TICO reacts to the demise of Skyservice...Canadian travelers appear to be safe

Here we go again.

As reported at thestar.com early today, Skyservice charter airline announced it has shut down, leaving frustrated customers at Pearson Airport.

It's impossible to say how this will play out, but affected customers might want to contact the Travel Industry Council of Ontario, which has a complaints division and a compensation fund.

The company said it was closing following the appointment of a receiver by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, explaining that recent changes in the market and the company's debt level didn't allow it to make a profit.

The Star's Dana Flavelle reports only one Skyservice flight was scheduled for Wednesday, taking passengers down to the Dominican Republic and bringing returning vacationers back. However, Skyservice flights were booked with various tour operators through to the end of April as the winter sun vacation season drew to a close.

Sunquest Vacations, the airline’s biggest customer and also its major creditor, said it had organized replacement flights for all of its customers in destination. Most of its remaining flights through to the end of April were not booked with Skyservice so are unaffected, the tour operator also said.

Flavelle wrote that "In most cases the replacement flights will leave on the same day as originally scheduled, Sunquest said in a statement."

TICO put out a press release on the issue Wednesday night.

"Skyservice is an airline and as such, is not registered with TICO," officials said. "However, there is consumer protection available under the Ontario Travel Industry Act, 2002 and its Regulation. Registered Ontario tour operators (travel wholesalers) who packaged Skyservice flights or sold air only with Skyservice are required under the legislation to provide alternate replacement travel services or a full refund to the customer.

"Consumers who are affected by the closure of Skyservice should contact their travel agent for information with respect to any alternate travel arrangements or to obtain a full refund."

“'By law, all travel agencies and tour operators operating in Ontario must be registered with TICO,'” said Michael Pepper, President of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO). “When you purchase your travel services through an Ontario registered travel agency, you are protected by the consumer protection provisions found under the Travel Industry Act, 2002.”

"'The failure of Skyservice Airlines drives home TICO’s message that the best way for consumers to protect themselves, whether booking online or at a travel agency, is to deal with an Ontario registered travel agency,'” said Pepper. "'TICO encourages consumers to Always Look Before You Book. Look for the TICO logo and the TICO registration number whether online or in person. If you are not sure whether a travel agency is registered, go to TICO’s website at www.tico.ca and use the Travel Agency Search feature or contact TICO at 1-888-451-TICO.'"

Reviews posted to the Star's website weren't terribly favourable to Skyservice, with people complaining about a lack of food and cramped seats. But it was pretty cheap, and some readers took the complainers to task for wanting their cake and eating it too, so to speak.

The Skyservice website wasn't terribly helpful. One of the statements on the site stated that "Skyservice is the number one requested airline for the charter industry with customers that include tour operators, corporations, professional sport teams, governments, relief agencies, and travel incentive companies. The airline is widely recognized for its quality service and the versatility of its charter operations."

Sunwing travel recently merged with Signature Vacations. Signature and Sunquest Vacations are said to be the two biggest customers for Skyservice charter services.

The Canadian air travel market has been particularly volatile, and it's hard to say how today's news will affect charter operators. Sunquest and Signature are large companies and will do everything they can to calm any jitters in the marketplace - and any concerns consumers might have about flying charters versus regular airlines.

The fact that Sunquest said it will serve all customers - and probably on the same day - should serve to keep most folks happy. But it's certainly a sign of continued instability in a business that's seen more than its share. We haven't heard the last of these types of problems, not by a long shot.

Newport Beach, California - something for everyone...Jim's Deals of the Day

Maybe it’s because I grew up out there. But I find it a little strange that Dan Guerrero finds he has to explain where he’s from to people.

Guerrero represents Newport Beach Convention and Tourism Bureau. And it’s not the one in Rhode Island, it’s California. You know, the home of the O.C. TV show from a few years back, not to mention some excellent shopping, hiking, biking, canoeing and miles of Orange County beaches; including the one I always recommend as perhaps the most beautiful beach in all of California; Corona del Mar.

