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Air Canada has announced a significant boost to its North American network capacity for summer 2024 with the addition of two new destinations, Tulum, Mexico, and Charleston, SC. There will also be five new routes, increased flight frequencies on others, and earlier resumption of several popular seasonal routes in response to expected demand.

The service to Tulum, which opened a new airport on Dec. 1, will be the first from a Canadian airline, with flights from Toronto and Montreal. Charleston will be available from YYZ.

Other service enhancements next summer include:

• Additional new flights to Austin (daily from May 2) and St. Louis (seasonal from May 1 from Montreal, complementing its flights from Toronto and Vancouver to Austin, and from Toronto to St. Louis.
• Boosting the North American network from coast to coast with more flights added on major routes, and by resuming seasonal routes earlier.
• To meet projected demand, additional flights have been added to key markets including in Ottawa, Calgary, Saskatoon, and Regina, as well as to growing regional markets.

For summer 2024, Air Canada will be serving 120 destinations in Canada, the US, and the Caribbean with up to 520 flights every day, translating to approximately 66,000 seats being dispatched, representing an increase of 5% percent North America and Caribbean seat capacity from 2023.

First published at Travel Industry Today

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Air Canada has introduced a new feature to its mobile app that will enable customers travelling within Canada to track the progress of their baggage and mobility aid in real time at key points as it moves with them throughout their journey. The airline says the new tracking feature is designed to provide travellers with added confidence and improve the overall customer experience through greater convenience.

The process is based on the same tag scanning information that Air Canada employees use at each stage to handle these items. Initially available to customers travelling within Canada during final development, the tracking feature will be expanded to the airline’s US flights next year and, over time, select international destinations.

Features include:

• Air Canada mobile app users will be able to track the progress of their checked items at key points from check-in, through the airport handling processes, on to the aircraft and through connections and arrival, providing reassurance every step of the way.
• For customers required to check mobility aids, they will be able to track the movement of their aid, including to confirm, under Air Canada’s enhanced accessibility protocols, that it is securely loaded before the aircraft departs.
• The tracker’s “What’s Next” feature tells customers the next step for their belongings, including information on where they need to pick up their bag, such as an airport baggage carousel number, either at a transfer point or the end of their journey.
• If baggage is delayed, in addition to existing text or email notifications, the app has the functionality to advise customers of delayed items and enable them to easily file a delayed baggage report from their smart phone and arrange delivery, which saves time waiting at the carousel or at a baggage assistance counter. Customers will receive a confirmation that the report is received with a file number and a link to follow-up on any updates.

The tracking feature is integrated into the Air Canada mobile app, which the airline touts as the best way for customers to manage their travel. In addition to allowing customers to book travel and check-in, the app provides self-service capabilities, up-to-the-minute notifications on flight status and gate changes, airport maps, and other useful information. Customers can download the Air Canada mobile app at no cost from Apple’s App Store or Google Play.

“At Air Canada, we know that apart from a safe, comfortable journey, the prompt delivery of baggage and mobility aids is a top priority for our customers,” says Tom Stevens, VP, Customer Experience and Operations Strategy at Air Canada. “We already achieve a very high reliability rate, but to further elevate our service we are introducing a new tracking feature in the Air Canada mobile app to give customers real-time information, greater certainty about the movement of their belongings during their trip, and heightened convenience.”

A video about the baggage tracking process can be downloaded HERE.

First published at Travel Industry Today

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Bangkok, Thailand, November 20, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / Jim Thompson, the iconic global lifestyle brand from Thailand celebrated for its beautiful silks, collaborates with Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) to launch the brand-new amenity kit designed exclusively for Royal Silk Class passengers. This partnership signifies the first extensive collaboration between THAI and Jim Thompson on such a grand scale. Crafted from biodegradable fabric, the Jim Thompson bag showcases six exclusive prints, thoughtfully paired with a velvety-soft slumber shade in a coordinated design. The bag also sports a selection of premium amenities such as a biodegradable toothbrush, socks, aromatherapy roller, lip balm, hand lotion, and more, all meticulously selected to enhance the comfort of the in-flight experience.

