer to year-round service. New routes include Calgary-Tampa Bay, Toronto-Bonaire and Edmonton-Montego Bay. The Tampa Bay flights will allow greater access to St. Petersburg, Clearwater Beach and Dunedin, spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays. WestJet also is extending key routes to operate year-round, including Calgary-Paris and Vancouver-Atlanta. “This year’s winter schedule is about providing Canadians with what they want: affordable sun destination getaways from across Canada; enhanced domestic Read more