I did my undergrad at UCLA, about 45 minutes up the road in Westwood, and don’t get me started on missing on the NCAA basketball tournament this year. Anyway, my best friend lived in Orange County and we used to make regular treks to Corona for bodysurfing, people watching or just checking out the beautiful bluffs that form the backdrop to Corona Del Mar.

It’s always been a centre for moneyed sorts, with Lido Island’s fashionable homes and an immense yacht harbour. But the O.C. really gave the region a jolt a few years ago, with all that teenage angst pouring out in the hills and beaches and out on Balboa Pier.

Talking over dinner last night at Victor restaurant, a great spot at the superb Le Germain Hotel on Mercer St. in downtown Toronto, Guerrero said the show is now in syndication in the U.K. and Germany, amongst other places, and they’re getting huge hits from Euro fans.

Still, he says a lot of people aren’t aware of his town.

“People talk about San Diego and Laguna Beach and Huntington and Santa Monica, but some folks don’t realize what we have in Newport Beach.”

Fashion Island is as, well, fashionable a shopping centre as you’ll find anywhere in the U.S.. The Orange County Museum of Art is right next door, but Canadians might be surprised at the nature reserve found next door at Newport Bay, where ducks and dozens of other waterfowl next in a quiet, reedy bay and canoers or kayakers can paddle in solitude just minutes from glitzy shops and hotels.

It’s also just two to five minutes from John Wayne-Orange County Airport, where Air Canada will begin direct flights from Toronto next week (April 6).

Toss in the charms of the ferris wheel and the fun zone at Balboa Pier, bodysurfing at The Wedge, great golf courses (Pelican Hill and others), high-end and funky restaurants, a Christmas boat parade and whale-watching tours or trips to nearby Catalina Island and you’ve got yourself a pretty idyllic slice of California.

And, yes, you can still get an interactive or paper map of 19 spots featured on the O.C.; everything from the Seafood Shack to the ferris wheel to the Arches.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY - brought to you by travelalerts.ca

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$399 - Toronto to Venice, Italy, round-trip spring flight ($713 w/tax)
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$782 - Toronto to Honolulu, Hawaii, 1 week vacation near Waikiki Beach ($923 w/tax)
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Honolulu's a great town and Waikiki Beach is a great place to stay, even if you're not right on the actual beach. It's usually only a short stroll away, and it's often $7oo to $800 just for the flight, so this is quite a deal. You can easily get away from the city and check out some gorgeous, jaw-dropping cliffs and mountain scenery, as well as north shore surf spots; all within an hour of the city.

 

 

Hidden airline fees could disappear in U.S.....Airport Wars!...Harry Potter Ride...

I haven't heard much about this lately, but we should thank the Americans for taking on the airline industry in a way that Stephen Harper would never dream to do.

Writing on her blog at the New York Times, Michelle Higgins the other day reported that a provision was added to a bill in the U.S. Senate that would require airlines and online travel agencies to "clearly disclose all fees associated with the cost of a ticket, including holiday surcharges, baggage fees and seat assignments."

Honesty in advertising? What a concept.

"Too often, trying to decipher your airfare is like a pilot trying to land a jumbo jet in a thunderstorm with no instruments - technically possible, but difficult," Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, said in a statement.

To me, it's like hotels that advertise a certain rate, then don't add in the "mandatory resort fee," another hair-raising add-on that frustrates travellers to no end. I mean, my way of thinking is that if a hotel has a pool, I get to use it. I shouldn't be charged extra for it. Or charged when I don't use it.

I don't like being charged extra for Internet service either. I've written this before, and lots of folks (imagine) disagreed with me, but I think Internet service is as basic a service as a shower or a bed. I don't get charged for those, why should I pay to access the Internet? Even more ridiculous, why should I have to pay extra to use the pool? A spa, sure; that's different. I don't expect a free massage. But don't slap with a general resort fee when I may not even use the pool or the hot tub with all those little kids that seem to fill up every tub I think of climbing into, and, yes, that was me with my family taking up all the space a few years back. (I remember once being in Palm Springs with a free night at a sumptuous Marriott resort, and my three kids were splashing about in the pool surrounded by elegant ladies with gold bathing suits and more liposuction than Joan Rivers. The ladies were NOT amused, and I was pretty much red-faced and wishing we were all at the Holiday Inn).

