April 2009

Agreement allows customers of both airlines to earn and redeem Aeroplan Miles or TAM Fidelidade points on any flight operated by either Air Canada or TAM

MONTREAL AND SAO PAULO, APRIL 27, 2009 – Air Canada, a founding member of Star Alliance, and TAM (Bovespa: TAMM4 and NYSE: TAM) Brazil’s largest airline and future Star Alliance member, today announced that they will start implementing a bilateral agreement that will allow members of Air Canada’s  Aeroplan or TAM’s Fidelidade programs to earn and redeem frequent flyer Miles/points beginning April 28, 2009 on flights operated by either company.  This initiative is part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Air Canada and TAM in June 2008, aiming to expand services offered to customers of both airlines.

“We are delighted to offer Air Canada’s most loyal customers increased benefits by continuing to build our partnership with TAM, Brazil’s leading airline,” said Ben Smith, Air Canada’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.  “The opportunities for earning and redeeming reward travel have now grown exponentially across each of our networks.  In addition, customers will enjoy Air Canada’s new in-flight product offering that features lie-flat beds in our Executive First Suites on all international routes including Toronto-Sao Paulo, as well as brand new cabins, seats and seatback entertainment for all passengers fleet wide.”  Air Canada operates daily Toronto-Sao Paulo non-stop flights using Boeing 767-300ER or 777-300ER aircraft in the northern hemisphere summer and winter seasons, respectively.

Paulo Castello Branco, TAM vice president, Commercial and Planning, states that the agreement will bring immediate benefits to passengers of both airlines.  “The partnership of both frequent flyer programs - TAM Fidelidade and Aeroplan – enhances our strategy of Excellence in Services, one of the three pillars that sustain TAM’s operations, the other two being Technical and Operational Excellence and Excellence in Management,” says Castello Branco.

A pioneer in the adoption of a Frequent Flyer Program for airlines in Brazil, called Programa Fidelidade, TAM has now over 5.5 million members, with more than 7.4 million tickets distributed through the redemption of accrued points.

With the expanded partnership, Air Canada’s Aeroplan Members can redeem their accrued miles for air travel on domestic and international flights operated by TAM. Likewise, TAM passengers can use points earned in TAM’s Programa Fidelidade on any domestic or international flight operated by Air Canada.

Air Canada and TAM have had a codeshare agreement since October 2008, allowing TAM to sell seats on flights operated by Air Canada between Sao Paulo and Toronto, with the possibility of connections to a number of Canadian cities.  Air Canada in turn can offer its customers a number of flight options to Brazilian destination operated by TAM.  With this partnership agreement, customers of both airlines will benefit from seamless connections on a single ticket and baggage check-through to final destination.

We are receiving travel policies on an ongoing basis from our travel partners.  The following are the flight change policies from a few of our partners.  Please feel free to call your travel counsellor or check back on our website (www.vision2000.ca) for more details.

AIR CANADA

For customers with reservations for travel to/from Mexico City up to April 30th, Air Canada is waiving change fees in order to facilitate changes to travel plans and allow for travel at a later date

WESTJET

WestJet and WestJet Vacations guests travelling to and from Mexico between now and April 30, 2009, may change or cancel the air portion of their travel arrangements at no charge and travel at a future date

CONTINENTAL

Continental is providing the option to re-schedule or re-route your travel once, without penalty, if you are ticketed to/from one of the cities listed below.* If your flight has been cancelled, a refund to the original form of payment can be requested. If you are traveling using a OnePass Reward, redeposit fees will be waived. Travel must be completed by the original validity dates specified on the ticket and changes must be confirmed in the same class of service as the original ticket. The value of the ticket may also be used towards purchasing another Continental Airlines ticket.

WestJet and their partner Plaza Premium are pleased to announce the opening of a new lounge in Toronto.

The new lounge, located in Terminal 3 of Toronto Pearson International Airport, opened its doors on March 23 and is now available for WestJet guests. The lounge is conveniently located postsecurity between gates C24 and B22 in the former British Airways lounge location. The lounge is a beautiful venue in which their guests can catch up on work or simply relax before their flight.

A full hot and cold buffet is offered, along with organic and specialty coffee. Selfserve bar service will be added shortly. For a limited time, Plaza Premium is offering all guests visiting the new Toronto lounge a great introductory access rate of $28 plus tax – that represents a 20% savings off the regular rate!

Lounge Amenities

Business Amenities

• Television and local newspapers
• Workstations, complimentary WIFI, computers with internet access
• Printer, photocopier and fax

Food and Beverage

• Hot and cold buffet, including soup, pasta and other freshly prepared dishes and baked goods
• Organic and specialty coffee prepared on site

Other lounges available to WestJet guests include:

• Calgary — Chinook Lounge
• Vancouver — Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic Terminal) and Alaska Airlines Board Room (U.S. Departures Terminal)
• Winnipeg — travel lounge by Palliser

As of April 27 2009, travellers from Canada are recommended to postpone elective or non-essential travel to Mexico until further notice.

