November 2009

Do you find yourself looking for a little extra space when you fly? Well, look no further. When you travel on any flight operated by Air Canada or Jazz, you now have the option of selecting a Preferred seat, which offers more in-flight legroom.

Preferred seats are usually located in bulkhead and exit rows (visit Air Canada Fleet page for more information), and can be purchased, subject to availability, when you book your flight with Vision 2000.

Prices

For flights within Canada or between Canada and the United States, the price for a Preferred seat per one-way trip (including connections) is based on fare purchased and distance as follows:

For international flights (beyond Canada and the United States), the price for a Preferred seat per one-way trip (including connections) is based on travel between any point in Canada or the United States and an International destination:

Preferred seat selection is complimentary for

• Air Canada Super Elite members – with a Tango Plus or Latitude fare;
• Air Canada Elite members and Star Alliance Gold members with other airlines - with a Latitude fare.

If you're an Air Canada Super Elite or Elite member, or a Star Alliance Gold member with another airline, and you are eligible for complimentary Preferred seat selection, your travel companion(s) also enjoy complimentary Preferred seat selection provided you are all under the same booking reference.

Please Note: Seat selection, including Preferred seating, is not offered for codeshare flights or flights operated by another airline.

Refundability

Preferred seat selection charges are non-refundable, except if:

• You are not seated in your originally selected Preferred seat because of an involuntary schedule or airport change (e.g. flight disruption, cancellation), or because Air Canada moves you from an emergency exit row seat prior to boarding or during the flight;
• You have a confirmed upgrade to Executive Class or Executive First prior to flight check-in;
• You cancel your itinerary, or voluntarily change to a different flight or fare family and Preferred seat selection becomes complimentary on your new itinerary.

No partial refund will be issued if, at any time before your flight, you change your itinerary or your seat selection in a way that results in a lower Preferred seat charge, or you have purchased a Tango fare and choose to change your seat selection from a Preferred seat to a standard seat.

Important: Air Canada reserves the right to move any passenger from a Preferred seat at any time prior to boarding or during the flight. Should this occur, the Preferred seat charge will be refunded.

Exit row seating restrictions

As required by Transport Canada, passengers seated in an exit row must be:

• 12 years of age or older;
• able to understand, follow and give oral instructions in English or French;
• able to visually assess if it is safe to open the emergency exit;
• free from any disability, condition or responsibilities - such as attending to another person - that may prevent you from performing the applicable functions;
• physically able to reach and operate the emergency exit, and willing and able to assist in evacuating the aircraft in the event of an emergency.

Please Note: You must inform Air Canada if, for any reason, between time of booking and the day of the flight, the condition of one or more of the passengers for whom you have selected a Preferred seat changes in such a way that one of the above requirements is no longer met. Should you fail to inform Air Canada, the passenger(s) will be moved from the exit row seat at departure time.

MONTRÉAL, November 9, 2009 – Air Canada today announced that it will expand its network north with the start up of new, daily non-stop services to Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Air Canada Jazz will begin daily service on March 28, 2010 to Iqaluit with non-stop service from Ottawa and same-plane service from Montreal.  Tickets are now available for purchase via your Vision 2000 Corporate Consultant. 

“Air Canada is strategically expanding its domestic services, offering customers more destinations and choice when flying,” said Marcel Forget, Vice President responsible for Network Planning.  “We expect our new service to be popular with both government and business travellers, as well as leisure travellers looking to experience the striking and remarkable landscape of Canada’s arctic.  The introduction of flights from Air Canada’s newest and most northern destination to both Montreal and Ottawa links Canada’s eastern Arctic directly to our global network with convenient connections to points across our extensive domestic, transborder and international network.”

Air Canada’s Iqaluit flights will be operated by Air Canada Jazz with made-in-Canada, Bombardier CRJ 705 jet aircraft offering a choice of Executive or Economy class service with all-leather seating.  The CRJ 705 aircraft features Air Canada’s popular personal seatback entertainment at all 75 seats throughout the aircraft.

New web-based tool notifies customers and offers alternative travel options

MONTREAL, Nov. 10 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today introduced a new web-based Self-Service Rebooking Tool to make it easier for passengers to get information about flights affected by events such as storms and then rearrange their travel to suit their needs using their computer or mobile device.