Anyway, I stayed at a place with a resort fee a few months ago. Lucky, the weather was nice. But what if it had been cold, like it was a lot this winter down south? What if I didn't use the pool and freeze my tush? Maybe hotels should at least offer cold-weather refunds to guests if they insist on hitting with a resort fee.

As for airlines, it's a joke that people have to read the fine print to find about $200 security fees or baggage fees. But will Ottawa do anything about it? Not Harper. His government protects the airline industry as if they were all his good buddies and made important contributions to popular Tory candidates or causes, not that would ever happen

What I want is to see an airline official stand up on camera and say, "We want to gouge you so we fake you out by putting out ads that say a flight costs $500 but actually, suckers, it's $700 ha-ha-ha." Just once.

AIRPORT WARS!

Good item the other day in USA Today about how San Francisco Airport, which has undergone major changes and is looking very spiffy of late, is doing an advertising/marketing campaign that slags other, unknown airports. I don't know if they're targetting LAX or closer competitors like Oakland or San Jose, but apparently they use some 83-year-old twins from the city, Marion and Vivian Brown, to cheekily show a crummy airport that contrasts with SFO's new terminals. The Youtube video is called "I Wanna Go Through SFO," and also features the mayor, Gavin Newsom (who has abandoned a plan to run for governor). It's not a bad video, but I take issue with some of it because it focuses on airlines.

(If you want to talk up the terminals or the baggage handling, that's fine. But the video shows a guy on an airplane getting hassled for being slow to get off the jet and sitting in coach and looking all frazzled before he arrives at the crummy airport. Then, when he goes to SF, he's in business class and has a smiling flight attendant. Of course he's in a better mood. But crummy airlines with bad flight attendants and crummy snacks fly into SFO, too. It ain't all roses and business class on those commuter flights from Burbank or Newark, folks).

What's better for us in Canada is a couple of Youtube spots for Edmonton airport. In one of the spots, a guy talks about how he used to go through Calgary and now feels "so ashamed." In another, a woman of a certain age says she doesn't want to drag her old bones down Highway 2 anymore so uses Edmonton. "It just tickles my toes," she says.

Quite funny. But not everyone in Calgary appreciates the jab in the ribs..

"They're trying to be tongue-in-cheek," says Calgary International Airport spokesperson Jody Moseley. "Clearly we have the best connections in the world. But we wouldn't develop a campaign to tell people to avoid Edmonton. It's not really our role to tell customers where they should and shouldn't fly."

GREYHOUND ACCESS TO BUFFALO AIRPORT

Greyhound Canada has expanded service from Toronto to the Buffalo International Airport, offering customers six daily trips. The service is being billed as "a  convenient and affordable transportation option that provides customers with easy airline connections for travel within the United States."

Officials say fares start at $19 each way with a three-day advance purchase. Student and senior specials also are available. Tickets can be purchased either at www.greyhound.ca or at the nearest Greyhound station.

ATTENTION MUGGLES

Associated Press reports the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will open to Muggles for the first time on June 18. The Three Broomsticks Inn, Honeydukes sweets and all the other quirky shops in Hogsmeade village will open then too.

That's when the non-wizarding public will be allowed to step into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the much-anticipated new attraction inside Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure park that brings to life the weird and wonderful realm of the famous boy wizard.

BRITISH AIRWAYS STRIKE UPDATE

British Airways today said it will fly more than 75 per cent of customers booked to travel between tomorrow and March 30, despite these four days being targeted for strikes by Unite.

Of approximately 240,000 customers originally booked to travel in the strike period, the airline expects to fly more than 180,000.