Mr. Chai Eamsiri, Chief Executive Officer, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI), says, “In partnership with Jim Thompson, we are pleased to introduce the new THAI amenity kit for Royal Silk Class passengers travelling on TG routes with flying time over four hours, except for flights operated with A320 aircraft. Our kit has been curated with a focus on comfort, luxury, and sustainability. This not only allows our passengers to journey with convenience and style but also reaffirms our commitment to eco-friendly practices and the reduction of single-use plastics. With many amenities in the kit crafted from biodegradable materials, Jim Thompson’s exclusive prints ensure we preserve Thailand’s aesthetics. Join us in experiencing the perfect blend of Thai elegance and sustainability through our innovative kit. In addition, to further promote this collaboration,celloni THAI Royal Orchid Holidays has specifically prepared a tour package for those who are interested in joining an exclusive trip, inspired by one of the fabric patterns of the amenity kit bag, PORCELAIN. The trip includes visiting a Chinese community and key historical attractions such as Wat Phanan Choeng and Wat Rachaburana in Ayutthaya province. The tour will be available in December 2023.”

Frank Cancelloni, Group CEO at Jim Thompson, says, “This amenity kit symbolizes a remarkable partnership, as both brands share a common objective of elevating Thailand’s presence on the international stage, all while staying committed to their authentic roots. Jim Thompson epitomizes Thai craftsmanship and artistic expression, while THAI represents the nation’s service excellence and cultural heritage as its national airline. We are honoured to partner with THAI and, at the same time, passionate about enabling world travellers the chance to savour a fusion of traditional Thai grace and contemporary design.”

The six exclusive Jim Thompson prints in the amenity kit draw inspiration from diverse facets of Thai culture and natural beauty. Bupha is a vibrant ode to the Dendrobium orchid, which grows in abundance in Thailand. Mini Elephants pays homage to the iconic Thai elephant, showcasing these majestic creatures in a playful display. Porcelain takes cues from the historical connection between Portugal and China, with rich blue hues and enchanted creatures. Amphawa captures the timeless essence of a quaint riverside community in Samut Songkhram, embodying serene canal homes and floating markets. Royal Garland echoes the deep-rooted tradition of crafting garlands as symbols of good fortune in Thai culture. Lastly, Yatra showcases the grandeur of elephant processions, a sight reserved for special occasions. Each print offers passengers a delightful tapestry of Thai experiences.

The collaboration with the national airline to enhance the global travel experience further underscores Jim Thompson’s commitment to innovate and expand its offerings beyond its world-renowned Thai silk heritage under the new “Beyond Silk” tagline.

About Jim Thompson
No brand spells heritage like Jim Thompson, the Thai Silk Company founded in 1951 by James H.W. Thompson, an architect, art collector, socialite, and entrepreneur who is recognized as the driving force behind the revival of Thailand’s silk industry. Jim Thompson’s disappearance remains one of Southeast Asia’s most intriguing unsolved mysteries. Today, Jim Thompson is the iconic global lifestyle brand from Thailand with a reputation for beautiful silks and “Beyond Silk”.

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Despite his 20-month tenure at WestJet being “quite a roller coaster for sure” through the pandemic and its aftermath, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech is enthused about his prospects for the company, for which he boldly proclaims, “We want to be the national leisure champions for Canada from coast to coast.”

Addressing key stakeholders and community members at the Toronto Region Board of Trade late last month, von Hoensbroech tracked WestJet’s 27-history in Canada up to the present, which includes the purchase of Sunwing earlier this year, and the final ride of Swoop last weekend ahead of its integration into the WestJet fleet.

But for all the up and downs and company course changes over the years, von Hoensbroech says WestJet’s current mission to rule the leisure sector is clear.

While he noted that “the only event in aviation history that reversed growth was the pandemic – and the pandemic was really, really bad,” von Hoensbroech added that “everything is recovering, and by now, I would say it’s not really bad.”

Moreover, he pointed out that 4.5 billion people globally travelled in 2019 (with almost as many expected this year), making WestJet a player in a “massive, massive industry.”

And at the same time, rising living standards and mobility will enable even more people to travel, he said, observing, “Four out of five people on this planet have not sat on an airplane.”

All of which sets up the airline up for success in a country with “long flight distances across its vast geographic landscape,” and, as such, one that “relies on air travel (and) needs airplanes more than any place in the world” due to lack alternative travel infrastructure (like trains).