"It is an unfortunate fact of life that poor weather and other events sometimes disrupt an airline's schedule but this new rebooking tool will make it easy and convenient for Air Canada customers to adjust their travel without having to line up or contact an agent. The Rebooking Tool will automatically notify customers when their flight has been cancelled or is expected to be cancelled, offer them an alternative flight and give them the option to choose a different flight or cancel their trip altogether," said Duncan Dee, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "Air Canada's strategy is to use technology, such as web-enabled mobile devices and smart phones, including new Apple and Blackberry applications, and enhanced airport kiosks and website functions to communicate better with customers during times of disrupted operations and provide them more choices so they can plan accordingly. We will continue introducing even more technological features in the future to further increase convenience for our customers."

The new tool launched today enables Air Canada to automatically:

• send an SMS or email message to customers notifying them of itinerary changes due to weather or other operational disruptions (where no electronic address is available, passenger information will be routed to call centres)
• provide customers with details on their rebooked flight when applicable
• offer customers the ability to select another flight if the new flight proposed by Air Canada is not acceptable
• post a link with Travel Advisories on www.aircanada.com to let customers easily link with the Rebooking Tool when bad weather is expected to disrupt the airline's schedule

Avis Budget Group is gearing up to apply no-show fees, customer penalties heretofore generally absent from the car rental space. The company has not divulged any specific plans on exactly which renters or locations may be impacted, but Avis Budget has asked global distribution system operators by Dec. 15 to be equipped to take payment information for bookings.

"We want to be able to turn on [no-show] fees uniformly across all booking channels and all partners," according to an August letter to the GDS firms. "The 'no show' fee will give Avis and Budget the ability to require a credit card or other acceptable forms of payment to make a reservation for a given location and given period of time. So, while for some locations and time periods we may choose to impose a no-show fee, for others we may choose not to. Our new capability will align the car rental industry with similar approaches in use by airlines, hotels and cruise lines. It is a long-overdue change."

According to its Web site, Avis Europe (a separate company affiliated with Avis Budget Group) this year said that "to improve customer service vehicle availability" it became "the first car rental company to progressively implement standard travel industry procedure with respect to no-show customers in 2009. Customers who do not cancel prior to the allocated rental pick-up time, or do not turn up 24 hours thereafter, will be charged 40 euros."

Citing no-show rates as high as 30 percent, Neil Abrams of car rental specialist Abrams Consulting Group strongly favors policies that require rental customers to commit. "You're planning your fleet around peak periods," he said. "You run the risk of not renting all the cars you should have, or you overbook and leave customers stranded at a cost to the company. It's a tactical issue."

Vision 2000 brings you 10% Savings on Your Next Travel Health Consultation with Medisys

Medisys’ Travel Health Clinics provide travellers with everything
they need to ensure a healthy voyage and a safe return.

By offering a complete range of products and services aimed at preventing potential travel-health problems, Medisys ensures travellers get the pre- and post-travel medical care that’s right for them.

Click here to download your 10% savings coupon

Led by a world-renowned team of travel health physicians, Medisys’ national network of full-service travel health clinics provides Canadian travellers with the personalized medical guidance, vaccinations and products needed to minimize
the risk of preventable diseases. Medisys conveniently provides the full range of vaccinations, including Yellow Fever, on site as well as all travel-related prescriptions for malaria, travellers’ diarrhea and altitude sickness.

• Consultations are customized to the traveller’s destination, activities and current medical conditions
• Our staff has instant access to the latest alerts and advisories from around the world
• Update of all routine childhood vaccinations including tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, etc.
• All recommended and required vaccinations including hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever, meningitis, etc.
• Our clinics are all Certified Yellow Fever vaccine providers as designated by Health Canada
• All required prescriptions for medication to prevent malaria and for the self-treatment of travellers’ diarrhea, altitude sickness, etc.
• All recommended travel health products to help keep travellers safe including impregnated bed nets, mosquito repellent with 30% DEET, water purification systems, etc.

Connect to the world before you arrive   

Check email, access your VPN network, browse the web, shop online, play video games, IM, tweet and more! Now you can enjoy full Wi-Fi Internet access for a trial period until January 29, 2010, on select long haul Air Canada flights travelling over the United States from Toronto or Montreal to Los Angeles.