A further 18 per cent have been rebooked to travel on other carriers, or changed the dates of their British Airways flights to avoid the strike period. Several thousand customers have brought forward their departures to today (Friday), officials said.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY - brought to you by travelalerts.ca

$35 - Toronto to Cozumel, Mexico, last-minute non-stop flight ($312 w/tax)

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$327 - Toronto to Orlando, 1 week spring holiday with car rental ($584 w/tax)

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US$69/nt - 12-night 4* Hawaiian cruise from Ensenada, Mexico (US$887 w/tax)

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Also on the deal front, Qantas has announced a fare sale for flights from the U.S. to New Zealand. Special fares, which must be booked by March 31, are valid on flights to Auckland from JFK in New York, LAX in Los Angeles and SFO in San Francisco. Airfares from JFK start at $878 U.S., plus security charges of up to $195. You'd have to make your way to JFK on Long Island, but it's not that far from the other airports in the New York City area and it's a good fare.

Or you could make your way to California and fly from LAX or SFO to Auckland for $678, plus the security charge of up to $195. Seats are limited, and airfares listed are per-person, round-trip and are valid only from April 19 to June 8 and from July 24 to Sept. 21, 2010. For more information, go to www.qantas.com

Qantas earlier announced a fare sale on flights from the U.S. to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, Australia.

 

Here's a tip - a Chicago hotel without tips...Little Mermaid to China...Rising dollar...

As a frequent traveler who spends a lot of time scrambling for dollar bills - or fives - I like this idea.

The Elysian Hotel in Chicago, which opened in the Windy City last year, has adopted a no-tipping policy, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"I haven't seen (a policy like this) anyplace else," said Joe McInerney, president and chief executive officer of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

McInerney pointed out that visitors likely would love it, but what about doormen and bellhops?

A spokeswoman for the Elysian Hotel said employees get good paycheques and benefits, suggesting they don't need tips. Perhaps, but I bet they wouldn't mind. The spokeswoman said employees are told to decline tips when first suggested, but that visitors who insist on being generous won't be turned down. In which case it seems to me a lot of folks will make out all right.

The Euros will love it; they don't tip much in North America, folks say. But I'd find it hard not to leave money for a cleaning person or someone who helps with my bags.

LITTLE MERMAID SWIMS TO CHINA

Google might not think much of China these days. But the Danes seem to be in a pretty big hurry to impress the Chinese people.

It seems that the Little Mermaid statue, which is the number one tourist attraction in Denmark (pretty funny when you think about it), has been uprooted from her usual spot off the city's waterfront and is being sent lock, stock and barrel to Shanghai, where Denmark will have a pavilion at the coming World Expo 2010.

The 5-foot (1.5-meter) landmark, which honors the memory of Danish fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, was lifted by a crane and lowered onto the back of a truck at a ceremony in the Danish capital, Associated Press reports.

"The temporary move is controversial in Denmark, where some considered it disrespectful to ship a cultural treasure halfway across the globe as a PR tool. Critics suggested the government should have sent a copy to China — an idea dismissed by Christopher Bo Bramsen, Danish commissioner-general for Expo 2010."

Thanks to Reuters for the nice photo.

Makes me wonder what Canada will do for Shanghai. The Canadian pavilion - I saw it briefly a couple weeks ago - looks nice enough from the outside. But if they want a Canadian iconic symbol, do you think we could ship the CN Tower to Shanghai? If so, do you think we could convince the Chinese to keep it?

CUBA TRAVEL BAN...ENDING SOON FOR AMERICANS?

U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan said he will bring a bill to lift the ban on travel to Cuba to the Senate floor this summer and that more than 60 Senators will vote for it. The North Dakota Democrat spoke today by telephone from Washington to a conference of Cuban and American tourist industry representatives in Cancun, Mexico.

I know things have changed in the U.S. under President Barack Obama, but I'll believe this when I see it....

LEAPING LOONIE PUTS EUROPE ON SALE

I've mentioned in this space a couple times lately how the Mighty Canadian Dollar (MCD for short) has been rising up the charts and how affordable European holidays have suddenly become. But credit to the Star's Madhavi Acharya-Tom Yew for pulling it all together in today's Star business section.

