Here are some new travel bits from today’s news, as well as a recap of some items from earlier this week that you might have missed. Canada’s Travel Guy, at your service. PORTER AIRLINES TRIMS SCHEDULE The Globe and Mail today reports that Toronto-based Porter Airlines has made “extensive” cuts to its flight schedule. The airline in the last couple months has with great fanfare announced a series of new routes on its new Embraer jets, including Toronto-Calgary and Toronto-Vancouver. I spotted airline founder Bob Deluce at Toronto Pearson a few weeks ago and he said more big announcements Read more
cancelled flights
March is roaring in like a lion, and Canadian and American travellers are paying the price. A so-called “mega-storm” lashed the Greater Toronto Area with high winds and heavy, wet snow that reached depths of 35 centimeters. Roughly one-third of flights had been cancelled at Toronto Pearson as of 2 p.m. EST today (Saturday, March 4), nearly 1,000 flights in all. Airports in Detroit and Boston were hit with numerous cancelled flights over night , and authorities were warning of problems at airports in Ottawa and Montreal. As of 10 a.m. Saturday, Toronto Pearson’s media site was showing 459 outgoing Read more
Following is a Sunwing statement on holiday travel disruptions for Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Agency Leaders Advisory Group To our valued travel advisors, At Sunwing, we have always remained steadfast in our purpose of making vacation dreams come true and travel advisors are integral to that process, helping our mutual customers choose from a wide variety of all inclusive resorts located in a number of popular vacation destinations. We know the past three years have been challenging and we have navigated through each obstacle together. Of course, this past month has been particularly difficult for travel advisors Read more
The bad news continues for Sunwing, and for Canadian travellers. Sunwing airlines has reduced its flight schedules from three airports in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canadian Press reports. Tiffany Chase with the Halifax International Airport Authority said on Sunday that Sunwing cancelled its plans to launch once-weekly flights in February from Halifax to Orlando, Fla., and to Cayo Largo del Sur, Cuba. A twice-weekly flight to Varadero, Cuba, set to begin in February will be reduced to once a week, she said. “We expect Sunwing’s other scheduled services at Halifax Stanfield to continue this winter season,” Halifax airport’s communications Read more
The snowstorms that iced many Canadians out of their holiday travel plans, continue to leave airline and railway executives and politicians on the hot seat. New data from the Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians blame airlines and rail companies almost as much as they do the weather for cancelled flights and delayed trains over Christmas and New Years. The Angus Reid poll found that 70% of Canadians blame the weather, but that 68% said the problems lie with airlines and rail companies. One-in-three (33%) point the finger at the federal government. A similar number (30%) blame the travellers for putting Read more