And despite a dominant competitor (Air Canada) and new entrants in the market (Lynx, Flair, Canada Jetlines, etc.) creating “fierce new levels of competition,” WestJet says its ambitious growth plan (inclusive of Swoop and Sunwing) will see it provide more seats than any other Canadian airline across over 230 nonstop routes from 26 Canadian communities to 55 sun destinations in the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.

Further, its newly formed vacations division, Sunwing Vacations Group (which encompasses both Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations) forms the largest Canadian tour operator and allows WestJet to boast “two leisure champions” amongst its assets.

Indeed, underpinning the WestJet Group’s future is the airline’s strategic focus on the addition of Sunwing Vacations Group to its leisure portfolio, as well as expanding fleet of 737 aircraft.

And with the largest narrow-body orderbook in Canada, WestJet will soon begin to implement plans to densify its aircraft cabins to distribute costs across even more seats, while continuing to serve guests who prefer a more premium offering.

By leveraging the ultra-low fare products pioneered by Swoop and vacation packages offered by Sunwing Vacations, the WestJet Group says it “will harness a newfound ability to provide affordable fares alongside increased leisure vacation packages across Canada through its growing fleet.”

Notably absent from the plans is a desire to target business class travellers, a choice that aligned with the company’s decision coming to out of the pandemic to focus on three main priorities:

• To be a leader in western Canada – “a market where we can be No. 1”
• To “lean into leisure” and lead the sector across the country
• To target and be affordable to every Canadian, “and not just the elites.”

As important as knowing what it wants to be, von Hoensbroech says, what WestJet doesn’t want to be, namely operating where it has “no path to be No. 1” – such as flying in eastern Canada, particularly the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal triangle, or to New York, and instead “investing our assets into leisure flying in the West.” Similarly, not investing in non-core products.

But the WestJet boss notes that the airline still as a sizable presence in Ontario and eastern Canada, albeit with a greater focus on cross-country flying than regional connectivity.

And with the merger of WestJet and Sunwing, he enthuses, “this is the most comprehensive leisure network that Canada has ever seen… with 236 non-stop routes.”

And there’s the combination of the tour operators (WestJet Vacations with Sunwing Vacations), which von Hoensbroech calls the “new powerhouse of Canadian vacations.”

Since its launch in 1996 with three aircraft, WestJet has become “a large mid-size airline” (second largest in Canada), and “and a real success story,” that currently offers 30 million seats to over 100 destinations, says von Hoensbroech.

And, if the WestJet boss has his way, there’s nowhere to go but up.

First published at Travel Industry Today

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 23, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / Ethiopian Airlines Group, the fastest-growing global airline brand and the continent’s largest airline, is pleased to announce that it will resume four weekly passenger services to Madrid, Spain’s capital and a city of elegant boulevards and extensive, starting from December 9, 2023.

The four-time weekly services from Addis Ababa will be operated per the below schedule on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Regarding the resumption of the flight, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, “We are delighted to reinstate our Madrid flights. The new services will continue to be vital in linking Africa with Spain’s arts and financial center creating critical link to the socio-economic relationships between Madrid and more than 60 African cities where Ethiopian Airlines flies to. Once again, we are glad to offer this connection between the two regions. Ethiopian Airlines suspended its Madrid flights back in 2020 due to the pandemic; now we are back even stronger to provide our renowned award-winning services to/from the Spanish capital. Our services to Madrid will be operated by the modern Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that furnishes ultra-comfort to our esteemed customers.”

Ethiopian Airlines offers a seamless connection to both leisure and business travelers onboard its more than 140 young and modern fleet to its more than 150 passenger and cargo international and domestic destinations.

Apart from its flight resumption to Madrid, Ethiopian will start new services to Gatwick London and Bangui Central Africa in November while many more new destinations are in the pipeline.

About Ethiopian
Ethiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopian) is the fastest-growing airlines brand globally and the continent’s largest airline brand. In its seventy-seven years of successful operations, Ethiopian, the fastest growing airline, has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success. In addition to its main hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, it is also pursuing its multi-hub strategy through a hub in Lomé, Togo with ASKY, in Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawi Airlines and in Lusaka, Zambia with Zambia Airways. Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 150 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian’s fleet category consists of ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Boeing 737s, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900 and Bombardier Dash 8-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of seven years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate most of these aircraft.

