December 2009

Air Canada to charge $30 to $50 for second checked bag on U.S. transborder and transatlantic routes

Air Canada is changing its checked bag policy on U.S. transborder and transatlantic routes. Customers purchasing Economy Class tickets (Tango, Tango Plus and Latitude fares) for travel on or after January 19, 2010 to/from the United States, Europe and Israel will be able to check one bag for free, in addition to permitted carry-on baggage, and will be charged for a second checked bag as follows:
    - For flights to/from the United States (including Hawaii, excluding Puerto Rico): CAD/USD $30.
    - For flights to/from Europe and Israel: CAD/USD $50.
The airline says its new policy on U.S. transborder routes falls in line with major U.S. carriers that charge for checking in both a first and second bag.

Please note, the fee for a second checked bag to/from the United States, Europe and Israel will not apply to Air Canada Prestige, Elite, Super Elite members or Star Alliance Silver and Gold members. Executive Class and Executive First customers continue to receive an allowance of three checked bags on all flights, regardless of destination.
Air Canada's checked baggage policy of two free checked bags for Economy Class ticket holders remains unchanged for all travel within Canada, as well as to/from Mexico, the Caribbean, South and Central America, Asia and Australia.

Changes to Air Canada's checked baggage policy come into effect for tickets purchased beginning December 2, 2009 for travel on or after January 19, 2010 to/from the United States, Europe and Israel.

Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax to get new X-ray equipment that could speed up screening

Ottawa is spending $27 million on advanced new X-ray equipment to scan carry-on bags at Canada's major airports. Officials say the new systems will make it easier to spot potential threats and could speed up the trip through the screening line-up.

The equipment will be installed at airports in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax by February. A spokesman for the Canadian Air Transportation Security Authority says Calgary, Winnipeg and Ottawa airports will get the system in the next fiscal year.

The advanced scanners also have the capability of detecting liquid explosives but authority spokesman Mathieu Larocque says that feature is still being tested. If it works, there's a chance Canada, the U.S. and Europe may agree to ease blanket restrictions on bringing liquids aboard flights, but Larocque stresses that decision won't happen any time soon.

MONTRÉAL, December 2, 2009 – When Air Canada flight AC966 touches down at Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown this afternoon it will mark 60 years of air service between Canada and the island nation of Barbados. To celebrate the occasion Air Canada is offering a special web fare for flights to and from Barbados.

“Air Canada was the first North American airline with scheduled service to Barbados and has a proud tradition of serving the island. For sixty years Canadians have travelled on our airline to Barbados to enjoy its beautiful beaches and other attractions while many Barbados residents have visited or have relatives and friends in Canada. Last year, Air Canada carried nearly 120,000 people between Canada and Barbados and we are pleased to serve as a link between the two countries and help sustain the warm relationship our nations enjoy,” said Yves Dufresne, Vice President of Alliances, International Operations and Regulatory Affairs at Air Canada.

To mark the anniversary, Air Canada is introducing a web only sale offering $60 off each way on Tango Plus, Latitude and Executive fares for Barbados. The sale begins today and runs until December 12 for travel between December 2, 2009 and March 31, 2010.

It was 60 years ago that Air Canada, then known as Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), inaugurated weekly passenger services between Canada and Barbados when its 44-passenger propeller aircraft, the Canadair DC-4M “North Star”, landed on the coral surfaced runway in the early morning of December 3rd, 1949.

Flight time out of Toronto on that inaugural flight was 15 hours with stops in the Bahamas and Jamaica.  Today, the direct flight takes little more than five hours and this winter Air Canada will offer daily non-stop Toronto-Barbados service operating a 211-seat Boeing 767-300. There will be supplemental service on weekends with an additional flight from Toronto and Montreal using a 120-passenger Airbus A319 on Saturday and Sunday. 

During the first year of operation, TCA carried about 1,500 passengers and 5,681 kilos of cargo. In 2008, Air Canada carried 117,191 passengers between Canada and Barbados with 172,867 kilos of cargo on a total of more than 900 flights to and from Barbados.
Over the past 60 years, the number of destinations to the Caribbean and Bermuda served by Air Canada has increased to 25, with at least one airport served on the following islands: Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grand Cayman, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, and Turks and Caicos.