The Public Health Agency of Canada along with the World Health Organization continues to monitor the situation in Mexico.  Please visit PHAC’s web site often for updates.

Recommendations for Travellers

Postpone elective or non-essential travel to Mexico until further notice

If you go to Mexico,

1. Wash your hands frequently
   1. By washing your hands with soap under warm running water, you will reduce your chance of getting the flu.
   2. Alcohol-based hand gel can also be used if soap and water are not readily available. It’s a good idea to keep some with you in your pocket or purse when you travel.
2. Practice proper cough and sneeze etiquette
   1. Cover your mouth and/or nose to reduce the spread of germs. Remember to wash your hands afterwards.
3. Try to avoid contact with people who appear to have a respiratory illness
4. Monitor this website and the Mexican Ministry of Health website and the World Health Organization websites frequently for updates on the situation and recommendations.
5. Pay attention to local government and public health announcements including any movement restrictions and prevention recommendations.
6. Get vaccinated against seasonal influenza
7. If you are at risk of severe illness from influenza (for example, persons with chronic conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, elderly or children under 2 years of age), see your health care provider before you travel.

If you develop symptoms of human swine influenza:

1. While on travel:
   1. Seek medical care.
      1. A list of physicians can be obtained through the nearest Canadian Embassy or consulate.  A listing of these establishments can be accessed through the web site of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade .
2. When back in Canada:
   1. If you develop respiratory illness with fever and cough within 7 days of your departure from Mexico, you are advised to:
      1. Stay at home and avoid contact with others until you no longer have symptoms
      2. Wash your hands frequently
      3. Cough and sneeze into your sleeve and not your hand
      4. Contact your health care provider to inform him/her of your symptoms and recent travel history to Mexico and to help determine if treatment is recommended
   2. Should your symptoms worsen:
      1. Before seeking medical attention, it is recommended that you call ahead to your health care provider or urgent care facility to inform them of your symptoms and your recent travel history.

About Human Swine Influenza

• Swine influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) is a respiratory infection that causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs.
• Sporadic human infections with swine influenza have occurred in the past; however, these are usually caused by direct exposure to pigs.
• Sustained human –to- human transmission of swine influenza has not previously been been documented.

Symptoms

• Usually includes symptoms similar to seaonal influenza (flu) including headache, chills, cough followed by fever, loss of appetite, muscle aches and fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes and throat irritation
• Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may occur in adults as well as in children
• In more severe cases, or in people with chronic conditions, complications such as pneumonia may develop.

April 29, 2009

Dear Clients & Partners,

As a valued client & partner to Vision 2000 Travel Group, we would like to take this opportunity to provide you with an update on the Human Swine influenza, (H1N1) outbreak that is impacting “travel and travellers” alike.

As of today, we have the following updates to share regarding the status of flights to and from Mexico with Canada’s 2 primary air carriers:

Air Canada

As a result of an outbreak of influenza in parts of Mexico, Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations are providing the following information for customers with plans to travel to/from Mexico:

Based on travel demand, Air Canada currently plans to maintain flights to Mexico City. Air Canada customers with reservations for travel to/from Mexico City up to May 6th, 2009, may rebook or cancel their travel arrangements without penalty through their travel agent.

Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations will suspend all operations to Cancun, Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta until June 1, 2009.

Air Canada Vacations customers booked for travel to Cancun, Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta with Air Canada Vacations between April 28 and June 1, 2009, inclusive, can rebook their holiday with no change fees.

WestJet

In light of increased concern regarding the spread of the human swine influenza virus in Mexico, WestJet and WestJet Vacations will cease service to Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico effective Monday, May 4, 2009. Service will resume to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta on June 20, 2009. Service to Cancun, a seasonal destination for WestJet, will return in the fall schedule

At Vision 2000, we are monitoring all our travellers destined to and from Mexico, and every measure is being taken to follow up with any client who may be impacted by the cancellation of transportation services during this potential health crisis.

“An official warning has been issued by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada against non-essential travel for Mexico. As of April 27 2009, travellers from Canada are recommended to postpone elective or non-essential travel to Mexico until further notice“

Based on this advisory, we recommend any travel to Mexico in the near future be postponed if at all possible.

Airlines and hotels continue to be very accommodating with allowing changes or cancellations, so please contact your Vision 2000 Travel Professional for the latest airline updates as they occur.

Lastly, in order to provide a better understanding on the Human Swine Flu Virus, ( H1N1), we have attached the following for your review.

Swine Flu FAQ

What Is Swine Flu?