Having achieved its strategic plan (Vision 2025) ahead of time, Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2035 that will see it become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world by providing safe, secured, market driven and customer focused Passenger and Cargo Transport and Logistics, Aviation Training, Airport Management and Ground Services, MRO and Aerospace Manufacturing and Travel and Tourism Services. As a multi-award-winning airline, Ethiopian has been the champion in various coveted awards including Skytrax’s ‘Best Airline in Africa Award’ for six consecutive years among others. The airline has been a Star Alliance member since 2011 and has been registering more than threefold growth in the past 10 years.

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A pilot’s-eye view of the take-off due to new exterior cameras connected to the aircraft’s seatback entertainment system is just one of the features on Air Canada’s upgraded Airbus A321, which the carrier unveiled to passengers on flight AC692 on the weekend.

The new camera feature, a first for a narrow-body aircraft, is one of several innovations unveiled on the upgraded Airbus A321, which has been redesigned from nose to tail.

Air Canada’s fleet says it is continuing to invest in its fleet of Airbus A321s and A320s, which will feature a new cabin interior, new technologies and services such as Bluetooth audio, and free high-speed internet sponsored by Bell.

The remaining 14 Airbus A321s and eight A320s will be retrofitted starting this fall through to the end of 2025. With the upgrades, customers will benefit from an elevated narrow-body cabin experience, in line with the cabins of the Airbus A220 and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that comprise the majority of Air Canada’s narrowbody fleet.

The new cabin also reduces the overall weight of the A321 by approximately 240 kg, which will reduce fuel consumption for the entire fleet once the work is completed by more than 2.4 million litres and reduce GHG emissions by 6,256 tCO2 equivalent per year, or the equivalent of the electricity used annually by 4,185 Canadian homes.

Highlights of new cabin features:

Larger overhead bins – Latest Airbus Airspace XL design, the largest overhead bins in-class that will also be installed on the Airbus A321XLRs.

Upgraded seating – Presents a standardized product across the Air Canada narrowbody fleet in both Business Class and Economy. The new seats are designed to optimize passenger personal space, improve ergonomics, and provide more storage giving customers a more comfortable experience.

Bluetooth audio – Air Canada’s newest IFE system will feature a Bluetooth-enabled seatback monitor. Customers will be able to connect their personal headsets while watching video on demand, live TV, or listening to podcasts or music. This initiative helps reduce usage of single-use headphones and supports Air Canada’s sustainability objectives in reducing waste.

New exterior cameras – Customers can now watch their flight live thanks to a new first-in-class narrowbody tail and belly camera system providing high-resolution, real-time video of the aircraft exterior.

Full colour LED mood lighting – New cabin lighting system will allow different ambiances to be set depending on time of day and phase of flight.

Fast and reliable Wi-Fi – Upgraded satellite-based connectivity.

Power options at all seats – All customers have access to power outlets, USB-A, and USB-C.

The new IFE system being installed on the Airbus A321 and A320 fleets will feature Air Canada’s in-flight entertainment via screens at each seat, offering the most extensive content overall of any airline in the Americas. Customers can watch live TV on their flights with this new cabin, featuring BNN, CTV, LCN, RDS, TSN1 and TSN2, including when flying over the US.

“We’re proud to welcome customers on board to experience the comfort, convenience, and connectivity of our latest cabins. These upgraded fleet interiors will align the A320s and A321s to the highly popular A220 experience, further strengthening our industry leading product offering,” said Mark Nasr, Executive VP Loyalty and Product at Air Canada.

“Additionally, new features such as our inflight entertainment system streaming exterior aircraft camera feeds, Bluetooth connectivity, and free, fast internet connectivity will be extremely popular with travellers. We will continue advancing our product leadership by trialing more new in-flight experiences with this A321 and expanding those learnings to additional aircraft in our fleet.”

First published at Travel Industry Today

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Porter Airlines is launching its first two western US destinations in California with daily roundtrip service connecting Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

The new routes will be operated by the Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, featuring a 132-seat, all-economy, two-by-two configuration. There are no middle seats on any Porter flight.

