Gun violence in Mexico forced the temporary closure of two airports, stranding more Canadians. CP24 says Canadian tourists were trapped inside a Mexican hotel Thursday as buses that were supposed to take them to an airport and safely home burned outside. “It’s just chaos,” said Tina Dahl of Edmonton, whose six family members stranded in the popular tourist city of Mazatlan were supposed to fly out Thursday night. The government of Canada travel advice Twitter feed states that “there is widespread violence in Sinaloa State since the arrest of a (drug) cartel leader. The Culiacán and Mazatlán airports are closed. Read more
cruising
Today is Alaska’s statehood day, and to celebrate the region that is at the heart of summer cruising Holland America Line is sharing details of its 2024 Alaska season. The premium cruise line is debuting a new 28-day Arctic Circle itinerary that includes 12 Alaska ports, longer 14-day voyages and 117 weeklong journeys, enhancing its position as the leader in Alaska cruising. With more sailings to Glacier Bay National Park than any other cruise line, the only cruise line to include the unspoiled riches of the Yukon plus Denali on overland Cruisetours and more than 75 years of Alaska exploration Read more
The CBC reports that the backlog of complaints to the Canadian Transportation Agency related to delayed or cancelled flights or lost luggage has ballooned to more than 30,000 — up from 18,000 this summer — but the number may have peaked. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) — a quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator tasked with settling disputes between airlines and customers — has been dealing with a massive number of air passenger complaints since new regulations came into force in 2019 that require an airline to compensate passengers when a flight is delayed or cancelled for a reason that is within Read more
Canadians have another day or so to enter a contest for a free trip to Taiwan. To celebrate Taiwan lifting all COVID entry and quarantine requirements in mid-October, Taiwan Tourism Bureau erected a life-sized replica of a traditional Taiwanese house in Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto. By stepping inside the Taiwanese house, consumers had the opportunity to experience Taiwan’s diverse and rich offerings through a fully-immersive audiovisual experience! Prior to entering, consumers were directed to ItsTimeForTaiwan.com, where they filled out a quick quiz to determine what their ideal Taiwanese vacation is, out of three options: ACTIVE vacation, CULTURAL vacation and LOCAL Read more
Air Canada is getting into the electric airplane business. Canada’s largest airline today announced a purchase agreement for 30 ES-30 electric-hybrid aircraft under development by Heart Aerospace of Sweden. The revolutionary regional aircraft, expected to enter service in 2028, will generate zero emissions flying on battery power and yield significant operational savings and benefits. Under the agreement, Air Canada has also acquired a US$5 million equity stake in Heart Aerospace. Saab also is buying a stake, according to published reports. “Air Canada has taken a leadership position in the industry to address climate change. The introduction into our fleet of Read more