According to the ITB World Travel Trends Report, commissioned by the world’s leading travel trade show and compiled by the consultancy IPK International, a short to mid-term rise in the price of airline tickets is to be expected worldwide. Travellers will have to bear the cost of anticipated increases in taxes and charges by paying extra for tickets, according to the report. The ITB World Travel Trends Report states that in order to become profitable again airlines will have to significantly adjust their ticket prices. The findings are based on the assessments of 60 tourism experts from 30 countries, on a special IPK International trend analysis undertaken in leading source markets, and on core data supplied by the World Travel Monitor®, recognised as the largest ongoing survey of global travel trends in some 60 source countries. The report notes that “current airline prices are clearly too low to allow airlines to become profitable again“.

Despite the worldwide recession the ITB World Travel Trends Report expects commercial aviation to grow dynamically over the next two decades. The Chinese market is predicted to expand annually by around 8.4 per cent, followed by the Asian-Pacific region (6.9 per cent) and South America (estimated at 6.4 per cent). The European market is forecast to grow by 3.4 per cent, lagging significantly behind the expected global average growth rate of 4.9 per cent.

Dr. Martin Buck, Vice President CompetenceCenter Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin: “The currently unanswered question facing the world’s airline industries is whether price-conscious consumers will continue to drive the downgrading trend we are seeing in bookings, or whether we will witness a return to the situation we had before the worldwide economic and financial crisis began. It also remains to be seen whether companies will limit their business travel to a minimum and how video conferences and other new forms of communication technology will influence travel behaviour.“

According to Dr. Martin Buck the recession has already had a positive effect: “The over-capacity of the world’s airline industries has been reduced and older planes which consume large amounts of kerosene have been taken out of service. In the short term a full recovery of demand is unlikely. Describing the situation he added that “flat is the new growth“.

TORONTO: Air Canada has been voted the best airline in north america in an international survey of business travellers by Global Traveler. The award would not have come at a better time for the national carrier which was almost on the verge of seeking bankruptcy protection a few months ago.

The Global Traveler survey is based on the responses of more than 25,000 readers of Global Traveler Magazine. These readers are frequent travelers who average 32 round-trip flights a year, with 96 per cent of them travelling in first or business class regularly.

"We are excited and proud to receive this important recognition from customers who travel most frequently and are in a position to best compare Air Canada's products and services with those of its peers,' said Air Canada executive vice president Ben Smith in a statement Wednesday.

He said, "Clearly customers appreciate our on-board amenities, including our new and refurbished cabin interiors, and our consolidated hub at Toronto, which makes it easy for travellers to connect seamlessly between domestic, transborder and international flights to destinations throughout our global network.

"This award is testament to the hard work of Air Canada's employees and their dedication to offering our customers a superior product.'

The Canadian national carrier has just beefed up its fleet with new Boeing 777 and Embraer aircraft.

It has also completed a major refurbishment of its existing fleets to offer all customers brand-new seats and personal entertainment systems at each seat on North American and international routes. The airline has also started internet service on select flights in North America.

The Montreal-based airline flies to more than 170 destinations around the world. It is the 13th largest commercial airline in the world and serves 33 million customers annually.

From Trip Advisor

1. Never keep your wallet or valuables in your rear pocket, even if it buttons – it's by far the easiest target.
   
   
2. Beware of the distraction tactic. Dropping something near you, squirting something on you, or simply jostling you. Be on guard when in crowds, and secure your belongings.
   
   
3. Pickpockets often work in pairs or groups and it's not just the usual suspects. Be cautious with any strangers—sometimes people who don't look like they'd be a threat, such as children or the elderly, can be part of larger operations.
   
   
4. Stay alert in confined spaces and near passageways. Try to avoid standing near the doorways of trains as groups of pickpockets can rush at you when the doors open.
   
   
5. Before you set off on a trip, pare down the contents of your purse or wallet as the smaller the bulge, the less likely pickpockets are to covet it.

From Batman to Brest, Fukui to Fort Dix, we've scoured our reservations systems and of over 10,000 airports, we've picked the funniest airport names in the world.

This month we are featuring the 10 Weirdest Airport Names...

