Prepare for take off

In this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier, staff writer Ian Stalker reports that the Sunwing Travel Group says it doesn’t expect any rush by this country’s tour operators to send people south from US airports following its announcement that Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations will have offer service from Buffalo, NY, to both Punta Cana and Cancun this winter.

The tour operator announced recently that it will have service from Buffalo to Cancun from Jan. 17 to May 9, and to Punta Cana from Feb. 14 to May 9.

The development comes following years of complaints from airlines that using Canadian airports is more costly than use of ones outside this country and in the wake of reports that a growing number of Canadians who fly south for winter vacations are doing so from US airports to save money.

Andrew Dawson, COO of Sunwing Travel Group, told Travel Courier his company “has a big customer base in the Niagara Peninsula” and departing for southern points from nearby Buffalo looks attractive to them.

But Dawson notes that Sunwing also owns US tour operator Vacation Express and that company will also be putting Buffalo-area clients on the Sunwing planes making the US departures more attractive to Sunwing than they would to Sunwing competitors.

“I think we are uniquely positioned,” he says, adding Sunwing and Vacation Express will complement each other in this case.

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier by clicking here.