Like humans, pigs get the flu. Four different type A swine flu strains commonly circulate among pigs. Most recent swine flu viruses have belonged to the H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes. Pigs typically get sick but usually don't die from swine flu.

The new swine flu virus infecting humans is very unusual. It's somehow acquired genes from swine, bird, and human flu bugs. And it's also got genes from Eurasian swine flu viruses that aren't supposed to be in North America.

Do Humans Get Swine Flu?

Normally, swine flu bugs don't infect people. Historically, there's a case every year or two in North America among people who have contact with live pigs.

But from December 2005 to January 2009 there was an uptick in swine flu cases. There were 12 human swine flu infections during this time. Eleven of these people had direct or indirect contact with pigs; in the twelfth case it was not known whether there was pig contact.

It's possible this uptick was due to improved reporting systems, but the CDC says "genetic changes in swine flu viruses and other factors might also be a factor."

What Are the Symptoms of Swine Flu?

Swine flu symptoms are similar to regular flu symptoms and include cough, sore throat, fever, chills, headache, and fatigue. Some patients have also reported nausea and diarrhea. There is no easy way to distinguish swine flu from other types of flu or other germs. It takes a lab test to tell whether it's swine flu.

Can Swine Flu Spread From Person to Person?

The current Canadian & U.S. residents infected with swine flu virus had no direct contact with pigs. The CDC says it's likely that the infections represent widely separated cycles of human-to-human infections.

Have There Been Previous Swine Flu Outbreaks?

If swine flu sounds familiar to you, it's probably because you remember or have read about the 1976 swine flu outbreak at Fort Dix, N.J., among military recruits. It lasted about a month and then went away as mysteriously as it appeared. As many as 240 people were infected; one died.

The swine flu that spread at Fort Dix was the H1N1 strain. That's the same flu strain that caused the disastrous flu pandemic of 1918-1919, resulting in tens of millions of deaths.

Concern that a new H1N1 pandemic might return with winter led to a crash program to create a vaccine and vaccinate all Americans against swine flu. That vaccine program ran into all kinds of problems -- not the least of which was public perception that the vaccine caused excessive rates of dangerous reactions. After more than 40 million people were vaccinated, the effort was abandoned.

As it turned out, there was no swine flu epidemic.

I Got a Flu Shot. Am I Protected Against Swine Flu?

No. There is currently no swine flu vaccine.

It's possible that the seasonal flu vaccine might provide partial protection against H3N2 swine flu bugs. But the strain that appeared in California is the H1N1 swine flu strain. It is very different from the H1N1 human flu strain included in the seasonal flu vaccine.

It's not known whether previous infection with human type A H1N1 flu might provide partial protection against the type A H1N1 swine flu in the current outbreak.

However, the CDC has made a "vaccine seed" from swine flu isolated from an infected person, and has begun the process of developing a vaccine should the need arise. Whether a vaccine could be produced in quantity by next flu season is a huge question.

How Serious Is the Public Health Threat of a Swine Flu Epidemic?

Any flu epidemic is worrisome, especially when a new strain of flu bug is involved.

"Influenza A viruses new to the human population that are able to efficiently transmit from person to person and cause illness may represent a pandemic threat," the CDC warns.

It's worrisome that, unlike seasonal flu, the swine flu outbreak in Mexico is attacking healthy young people. That's a hallmark of pandemic flu bugs.

But it takes more than a new virus spreading among humans to make a pandemic. The virus has to be able to spread efficiently from one person to another, and transmission has to be sustained over time. In addition, the virus has to spread geographically.

Is There a Treatment for Swine Flu?

Yes. While the swine flu bug is resistant to older flu medicines, it remains sensitive to Tamiflu and to Relenza.

Can You Get Swine Flu by Eating Pork?

No. You can only catch swine flu from being around an infected pig -- or, if it's the new swine flu virus, from an infected person.

Recommendations for Travellers

• Wash your hands frequently
  • By washing your hands with soap under warm running water, you will reduce your chance of getting the flu.
  • Alcohol-based hand gel can also be used if soap and water are not readily available. It’s a good idea to keep some with you in your pocket or purse when you travel.
• Practice proper cough and sneeze etiquette
  • Cover your mouth and/or nose to reduce the spread of germs. Remember to wash your hands afterwards.
• Try to avoid contact with people who appear to have a respiratory illness.
• Monitor the Public Health Agency of Canada,Mexican Ministry of Health and World Health Organization websites frequently for updates on the situation and recommendations.
• Pay attention to local government and public health announcements including any movement restrictions and prevention recommendations.
• Get vaccinated against seasonal influenza
• If you are at risk of severe illness from influenza (for example, persons with chronic conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, elderly or children under 2 years of age), see your health care provider before you travel.

If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to email or phone your Vision 2000 Travel Professional.

Regards,