For only $9.95 US payable by all major credit cards, you’ll enjoy connectivity on your laptop for the duration of your flight. Handheld devices connect for only $7.95 US.

Look for the Wi-Fi symbol on board next time you fly!

Get online in three easy steps.

1. Enable the Wi-Fi on your laptop or mobile device
2. Search for the “gogoinflight” signal, then connect
3. Launch your web browser and log in

Supported devices and minimum requirements

• Wi-Fi works with smartphones, laptops, PDAs and other wireless handheld devices.
• Platforms supported include: Blackberry®, Windows® Mobile, Apple®, and Nokia® (Symbian S60).
• Minimum laptop requirements for access are:
  • 802.11 a/b/g wireless capability (Wi-Fi) and
  • a supported Web browser, e.g.: Microsoft internet Explorer® 6&7 (Windows® XP or Vista®), Mozilla® Firefox®, Safari® on Mac OS® X.
• Voice service (including voice over IP) is not supported.

Note: Any liability for damage to the passenger caused by loss of information or data is rejected by the airline. In case of misuse or manipulation, any liability is rejected by the airline. Even within the nationwide coverage area, there are several factors that may interfere with actual service, quality, and availability—including the ability to initiate, validate, and maintain an in-flight connection. These factors include, but are not limited to: network changes, aircraft and network traffic volume, service outages, technical limitations, signal strength, and other conditions.

Plaza Premium Lounge is the world's first "Pay-In Lounge" open to all classes of travellers. Entering a new era of traveling, economy class passengers can also enjoy first class lounge facilities at a very reasonable price.

In Toronto Pearson International Airport, there are five locations strategically located in Terminal 1 and 3, both International and Domestic Departures as well as US Transborder, occupying a total space of 1,800 sq.m. providing over 400 seats.

Vision 2000 has an exclusive 20% savings for our clients - click here to download and print the coupon

Together with the two lounges in Vancouver International Airport, they now operate a total of seven airport lounges in Canada. They are committed to providing consistent quality service to all the travellers so that they can have a pleasurable stay in the airport!

The Plaza Premium Lounge network spans the globe with 10 lounges across Asia and India including

• Hong Kong Int'l Airport
• Guangzhou Balyun Int'l Airport
• Beijiing Capital Int'l Airport
• Shanghai Pudong Int'l Airport
• Kuala Lumpur Int'l Airport
• Senai Int'l Airport, Johore
• Singapore Changi Airport
• Muscat Int'l Airport
• Rajiv Gandhi Int'l Airport, Hyderabad
• Indira Grandhi Int'l Airport, New Delhi

You can learn more about Plaza Premium Lounge at www.plazapremiumlounge.com

Last month we featured Poached Beef Tenderloin from Metropolitan Hotels / Senses Restaurant Executive Chef Patrick Lin (click here for the recipe)

This month we feature Greek Style Watermelon Salad from Michelle Bernstein at MB Restaurant for AQUA Cancun.

The Restaurent:

Tantalizing comfort food served with hearty helping of haute couture. Defined by Michelle Bernstein, named the best female chef in the United States.  Fresh, organic ingredients are combined in avant-garde cuisine with French, Latin, and Asian influences. Savor each bite in the  eclectic indoor ambiance or out on the terrace accompanied by the sensual sounds of the ocean.

The renowned Michelle Bernstein presents her vanguard cuisine with Asian and Latin influences, New American Cuisine Style, based on organic ingredients.

FOOD: NEW AMERICAN WITH LATIN INFLUENCE
CHEF: MICHELLE BERNSTEIN / MACIA MARTINEZ
DÉCOR: FRANCISCO HANHAUSEN
ABILITY: 72 SEATS INSIDE PLUS 20 SEATS ON THE TERRACE
AVAILABLE ONLY FOR DINNER

Address of AQUA Cancun & MB Restaurant: Boulevard Kukulcan Km. 12.5, Zona Hotelera, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico 77500.

