WestJet is banking on Calgary as its future hub, moving all its 787 Dreamliners into Calgary International Airport and creating a tourism partnership with the province of Alberta. They’re also talking about using Calgary as a hub for more flights to Europe and even Asia. Speaking at a news conference in Calgary, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the Alberta-based airline will designate Calgary as its exclusive global connecting hub. “The WestJet Group and the Government of Alberta today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership, focused on significantly advancing aviation across the province in support of a stronger economy and a long-lasting, Read more
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The Fort Myers airport is slated to open for limited traffic today, but that doesn’t mean tourism will be back any time soon in Southwest Florida. A spokesperson for Fort Myers tourism told me on Tuesday that limited flights will begin today and that Air Canada is tentatively scheduled to fly in and out of Fort Myers on Friday. A few hotels could open soon, but rooms are being set aside for utility workers and other responders. Hurricane Ian did tremendous damage to Florida and other parts of the U.S., as well as to some Caribbean islands. The death toll Read more
Aeroplan, Canada’s leading travel loyalty program, today launched HotelSavers, allowing members to book stays with Aeroplan points at preferential rates at a broad range of acclaimed hotels worldwide. “When Canadians want to fly on points, they can already count on Aeroplan as Aeroplan credit card holders can redeem for Air Canada flight rewards for an average of 30% fewer points than if they used points for non-Aeroplan Canadian bank-based travel programs. However, no one has focused on delivering Canadians a great hotel rewards program – that changes today,:” said Scott O’Leary, Vice President, Loyalty and Product at Air Canada. “With Read more
How’s this for an interesting turn of events. The Trudeau government in Canada, which was roundly criticized in some circles for being too strict about travel restrictions during the pandemic, eliminated all travel rules on Saturday, October 1. But the U.S. hasn’t done the same. As of today, October 5, the U.S. still requires all non U.S. residents to show proof of vaccination before entering the country. It’s not an overly onerous policy (no troublesome apps to deal with or random testing), but it’s something that the U.S. tourism industry says discourages visitors from taking trips to New York City, Read more
Norwegian Cruise Line today announced that it has updated its global health and safety protocols by removing all COVID-19 testing, masking and vaccination requirements effective Oct. 4, 2022. Given the significant, positive progress in the public health environment, the cruise line said it updated its health and safety guidelines, which are now more aligned with other global travel organizations. “Health and safety are always our first priority; in fact, we were the health and safety leaders from the very start of the pandemic,” said Harry Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line president and chief executive officer. “Many travelers have been patiently waiting Read more