1. Batman Airport (BAL) Turkey
2. Useless Loop Airport (USL), Australia
3. Black Tickle Airport (YBI), Canada
4. Beaver Creek Airport (YXP), Canada
5. Moron Airport (OZP), Spain
6. Ogle Airport (OGL), Guyana
8. Eek Airport (EEK), USA
9. Pickle Lake Airport (YPJ), Canada
10. Deadhorse Airport (SCC), USA

Purpose
The purpose of this survey and forecast is to predict general business travel costs for 2010 and identify industry trends.

Methodology
The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Canada created an online survey in October 2009 that surveyed 49 companies across Canada who represent various business classifications. All monetary amounts are in Canadian dollars, including references to expenditures outside Canada.

Executive Summary
The report anticipates no significant growth in business travel by Canadian companies in 2010 driven by a recovering economy with hotel and car rental rates expected to largely remain flat. Fifty-six percent of respondents said they expect their companies’ 2010 travel budget to remain the same as 2009, while 16% are increasing their travel budgets by 1-5% over their 2009 expenditures. With budgets overwhelmingly remaining flat, travel managers continue to contain costs with effective, well-managed travel policies.

Airfares
The majority of corporations (92%) are paying roughly $100-$500 for domestic one-way commercial flights in 2009. Forty-eight percent expect an increase of 1-5% in 2010 while twelve percent foresee a 5-10% increase. Similarly, slightly fewer companies (56%) anticipate increases in 2010 on transborder airfares for business travel to and from the United States which currently averages $300-$500 for one-way commercial flights. On the other hand, fifty-two percent of companies noted international fares to destinations other than the United States will see fares remain the same or decrease from that of the current average $1,000-$3,000 for one-way commercial international tickets. In 2010, airfares domestic and transborder airfares are expected to increase slightly while international fares remain flat. Significant numbers of respondents expect their companies to spend more on air travel in 2010, with 28% sighting an increase due to airfare prices, and 18% because of growth in the number of trips.

Hotels
Eighty-eight percent of respondents indicated their companies are paying $100-$200 on average for their daily hotel rate in 2009. The remaining eight percent are paying $201- $300 and rounding out four percent of respondents under $100. In 2010, hotel rates for business travel are expected to remain the same, with thirty-eight percent of respondents projecting flat rates.

Car Rentals
More than two thirds of respondents (68%) reported they anticipate the same car rental rates in 2010 as this year. Twenty percent see car rental rate increasing in 2010, while the remaining twelve percent see decreases. In 2010, car rental rates are expected to remain flat, with one in five respondents (20%) projecting a slight increase in car rental prices.

Travel Policy
With rates remaining flat or increasing only slightly, business travel costs for Canadian companies will be consistent with those realized in 2009. Travel managers are working to minimize the cost increases by increasing the effectiveness of travel policies. Travel policies minimize costs by steering bookings to preferred vendors and maximizing the value of those agreements. Travel policies are also central to effective risk management, ensuring that a company can quickly locate travelers in a time of crisis and can proactively evaluate any risks associated with travel. A majority of NBTA Canada survey respondents (77%) said they have mandated travel policies which is up fourteen percentage points over 2009. Of those respondents, sixtyone percent began ramping up their company’s policy mandates in 2009 and an additional thirteen percent plan to start in 2010.

By Thomas Steinmetz, eTurboNews, Inc.


LONDON – The only passenger rail link between Britain and the rest of Europe has been shut down indefinitely, Eurostar said Sunday, promising more travel misery for thousands of stranded passengers just before Christmas.

Services have been suspended since late Friday, when a series of glitches stranded five trains inside the Channel Tunnel and trapped more than 2,000 passengers for hours in stuffy and claustrophobic conditions. More than 55,000 passengers overall have been affected.

Some panicked passengers stayed underground for more than 15 hours without food or water, or any clear idea of what was going on — prompting outrage from travelers and a promise from Eurostar that no passenger train would enter the tunnel until the issue had been identified and fixed.

Eurostar runs services between England, France and Belgium. The company said Sunday it had traced the problem to "acute weather conditions in northern France," which has seen its worst winter weather in years.

Eurostar commercial director Nick Mercer said three test trains sent through the Channel Tunnel on Sunday ran successfully, but that it became clear that the especially bad weather meant that snow was being sucked into the trains in a way "that has never happened before."