The Chef:

Michelle Bernstein has an eclectic multi-cultural background and revels in the opportunity to put her own inventive touch on traditional dishes. Diners will find the best of her work at the MB Restaurant in the AQUA Cancun, where a hip, yet casual ambiance creates the perfect setting for a cuisine she calls  “luxurious comfort food.”  Bernstein is the executive chef/co-owner of Michu’s, a bustling restaurant in Miami’s Upper East Side that has been nominated twice by The James Beard Foundation, the nation’s premier organization for culinary professionals, in the coveted “Best Chefs In America: Southeast Region” category.  Chef Bernstein has worked at several award-winning restaurants, including Red Fish Grill, The Strand and Tantra in Miami Beach.

The Recipe:

Greek Style Watermelon Salad

Ingredients: feta cheese, cucumber, tomato, zahtar, red wine vinaigrette. Watermelon cut in small cubes, poached tomato cut in small cubes, celery, chives, fennel and cucumber in thin slices.

Add all the ingredients into a bowl with the feta cheese, mix all the ingredients with the red wine vinaigrette made with: olive oil, powder garlic and onion, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

Served and décor with zathar on top, easy, fast, fresh, different and elegant.

Save 50% Off Your Room!

Don't miss your chance to experience Stowe's world-class luxury resort and spa and save 50% off your room with an overnight stay through December 20, 2009. Rates from only US$145 per night.
And - stay Monday through Thursday save 20% at the Spa at Stoweflake! Indulge in your choice of over 120 spa or salon treatments including massages, facials, body wraps and more.

Located in one of America's most sensational, natural paradises, the AAA 4-Diamond Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa in Stowe, Vermont offers the ultimate, year-round vacation experience. With its celebrated world-class spa, luxurious accommodations, award-winning restaurants and Great for Kids programs, the Stoweflake is unrivaled as New England's premier spa/resort destination. Whether you are looking for outdoor adventure or a romantic, relaxing escape, the Stoweflake promises to exceed your expectations

Contact your Vision 2000 Travel Consultant for more information

TORONTO, Nov. 12 /CNW/ - Golfers, families and friends can get away to Myrtle Beach's famous golf courses and sandy beaches more easily than ever with Porter Airlines' new winter seasonal service.

Porter is offering twice-weekly roundtrips between Toronto City Centre Airport (TCCA) and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Thursdays and Sundays beginning February 28, continuing until May 30. One-way fares start at $179, plus taxes. The only non-stop service from Canada to Myrtle Beach saves passengers time by flying right to the beach. Connections are available in Toronto from Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City and Thunder Bay.

"Myrtle Beach is an excellent leisure destination for our passengers. It appeals to everyone from families to sports enthusiasts," said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. "It is a good match with our successful seasonal program in Mont Tremblant. We now provide top flight golf and ski options to suit all tastes."

With courses suited to every level of golf enthusiast, the real challenge will be deciding where to play. The Grand Strand is also a wonderful destination for families. With almost 100 kilometres of warm, sandy beaches and sunny weather, an unforgettable vacation awaits in Myrtle Beach. Take the family for a stroll on the beach, build a sandcastle, go fishing, do some dolphin watching, visit the area's quaint shops, or enjoy some scrumptious Carolina coastal cuisine at one of the many family-friendly restaurants, located just steps from the beach. The destination offers travellers the perfect balance between family fun and relaxation.

"Porter is steadily building its presence in the United States with a simple formula of flying folks where they want to go, when they want to get there, all with the world-class service that makes flying Porter a real pleasure. I'm thrilled Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is now a Porter destination and another vital link in the Canada-Carolina connection," said Ambassador David Wilkins, Porter Airlines board director, past U.S. Ambassador to Canada and South Carolina Speaker of the House.

"The Canadian travel market is colossal for the Myrtle Beach area," said Brad Dean, president and chief executive officer of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce/Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Porter's new international service from Toronto will inspire even more Canadian guests to visit the area through these fast and affordable flights. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Porter into Myrtle Beach."

Vision 2000 is giving you 3 WAYS TO SAVE ON ALASKA, EUROPE & THE CARIBBEAN!

Book during our 3-Day Sale and get access to 3 great ways to save big on select 2010 Princess cruises and cruisetours to Alaska, Europe & Summer Caribbean!

Enjoy:

• Low fares
• Cash Back
• FREE Upgrades

Sale starts November 18 and ends November 20, 2009

Click here for all the details