Free, fast WiFi lets passengers stream their favourite movies and shows on their preferred platforms and stay connected throughout the entire flight. A selection of premium snacks, and free beer and wine served in glassware is standard for everyone onboard. Extra legroom seats, premium pre-mixed cocktails, and fresh, healthy meals are also available with the all-inclusive PorterReserve fares or can be purchased à la carte with PorterClassic fares.

The E195-E2 is the most environmentally-friendly single-aisle aircraft, at 65% quieter and up to 25% more fuel efficient than previous-generation technology. It has the lowest fuel consumption per seat and per trip among 120- to 150-seat aircraft, and is the quietest single-aisle jet flying today.

Sustainability is at the heart of the menu design, with a priority on reducing and eventually eliminating single-use plastics onboard, providing biodegradable cups and cutlery, and eco-friendly packaging.

The flight schedule and respective start dates are as follows:

Connections are available throughout Porter’s Canadian network, including Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, and St. Johns. The new routes complement Porter’s existing US markets served with the E195-E2 to five destinations in Florida that launch this fall: Tampa, Fort Myers, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Detailed schedules and Porter Escapes vacation packages can be found on www.flyporter.com.

First published at Travel Industry Today

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A new, year-round route between Montreal and Madrid will launch next May as part of Air Canada’s expanded international summer 2024 flying schedule. The airline plans to operate 100 percent of its peak summer 2019 trans-Atlantic capacity next year, taking full advantage of the robust recovery in its largest international market.

Highlights of the new schedule include:

• New year-round route between Montreal and Madrid
• Expanded service to Italy, includes three daily flights to Rome
• Earlier seasonal start-ups from Montreal to Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and from Toronto to Brussels and Edinburgh

“Air Canada saw a tremendous rebound in international flying this past summer, particularly on the trans-Atlantic, and we expect Europe will remain popular next year. In anticipation of this, we are expanding our flying schedule to offer customers more choice and flexibility as they begin to plan their 2024 holidays,” said airline executive VP Mark Galardo.

He added, “The centrepiece of today’s announcement is our new Montreal-Madrid flight. This will be the only year-round service between Montreal and the Spanish capital, complementing our long-standing Toronto-Madrid flights, and offering compelling options for leisure customers and also returning business travellers.”

Air Canada’s Montreal-Madrid service will be operated five days a week on 255-seat Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

Overall, Air Canada will operate 51 routes to 30 cities in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India across the Atlantic in summer 2024.

Air Canada’s Toronto and Montreal hubs will respectively rank third and fifth largest in North America, in terms of average daily trans-Atlantic seats; the airline says it is committed to further developing both hubs’ trans-Atlantic footprint in the coming years.

Transatlantic, Italy

In response to projected strength in leisure demand, Air Canada will also expand frequencies to popular Mediterranean destinations and bring forward the start-up of several seasonal European services next summer.

“We are excited to announce a significant expansion of our service offering to Italy, with a combined three daily flights from Toronto and Montreal to Rome, as well as daily services to Milan and Venice. This underpins the importance of Italy in Air Canada’s global network, as we are the largest carrier between Canada and Italy, and the only one connecting the two countries on a year-round basis,” said Galardo.

Key increases in Air Canada’s trans-Atlantic services for summer 2024 include:

First published at Travel Industry Today

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Starting in November, Porter Airlines is launching daily service from Toronto to five Florida destinations: Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Fort Myers (RSW), Miami (MIA), Orlando (MCO), and Tampa (TPA); as well as two destinations – FLL and MCO – from Ottawa.

All routes begin with one daily, roundtrip flight. They include:

• Toronto-Tampa starting – Nov. 1, 4:30 p.m.
• Toronto-Fort Myers – Nov. 10, 4:45 p.m.
• Toronto-Orlando – Nov. 21, noon
• Ottawa-Orlando – Nov. 21, 5:30 p.m.
• Toronto-Fort Lauderdale – Nov. 21, 12:15 p.m.
• Ottawa- Fort Lauderdale – Nov. 30, 4:45 p.m.
• Toronto-Miami – Dec. 12, 3:40 p.m.

The new routes are Porter’s first to the US using its state-of-the-art 132-seat, all-economy Embraer E195-E2 aircraft with a two-by-two configuration designed to provide a more comfortable passenger experience.

First published at Travel Industry Today

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