"The engineers on board have recommended strongly that, in light of further snowfalls that are happening tonight, we make some modifications to the trains on snow shields to stop snow being ingested into the power car," he told the BBC.

A Eurostar statement said the fleet was already undergoing upgrades and that more tests were planned for Monday. But a spokeswoman said she could not guarantee that service would resume Tuesday.

A statement posted to the company's Web site urged passengers to delay their trips or seek refunds.

The stoppage has already meant that about 31,000 people in Britain, France and Belgium have had to cancel trips Saturday, and 26,000 more were expected to be affected Sunday. With a huge backlog of passengers still building, Eurostar is blocking any sales until after Christmas and Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown has warned that services may not be back to normal for days.

For those seeking alternative routes between Paris, Brussels and London, the winter weather was dealing out more bad news.

Nearly half of all flights out of Paris' Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports were cut Sunday through mid-afternoon, with more cancellations forecast for Monday. Belgium was also badly hit, with passengers in Brussels lining up for hours in an effort to rebook flights.

Tourist Paul Dunn, 46, who was stuck in Paris, said he was looking for alternatives but that information was hard to come by.

"We said: 'Can we get the train to (the French city of) Calais and the ferry?' They are saying: 'We don't know what you can do. You can try.'"

It is a measure of the popularity of the 15-year-old Eurostar service — which whisks passengers from London to Paris or Brussels in about two hours — that its closure has dominated news in Britain.

European parliamentarians on both sides of the Channel have criticized the train company as being irresponsible, while Britain's opposition Conservative Party said the issue was a matter of "huge concern."

Brown seemed to acknowledge that there were some problems, apologizing for the Friday's incident and the ensuing delays, but defended his staff.

"I'm not pretending it went well. I think it went quite a bit better than people say," he told the BBC.

The problems — and passengers' complaints about their treatment while trapped on board — could deal Eurostar "huge reputational damage," said Nigel Harris, the managing editor of Rail magazine.

"They have promoted themselves as the 'green,' stress-free alternative to flying and now they face a major technical issue that they need to get on top of," he said.

Fennel & Dill Crusted Salmon
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons Pimentón de la Vera (Spanish smoked paprika)
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 3 3/4- to 4-pound side of salmon with skin (preferably wild salmon)
Olive oil

Method of preparation
Finely grind fennel seeds in spice mill or coffee grinder. Transfer to small bowl. Mix in next 5 ingredients. Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush salmon lightly on both sides with olive oil. Rub spice mixture generously over flesh side of salmon. Place salmon, skin side up, on grill rack; cover and cook until fish is slightly firmer, about 8 minutes. Slide rimless baking sheet under salmon to turn salmon over without breaking. Place another rimless baking sheet atop salmon. Using both hands, firmly hold baking sheets together and invert salmon; slide salmon, flesh side up, off baking sheet and onto grill rack. Cover and grill until just opaque in center, about 8 minutes longer. Using rimless baking sheet, remove salmon from grill. Gently slide salmon, flesh side up, onto platter and serve.

About Watermark:
Watermark Restaurant features globally influenced Canadian cuisine showcasing regionally grown products. Whether you're looking to enjoy our fantastic breakfast buffet, a light lunch or dinner, our Executive Chef and his team will create a culinary experience you'll never forget.

Name of Chef:
Darren Craddock

Address of restaurant:
Radisson Admiral Hotel Toronto Harbourfront
249 Queen’s Quay West
Toronto, ON
M5J 2N5
General Line:
+1-416-203-3333

MONTREAL, Dec. 8 /CNW Telbec/ - Transat, one of the largest integrated tourism companies in the world and Canada's holiday travel leader, today announced its support for four new sustainable tourism initiatives in as many of its destination countries, namely Mexico, Peru, Morocco and Turkey. From the Maya Riviera to Machu Picchu, from the Saffron Region to the Aegean Sea, Transat's financial support program for projects in travel destinations continues to broaden its international reach in favour of more sustainable tourism. Since the program was founded in 2007, Transat has supported 12 projects in 8 countries (the others are Canada, France, Cuba and Tunisia) and committed nearly $475,000 ((euro)300,000).