Yew quoted Sean Shannon of Expedia.ca as saying there's been a "steady, strong growth to a wide variety of markets across Europe."

Melanie Paul-Hus of Atout France, the French Tourist Agency based in Montreal, was telling me the same thing Wednesday night at a reception at the ROM, explaining how folks are finding not only great values within France on their own, but a great deal given the strength of the loonie.

I hadn't realized the Euro had dropped to something like $1.40 vs. the Canadian dollar. The British Pound is way down at $1.55 or so.

Over the past two years, Yew reported, the loonie has moved up 50 per cent against the British pound and 14 per cent against the euro, touching record highs.

"The pound averaged around $1.79 Canadian during the summer of 2009 but it was worth only $1.55 Canadian by March, the Conference Board of Canada noted in its latest five-year travel forecast for Europe," Yew wrote.

Against the euro, the Canadian dollar is at its highest level since January 2006. Last summer, the euro was worth $1.57 Canadian. That declined to $1.40 Canadian in March.

VANCOUVER DINING DEAL

Dine Out Vancouver, Tourism Vancouver's eighth annual promotion, starts April 26 and runs for 11 days. Visitors can sample three-course dinner menus at more than 200 restaurants, with prices set at $18, $28 or $38, not including taxes, alcohol and tips (too bad they're not at the Elysian Hotel in Chicago or there'd be no tipping).

The restaurants will be revealed April 19, after which consumers can make reservations online at tourismvancouver.com.The tourism folks also have created a dine-and-stay deal with a dozen partner hotels. Packages start at $169 and include a one-night stay and a three-course Dine Out Vancouver meal for two.Those packages can be arranged prior to April 19, so check it out at www.tourismvancouver.com. Among hotels taking part are the Wedgewood Hotel and Spa (with the Bacchus Restaurant) and the Fairmont Pacific Rim (Oru Restaurant).

The Fairmont Pacific Rim opened just before the Winter Olympics. With the Games (sadly) over, the Fairmont Pacific Rim has a plan with rates beginning at $229. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler has a "Bronze Package" with one night accomodation, daily breakfast and a $100 activity credit for skiing or other sports. Rates start at $495 per night.Fairmont has tons of other deals at properties ranging from St. Andrews in Scotland to the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club in Africa, as well as Le Manoir Richelieu in Quebec - a spot I quite enjoyed on a golf trip a couple years ago.

London goes to the dogs (sorry, elephants)..Hotels looking better..Deals of day

Chicago did it first with the cows. Then came a host of other cities, including Toronto with its lame moose on the street.

(I know, I know. Some folks liked the moose. But I thought it was a stupid, copycat move. Better than another walk of fame, mind you. Oh wait, they've done that in Toronto, too.)

Anyway, I read now that designers and artists who want to protect endangered Asian elephants have decorated some 250 fiberglass animals to put out in London on May 2.

Among the artists taking part are Diane Von Furstenberg and Tommy Hilfiger, according to Bloomberg News. Each of the pachyderms weighs 154 pounds and will be mounted in such spots as Buckingham Palace (provide your own punchline here, folks) and Parliament Square.

The top pieces will be auctioned off on June 30, and organizers hope to raise some $3 million for the Elephant Family and other charities.

As much as its a copycat (copyelephant?) idea, this one escapes my criticism as un-creative because there's a charity involved.

Also on the subject of London, it seems that organizers of the London 2012 Summer Olympics (yikes; not that far away) have set up a website for fans to indicate what events they'd like to attend. Folks can go to http://www.tickets.london2012.com and let organizers know if they're more into rowing or field hockey, which should help them gauge demand and set ticket numbers and prices.

Tickets aren't slated to go on sale until next year. But organizers say they hope to sell eight million ducats in all.

Some 40,000 people registered in the first four hours that the website was up and running.

HOTELS ON THE MEND?

A company called PKF Hospitality Research is forecasting a strong rebound for the hotel industry. But it won't happen until 2012, the company says.

