Signature and Sunwing to fly together; good for consumers?...Jim's Deal of Day

A remarkable year in Canadian travel just got a whole lot more interesting.

The news today is that Sunwing Vacations has agreed to combine with Signature Vacations for what will be a huge player in the Canadian travel business. Sunwing has been flying high, while First Choice Canada, which runs Signature Vacations and SellOffVacations, has been having considerable trouble.

What it means to consumers is hard to say. On the one hand, the new company, called Sunwing Travel Group, will have more buying power. On the other hand, it means less competition for business; and that's usually not good for buyers.

Colin Hunter, chairman and majority shareholder of the Sunwing Travel Group, said the proposed amalgamation "will create a stronger company better able to compete against Canada's leading tour operators, while offering a broader range of travel destinations to the travelling public. The proposed company will be in a position to improve its product range and offer competitive prices with increased efficiencies resulting from the transaction."

Improved product range and competitive prices sound like good terms. But how competitive will they be? Certainly, Sunwing has been an aggressive travel company, seeing revenues go from something like $30 million to $660 million in the last five years.

Based in Toronto, Sunwing Vacations departs to 31 sun destinations, including standbys such as Cuba, Mexico, Florida and Jamaica but also "newer" spots such as Honduras and Belize.

Earlier this year, Conquest Vacations suddenly shut its doors after 37 years of operation. Conquest said it was a victim of overcapacity issues and a price war between groups such as Sunwing, WestJet Vacations, Air Canada Vacations and Transat A.T.

Meanwhile, in the airlines business, you have West Jet and Air Canada engaged in some solid price wars, while Porter Airlines continues to expand out of the Toronto Island Airport.

Interesting times.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY.. NEW MEXICO

A number of Santa Fe hotels have put together special packages with savings over the winter – when average temperatures, at least during the day, hit the double-digits. The Inn and Spa at Loretto’s Santa Fe 400 package, marking the city’s 400th anniversary, includes two nights’ accommodation, a $40 (U.S.) dining credits as well as a $40 spa credit, plus valet parking and the daily resort fee. Travel must be completed by March 31, 2010. For details see www.innatloretto.com. Another promotion, at the Inn on the Alameda, offers third consecutive nights for $24 for travel Oct. 25 through Feb. 28, for all rooms and suites. Some black-out dates apply with this deal. See www.innonthealameda.com.

 

Comments

[Terri-Lynn Broad]

I hope that Sunwing learns a little bit of customer service from the merger. I travelled recently with Sunwing. There was an issue with my return flight. I hear that air canada has bad customer service .. trust me they are great compared to SW. I am not sure why they even have a CS deparment. I am using westjet for my next trip.. they have the best customer service in the industry

[Jim Stensson]

I think Sunwing is great and I hope they keep their service just as it is. I've traveled down south a lot over the past 20 years, both with my extended family and with my wife and of all the companies we've flown with, Sunwing has been the best. Reading that they went of $30 million $660 million was a shock, but I guess that's what happens when you provide good service. Good for them.

[Kandukuri Kishore]

For more details on Sunwing Airlines like Information, history, baggage details, check in, destinations, fleets, images and more visit "Altiusdirectory.com". This URL may be useful.

http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Travel/sunwing-airlines.php