So, you’re tired of airline delays? You’re in good company. WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech took to his Twitter account (@AHoensbroech) on Thursday and blasted Navigation Canada for a 2.5-hour delay on his flight to Vancouver. “Frustrating! Delayed by 2.5h on our own @WestJet flight to @yvrairport because @navcanada is understaffed,” he wrote. “We would have been perfectly on time, now many guests will miss their connections. Shows again why we need a proper shared accountability system across the entire sector!” Daily Hive quoted a Navigation Canada (NavCan) official as saying that staffing matters are just one of many issues Read more
travel trends
There’s good news for the travel and tourism industry worldwide, as a new Mastercard study finds that consumers and business travelers alike expect to increase their travel in the next few years. LEISURE AND BUSINESS TRAVEL BOOST Between 2022 and 2025, consumers expect the number of annual trips they take to increase by 16%, while business travelers anticipate a 29% rise. Travel demand is being boosted by many factors, including pent-up demand, topped-up savings, flexible work arrangements and a widespread reordering of priorities. Many are also looking for reprieve: 71% of consumers told Mastercard that they’re desperate for a Read more
Despite the financial challenges posed by inflation and high gas prices, a significant majority of Canadians remain determined to embark on road trips this summer. Conducted among members of the Angus Reid Forum, the 2023 edition of the annual Toyota Canada Summer Road Trip Survey found 74% of those polled are still planning a road trip, but fuel efficiency and other ways to cut costs are very much top of mind this year. Cost-cutting and affordability are top of mind Of those who are planning a road trip this summer, 43% say rising gas prices have impacted their plans. And, Read more
Snoring passengers, cancelled flights and price gouging by airlines are the three biggest pet peeves of today’s traveler, a new study says. A survey of 4,000 American travelers in March by Destination Analysts found that 39.7% of respondents listed flight delays and cancellations as their biggest beef with travel today. That’s not surprising given the mess we saw this winter with Southwest Airlines and others. Next in the list of top irritants was price gouging by airlines at 37.4%. That was followed by snoring passengers at 37%. Other top ten peeves listed were dirty hotel rooms, people talking too loud Read more
Either the world is changing, or Gen-Z is getting older. A new study finds Gen-Z travellers are more interested in food or, gasp, sightseeing than they are in hitting the nightclubs. Maybe they’re becoming their parents. A new global report from StudentUniverse, a Flight Centre Travel Group company and the world’s largest student and youth travel marketplace, today’s Gen-Z travelers are more culturally aware, open to new experiences and willing to dig deeper into the places they visit. Compared to past generations, the biggest appeals now for young travelers are sightseeing (70%) and experiencing new culture (68%), followed by trying Read more