According to Business Travel News, PKF is forecasting a 1.4 per cent year-over-year decline in average daily rates this year and a 1.1 per cent decline in revenue per available room.

Some areas, however, are expected to get pretty solid RevPAR increases this year; including Newark, Boston, Anaheim, Salt Lake City and Oahu. (Newark? Salt Lake? I don't quite get it, myself). Cities expecting the biggest RevPAR drops include Phoenix (that's a surprise to me), Austin (ditto), Houston and Washington D.C.

Sadly, I didn't see any Canadian cities mentioned in the story.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

$65 - Toronto to Costa Rica, non-stop round-trip flight ($274 w/tax)
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From $99 per night - Visit Montreal this spring and save 30% off your stay
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US$699 - 7-nt Western Caribbean cruise aboard the award-winning 5.5* Celebrity Solstice
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For more deals, go to www.travelalerts.ca

 

Taking advantage of the Olympics...West Jet aims high...Jim's Deals of the Day

SAN FRANCISCO - Out here on some personal business and didn't have a chance to do any touring. But I was struck this morning when I looked at a note about how the Canadian Tourism Commission is hoping to take advantage of the good feelings left around the world by the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.

It's funny. I got to play nine holes of golf on Saturday at my favourite little municipal course, Willow Park in suburban Castro Valley, and the guy there who knows me gave me a thumbs-up as my Dad and I checked  in on a glorious, sunshine-filled day. "Great job you guys did at the Olympics," said the young guy behind the counter.

I can hardly take credit for Vancouver/Whistler's general success, but his sentiment was genuine and I

had to admit it made me feel pretty good as a Canadian (and American; I have dual citizenship as my cousin Laura kinda reminded me on Sunday, giving me a verbal poke in the ribs for sometimes making fun of Americans in this space). Canada did a great job at the Games, and folks genuinely were moved.

There are few things in life as momentous as the Olympics. I remember being in Atlanta on our way to Florida in, I think, March of 2002 - just after the Salt Lake City Winter Games - when we stopped at a barbeque restaurant. The waiter, a good old boy from the south, asked where we were from. We answered Toronto and he nodded his head.

"Y'all done whupped us at the Ohh-lympics," he said, drawing out the Ohhhh in true southern style. He was referrring to the gold medal hockey game, of course.

Anyway, this morning I see that the Canadian Tourism Commission smartly wants to take advantage of the roughly three million eyeballs that checked us out over the past few weeks of Ohh-lympic action.

CTC officials today said they're launching a print, TV and online campaign that focusses on five major U.S. cities; Boston, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. In addition to using Facebook, Twitter and other, on-line outlets, the CTC will do major magazine ads and front-page, "wrap-around" ads in the L.A. Times, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune.

One of the many partners will be Tourism Toronto, which last week was trumpeting the announcement that Virgin America will start flying to Toronto from Los Angeles and San Francisco in June.

"I would wager that right now, Canada is the coolest national brand in the world and Vancouver is its signature," Tourism Vancouver president Rick Antonson said in today's Vancouver Sun. "But if we don't follow up [with more global marketing], that feeling could be gone in six months."

Tourism Vancouver will pluck hundreds of thousands of dollars from its reserves to pay for post-Games multimedia marketing campaigns in key North American markets over the next few months, the Sun

reported.

The Canadian Tourism Commission, which received an extra $26 million in federal funding in 2007 for Olympicrelated marketing, still has about half that money left and will spend it over the next two years, the Sun said.

"We're going to expand tactically driven sales and marketing campaigns to keep Canada front and centre in our core markets," said commission vice-president Susan Iris.

She noted the commission's consumer websites had a 120-per-cent increase in traffic during the Olympics and overseas tour operators reported a doubling and tripling in the number of inquiries about trips to Canada last month.

Iris feels strategic post-Games tourism marketing could increase the number of visits to Canada this year

but expects the real boost will come over a longer time frame.

"It was never an immediate impact strategy," she said. "It was always long term to ensure Canada is in the public eye for years to come."

