Newsletter

WestJet News

WestJet has announced an expansion of its European summer 2024 network. Propelled by its growing 737 MAX fleet, the airline reintroduced sought-after service connecting Eastern Canada and Europe and introduced new service from Calgary to Reykjavik (Keflavik). As WestJet continues to strengthen its presence in Western Canada, the airline is also enhancing its 787 Dreamliner hub, increasing frequencies for international routes and adding daily exclusive service to Japan.

Western Canada's gateway to Iceland, unlocked with four-times weekly service, beginning May 15, 2024, WestJet will be the only airline providing direct connectivity to Iceland from Calgary.

WestJet's service to Reykjavik will be further enhanced by the airline's interline agreement with Icelandair, enabling guests to travel across Icelandair and WestJet's network via one boarding pass, with the convenience of a single check-in and baggage tagged and checked to their final destination.

Eastern Canada's tourism pipeline strengthened with seasonal return of European service

WestJet is pleased to reconnect three major eastern Canadian cities to key European destinations this summer, with service from Toronto to Dublin and Edinburgh, Halifax to Dublin, Edinburgh, and London, and St. John's to London.

With increased frequency between Calgary and Tokyo and six transatlantic destinations, WestJet is providing Western Canadian communities with more choice and access to their favourite international destinations this summer. Following a highly successful introduction of non-stop service to Tokyo's Narita International Airport, the airline is responding to significant demand for the popular route and increasing service to daily this summer.

Other transatlantic flights starting this summer are:

Toronto to Dublin and Edinburgh

Calgary to Rome, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Paris, London (Heathrow) and Dublin.

Passengers now have a greater choice to these destinations whether travelling on business or pleasure.

Porter Airlines and Alaska Airlines Form Partnership

Porter Airlines has entered into a codeshare agreement with Alaskan Airlines.  Initially, the agreement will apply to bookings that combine Porter flights from Toronto Pearson to Los Angeles and San Francisco with Alaska flights to 18 destinations across the West. Connections from Canadian airports are expected to be added into the partnership early in 2024.

The agreement also includes a mileage partnership. Alaska Mileage Plan members will now earn frequent flyer miles and elite qualifying miles at 100% of the Alaska rate when booking Porter flights on the Alaska website. The mileage partnership will be extended next year, with both Mileage Plan and VIPorter members able to earn miles no matter where a flight is booked. The partners also will have reciprocal mileage redemption. 

Porter is expanding, with plans to grow its fleet from approximately 50 to 79 aircraft by 2025. Especially significant is that Porter has been augmenting its fleet of 78-seat Bombardier Q400 propeller planes with 132-seat Embraer E195 E2 aircraft. Porter has thus far taken delivery of 24 E195s and has 51 more on firm order. E195s have a range of approximately 3,000 miles, more than twice the range of the Q400.

On its E195 routes, Porter is operating out of Toronto Pearson, the city's primary airport, instead of Toronto's smaller but more centrally located Billy Bishop Airport, which the carrier continues to use for Q400 operations. 

Porter's daily, year-round flights from Toronto to Los Angeles and San Francisco are scheduled to begin Jan. 16 and Jan. 25, respectively. Porter is also scheduled to launch daily Toronto-Las Vegas service on March 5. 

Porter Airlines is boosting its east-west network with new flights between Montreal and three cities in Western Canada.

Porter is adding daily roundtrip flights on three new nonstop routes between Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Edmonton International Airport (YEG).

Contact your Uniglobe Travel Advisor to book your next flight and enjoy the  Porter experience.

Air Canada Introduces A New App

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

Using the Air Canada mobile app, customers can now track their baggage  as it travels with them on domestic flights, 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, the tracking feature will be expanded to the airline's U.S. flights next year and, over time, select international destinations.

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.

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.

Customers can download the Air Canada mobile app at no cost from Apple's App Store or Google Play.