WestJet’s chief executive says Canadians should find plenty of good travel deals this winter and on into summer. Speaking to Yahoo Finance Canada, CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said travel demand is resilient and that he expects a strong winter season. But he also said capacity is up and that there are more options for travellers. “There are markets that have seen strong pent-up demand that drove pricing, because there was an imbalance between supply and demand, the most prominent being on (transatlantic routes) over the summer,” von Hoensbroech said. Demand is now more in line with capacity, which has helped Read more
Swoop Airlines
Get ready for higher airline prices in Canada. Airline and travel industry experts say WestJet’s decision to wind down Sunwing Airlines over the next two years will mean more inflation for consumers. “It’s going to mean higher prices and worse service,” Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights, a Halifax-based advocacy organization, told the Globe and Mail. While WestJet’s decision to wind down Sunwing Airlines operations will almost certainly lead to higher prices, McGill University aviation expert John Gradek told that the Globe that that’s just one of several issues that Ottawa needs to address in the airline industry. “The Read more
Competition in Canadian skies is about to decrease by a very large amount. Just days after WestJet officials revealed they were merging Swoop Airlines into mainline operations, it now appears they’re going to fold Sunwing Airlines. Canadian Press reports WestJet is planning to wind down Sunwing Airlines, “integrating the low-cost carrier into its mainline business within two years as part of a plan to streamline operations.” In an internal memo obtained by The Canadian Press, Sunwing Airlines president Len Corrado said the change will open up markets for the 18-year-old company as well as its workers. “WestJet will eventually move Read more
WestJet and its pilots have ratified a new contract that provides pilots with a big pay boost, and eliminates low-cost carrier Swoop. The second collective bargaining agreement between WestJet and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the certified union representing WestJet and Swoop pilots, was ratified today. As negotiated in the collective agreement, the WestJet Group will now begin integration efforts of its ultra-low-cost airline, Swoop. Through an expedited process, the airline anticipates a full integration into its mainline operations by the end of October. To avoid traveller impact, Swoop will operate its existing network through to the end of Read more
Bad enough that we’re getting squeezed into airplanes. Now consumers around the world are facing skyrocketing airline prices. Bloomberg reports that corporate travel manager American Express Global Business Travel analyzed tens of thousands of client transactions on international flights to and from Asian destinations and found some serious inflation at work. A typical New York-to-Hong Kong flight in economy class cost more than twice as much this year as in 2019, and almost a third more than last year. “Fares have been bolstered by tight capacity going into travel’s peak season and customers are eager to book, often upgrading to Read more