"With three years of experience, we now realize that the projects being promoted by the organizations and communities that we support are generating benefits that extend far beyond the short-term results they may aim for," said Lina De Cesare, Chair of Transat's Sustainable Tourism Executive Committee. "These projects are nurturing a vision of tourism that entails respect for host communities and the environment, which, sooner or later, is bound to positively influence local stakeholders and tourism industry."

Selected following an international call for projects issued in its 60 destination countries, the four projects chosen by Transat this year aim to enhance the tourism potential of regions and communities from a perspective of sustainability, and/or mitigate some social and environmental impacts of tourism.

Transat will collaborate with the international conservation organization Rainforest Alliance, which, in coordination with the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI) - which itself has the support of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Tour Operators' Initiative (TOI), of which Transat is a member - will provide a comprehensive training program in sustainable tourism as well as technical support to hotel operators in the Maya Riviera region of Mexico. The program will address both the environmental and social issues specific to responsible hotel operations.

"The project proposed by Rainforest Alliance for the Maya Riviera is perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the awareness-raising efforts we are engaged in with our hotel partners," Ms. De Cesare added.

Mexico ranks among Transat's top destination countries and every year, some 250,000 of the tour operator's customers from Canada and France travel to the Maya Riviera, a major tourist destination.

Transat is supporting a project in Peru put forward by the Canadian organization Carrefour de solidarité internationale, which, in collaboration with local tourism co-op Coclatours, is planning to develop an alternative route to the existing highway from Cusco to Machu Picchu, and giving local communities and tea, coffee and cocoa farmers a stake in its management. Restoration of two 16th-century haciendas, training of farmers in sustainable rural tourism practices, and awareness-raising among tourism industry stakeholders and visitors are part of the plan.

Transat is also backing the Franco-Moroccan association Migrations & Développment, which is implementing a solidarity tourism development project in the region of Taliouine, in southwest Morocco, known as the country's Saffron Region, in co-operation with village associations. The multi-tiered project calls for creation of a long-distance hiking trail, production of a topographic map and guide, construction of guesthouses, training for guides and families who will host tourists, and creation of an arts & crafts centre for local pottery makers.

Lastly, Transat is joining forces with the Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association (TURMEPA) in the roll-out of a wide-ranging environmental education campaign to raise awareness among key regional tourism players about protection of marine environments near the communities of Gocek and Fethiye, located in one of Turkey's 14 Specially Protected Areas.

"We are very proud to be working with these organizations, all of which are taking action in the field in favour of more sustainable tourism. Our support, which is both financial and moral, is another way for us to give concrete expression to our willingness to make a difference in our destination countries," Ms. De Cesare concluded.

The amounts granted to this year's projects total $145,000 ((euro)91,000) and vary from $30,000 ((euro)19,000) to $50,000 ((euro)35,000), the latter being the maximum amount that can be awarded per project under the program.

In 2007 and 2008, Transat supported sustainable tourism projects in partnership with WWF-Canada in Cuba; the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve Network (Ontario Nature), Seigneurie des Aulnaies, les Amis du marais de Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly and Coopérative l'Échappée Bleue, all in Canada; Association De Navigatio in France; and the Association de développement durable in Médenine, Tunisia.

Designation will make it easier for Chinese nationals to visit Canada

OTTAWA, Dec. 3 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada's airports today applauded Canada's recognition by the People's Republic of China as having "Approved Destination Status." The long awaited move will make it much easier for Chinese nationals to visit Canada.

"As a source of foreign tourists to Canada, the People's Republic is of growing importance," said CAC President and CEO Jim Facette. "This formal declaration will be a boon for Canada's tourism sector and the aviation industry that supports it."

Canada joins more than 130 countries with ADS, which allows Chinese travel agents to promote Canada as a destination for group leisure travel. The Conference Board of Canada projects that the move, long supported by Canada's airports, is projected to grow the number of Chinese visiting Canada by 50 per cent by 2015.

"Canada's airports seek measures that will improve Canada's competitiveness as a tourism destination, including market access," said Mr. Facette. "As the government works on its national tourism strategy, it is to be congratulated for securing a big improvement to access for potential tourists from the world's most populous country."

Last year there were more than 165,000 overnight visits to Canada by Chinese nationals - a 6.5 per cent increase over 2007. Even in the current recession, for the first three quarters of 2009, visits by Chinese nationals remained in growth mode. China is expected to be the world's second biggest outbound tourism market by 2020.