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
Dubai
With a potential WestJet pilots’ strike or company lockout less than 48 hours away, WestJet’s CEO says a “massive” gap remains between the union and airline negotiators. Negotiations are continuing around the clock between WestJet and the Air Line Pilots Association as the clock ticks down toward a strike deadline of 3 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, May 19. CTV News reports the standoff “leaves thousands of passengers with travel plans for the May long weekend and beyond hanging in limbo — and has already affected bookings.” “The gap is still massive,” CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said of the negotiations, Read more
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
Travel + Leisure has come out with its annual “It List” of the top 100 new hotels in the world. The only Canadian property to make the list was The Ace in Toronto. “Canada’s first Ace property ticks many of the brand’s familiar boxes: a bustling lobby with people on laptops working by day and drinking by night; in-room acoustic guitars and curated vinyl; and walls hung with works by Toronto artists. It’s also one of the city’s boldest buildings,” the magazine said. The Ace in Sydney, Australia also made the list. New York City had seven hotels in Read more
CNN has a chart out today that lists the world’s busiest airports for 2022, and the U.S. is extremely dominant. The top four on the list are American airports, and U.S. facilities make up five of the top ten (indeed, five of the top six). China usually has an entry or two in these sort of lists, but the country has been slow to open up since the pandemic and failed to land an airport in the top 10 this time. The only Asian airport on the list is Delhi. Here’s the top 10. 1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Georgia (ATL): 93.7 Read more
