Airlines
AC, Aer Lingus take first step to codeshare
Irish eyes are definitely smiling today with the announcement that Air Canada and Aer Lingus have signed an interline agreement. The deal is effective immediately and is a preliminary step toward a full code sharing relationship that's expected to be finalized next year between the Canadian and Irish flag carriers. Marcel Forget, vice-president network planning at Air Canada, said that the new deal "will complement our Toronto-Dublin seasonal service to make it easy to fly year-round between Canada and Ireland via convenient connections through London Heathrow Airport." Forget continued, "We...
Air Canada to hire more than 900 workers
Air Canada has announced it will hire more than 900 employees over the next 12 months to meet its planned workforce requirements. In addition, 200 new jobs will be created for flight attendants and pilots at the airline's low cost carrier that will be launched in 2013. "Air Canada is undertaking a selective hiring process over the next 12 months in order to seize new commercial opportunities, enhance customer service and renew our workforce. This recruitment program is consistent with our focus on controlling costs to become more competitive in our various markets,"said Air Canada president...
Africa aviation under the spotlight at WTM 2012
Africa's airline industry will be put under the spotlight at World Travel Market 2012 as part of a wider series of discussions among aviation chiefs over the industry's future. The airline events program will start on Nov. 6 with the "Airline - Out of Africa"session which will look at how the continent's airlines are taking on international airlines to secure a slice of this growing market. In the past many local airlines have complained that they are missing out on the increasing passenger numbers Africa is generating. However, the emergence of strong African airlines is countering this...
Air Canada set to launch low-cost carrier
It's reported that Air Canada will soon announce details for its plans to launch a new low-cost carrier targeting the likes of rivals Transat and Sunwing. According to reports, the carrier will be 100% owned by Air Canada, have its own management team, and focus on Sun and European...
Travelport signs multi-year agreement with Qantas
Travelport has announced a new long-term agreement with Qantas Airways. Effective immediately, the new agreement ensures Galileo, Worldspan and Apollo-connected travel agents worldwide have access to Qantas' full published inventory including ancillary content such as paid seating, consistent with the airline's web site. Last year, Travelport subscribers received full GDS access to the Qantas advance seat selection product, following the introduction of a new booking capability enabling agents to book and pay for preferred seats on Qantas flights via their desktop....
Porter set for second season of Vermont service
Porter Airlines is preparing for another year of service to Burlington, Vt. from Toronto's Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport beginning Dec. 15 until April 8, 2013. Four weekly roundtrip options are now available compared to two last season. This is Porter's second year flying to Burlington, a popular destination for skiers. Weekly flights are available on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Between Dec. 15 and Jan. 6, 2013 flights will operate on Saturdays in place of Fridays. Special Porter ski packages and shuttle bus service for Jay Peak, Smugglers' Notch Resort, Stowe Mountain Resort...
United checks in with TSA program
United Airlines has announced the launch of the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) PreCheck program at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) C3 Checkpoint and will introduce the same at Dulles International Airport (IAD) main terminal later this month. TSA PreCheck is a new, risk-based pre-screening initiative that allows customers to volunteer information about themselves that may make them eligible to expedite their screening experience. Eligible United customers travelling through Terminal C3 Checkpoint at EWR and the departures level of the main terminal at IAD are...
Air France invests in customer satisfaction
Air France is investing several hundred million euros to reposition its products and services and will renew its First and Business class cabins in terms of comfort, service and in-flight dining on its long-haul fleet. Announced at the IFTM-Top Resa fair, these investments, made possible by agreements signed within the framework of the Transform 2015 business plan, will be used to redesign the La Première and Business cabins on board the company's Boeing 777 aircraft as of 2014. And, starting this winter, Air France will be offering Business travellers a completely redesigned in-flight...