The 2024 travel year started with a literal bang, when the door of a Boeing 737 Max blew off in mid-flight. Things got arguably worse from then on, with two Canadian airlines going under, a surprise WestJet mechanics strike, massive computer glitches that grounded aircraft, and, now, talk of a potential Air Canada pilots strike. Here’s a brief look at the year of travelling dangerously. JANUARY: On Jan. 5, on a flight from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California, an unused exit door on A Boeing 737 Max 9 jet unexpectedly blew off at about 16,000 feet. The jet was forced Read more
Lynx Air
Air Canada today said it will cap fares and add more than 6,000 seats in select markets operated by Lynx Air in response to the airline’s announcement that it is suspending operations on February 26, 2024. WestJet also is offering discounts to help affected passengers. The measures are to provide Lynx Air customers affected by the carrier’s shutdown affordable options in the Economy cabin on Air Canada flights for travel within Canada, to the US and to Cancun in Mexico so they can return home or make alternative travel arrangements for planned winter trips. These fares will be available for Read more
The Canadian airline industry is about to have one less competitor, and Canadian consumers are scrambling. The news that Lynx Air will roll up its operations on 26FEB at 12:01 a.m. MT sent shock waves through the Canadian business world, and leaves Flair Airlines as Canada’s only ultra-low-cost carrier. The announcement came as Lynx said it had sought and obtained an initial order for creditor protection from the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta. In a news release, Calgary-based Lynx said a combination of factors, including high fuel costs and airport fees, has made it impossible for them to continue operating. Read more
Alberta is aiming to more than double the size of its visitor economy by 2035. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Valentine’s Day presented a new long-term tourism strategy to help Alberta’s visitor economy reach $25 billion per year by 2035. The province saw a record $10.7 billion in tourism spending, an increase of $600 million from 2019. “We’re going to do this by prioritizing sustainable and responsible development, such as all-season resorts, which will give Alberta tourism operators even more of a competitive edge,” Smith said at a press event in Jasper. The St. Albert Gazette said one of the 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