WEST JET AIMING HIGH

New WestJet chief Gregg Saretsky says he wants to get to the point where his airline has half the domestic market.

"We're at 37 per cent now, so we think we'll grow that to 50 per cent or so," he told the Montreal Gazette.

Saretsky pointed to a number of new tactics that his company is using to take on the likes of Air Canada a and Air Transat, including package-tour vacations, the new frequent-flyer program and MasterCard deal with the Royal Bank and the coming codeshare agreements with other North American and European or Asian airlines. A deal with Southwest has been talked about for some time, and there were reports last week that WestJet wants to link with Virgin America. They're also doing deals with Air France/KLM and with China Airlines.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

$58 - Toronto to Fort Lauderdale, cheap non-stop return flight ($289 w/tax)
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From $51 per night - Save up to 30% off your hotel stay in sunny California
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$325 - Toronto to Manzanillo de Cuba, 1 week all-inclusive vacation ($535 w/tax)
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Air Canada competition heats up on two fronts...British Airways strike likely?

Looks like one of those tag-team matches in wrestling.

Not only is Virgin America reaching into Air Canada's market by announcing its intent to fly to Toronto from San Francisco and Los Angeles (and vice versa), but Porter Airlines say it will soon offer more flights between Toronto and Montreal than Air Canada.

I outlined yesterday how, Virgin America, the American affiliate of Sir Richard Branson's U.K.-based carrier, wants to fly the LA-SF-Toronto route starting June 23 .There's talk that Branson will fly in for the occasion, which should generate some pretty decent appetizers and maybe a glass of bubbly should anyone wish to invite me.

There's also some rumours that WestJet, which flies to California from Vancouver and Calgary, might wish to join the Toronto-California action with some sort of code share with Virgin America.

"We think it's a market that can use a little more capacity," David Cush, Virgin America's chief executive, told the National Post. "We're being conservative with only one flight a day going in from each place."

According to the Post story, "Mr. Cush said he would consider striking a code-share agreement with WestJet now that the Calgary-based airline has its new reservation system in place. He and WestJet's incoming chief executive, Gregg Saretsky, worked closely on a similar arrangement when Mr. Cush worked at American and Mr. Saretsky worked at Alaska Airlines. The deal would essentially allow WestJet to seamlessly move its passengers onto Virgin's planes, and vice versa, using only one ticket."

Cush, however, said there have been talks and that any such sharing deal would take a few years.

Air Canada says it welcomes the competition. I kinda doubt it, but what else are they gonna say? I mean, shareholders wouldn't like it much if their p.r. people called the Star and said, "Holy crap, Virgin's coming and they've got mood lighting and little pads in the back of their seats that let people order food and we don't have those and we're gonna lose passengers."

Anyway, the competition also heated up for AC when Porter Airlines said it will dramatically boost service in the Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa triangle. Porter said it will hike its flights from Toronto to Montreal from 14 to 23; one more than Air Canada. It plans to increase Toronto-Ottawa flights to 19, two more than they have now, as of May 5. Air Canada has 18 daily flights from Toronto to Ottawa.

On a related Air Canada item, it seems the folks at Aeroplan are starting a new campaign. The Globe and Mail reports it's a campaign worth more than $2 million and will be fairly basic as these things go.

“We put more people in more reward seats than any other Canadian loyalty program,” one ad says. “We give you more flexibility than any other Canadian loyalty program,” reads another, while a third reads: “26 Star Alliance airlines means more ways to get outta town," the Globe reported.

BRITISH AIRWAYS STRIKE?

Oops. I was saying the other day how it's a good time to visit Britain because of the falling pound. But then comes word today that British Airways and its union have failed to reach a contract settlement and that workers are slated to go on strike at midnight Friday.Mind you, that's probably good news for Air Canada, who might pick up some BA business in the popular Toronto-London flight segment.

BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh said it was “deeply regrettable” that the union declined to accept a proposal on pay and working conditions from the airline, adding that offer would be withdrawn once the strike begins.  BA, which placed an advertisement in British newspapers reassuring customers it would do its best to minimize disruption, said it expects to operate around 65 per cent of its scheduled flights over the next three days.

A total of 1,100 flights out of the 1,950 flights scheduled to operate during the walkout will be cancelled, but the airline has leased planes and crew from rival carriers to take up some of the shortfall.  At its Heathrow base, more than 60 per cent of long-haul flights will operate, but only 30 per cent of short-haul. At Gatwick, all long-haul flights and more than half short-haul flights will run as normal.

Virgin America coming to Toronto...Beijing airport gets busy...St. Patrick's Day

A little variety...and maybe a new market for Toronto tourism.

News today that Virgin America is hoping to land flights from Toronto to San Francisco and Los Angeles - and back, of course - in June of this year is hugely welcome. It would be Virgin America's first foreign destination, a fact that wasn't lost on Tourism Toronto chief David Whitaker.

"We're very, very excited," Whitaker told me by phone this afternoon. "The fact we would be their first destination outside the U.S. speaks well about Canada and well about Toronto and how we continue to evolve."

Some 140,000 Californians visit Toronto each year; about 60,000 from L.A. and 20,000 from San Francisco.

Whitaker noted Virgin America positions itself as something of a lifestyle airline that appeals to urban folks who would be a good target for Toronto; visitors that are into film or fashion or alternative lifestyles.

The strength of the Canadian dollar probably has hurt Toronto tourism, but Whitaker said his group has weaned itself away from selling the city as a discount destination and is instead focussing on the city's culture and urbanity.

Virgin America also plans to add service from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Orlando beginning Aug. 19.

"With strong financial performance, a new ownership structure and growth in fleet size, we're pleased to be able to expand to world-class destinations like Orlando and Toronto this year," said Virgin America President and CEO David Cush. "Both cities are major travel destinations from the west coast, and we're looking forward to introducing our service to travelers in these and other new markets in 2010 and beyond."

It'll be interesting to see if Air Canada supporters go for a fling with Virgin America. The airline has a great reputation for service.

BUSY BEIJING

Beijing airport jumped past Chicago's O'Hare last year to become the third busiest airport in the world. And it seems likely to leap into second spot by this time next year.

Figures show Beijing last year attracted 65.3 million passengers, a whopping 17 per cent increase over 2008 (when they held the Summer Olympics). O'Hare, meanwhile, dropped 8.8 per cent to 64.4 million passengers.

London's Heathrow was just slightly ahead of Beijing at 66 million, a 1.5 per cent decline. With the way Beijing is surging, there seems little doubt they'll be ahead of Heathrow when next year's figures roll in.

But Beijing is unlikely to reach number one for a while. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport had nearly 88 million passengers last year. That was down 2.3 per cent, but they're pretty far ahead of Beijing. For now, anyway.

HAPPY BELATED ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Tourism Ireland held a nice event at the CN Tower Wednesday night to celebrate St. Patty's Day. There were some great Irish stories; a few of them possibly true. They also had green apple martinis and Guinness, of course. I prefer Harp, but I'm a bit of a beer wuss...

Anyway, the CN Tower was done up in green lights for the big day. Tourism folks said similar "green" treatments were given to the London Eye and the Sydney Opera House.

Hotel deals abound in Alberta...Asia expansion...British pound falls..Aussie sale

The latest report from Hotwire.com says hotel prices in Calgary are down about 10 per cent from a year ago, with a 3-star hotel in town currently available for $96. The company says prices in Edmonton this month are about 7 per cent lower than a year ago, with a four-star hotel available for $97.

Low corporate travel appears to be to blame for the Calgary price drop, officials say.

Prices in London, Ontario were down just 2 per cent, while those in Ottawa and Montreal dropped just 1 per cent from March, 2009.

Officials say they expect good post-Olympics deals in Vancouver, and in Victoria.        

ASIAN GROWTH

Having just returned from Shanghai and Hong Kong and seen the crazy real estate markets, especially in Shanghai, it doesn't surprise me to see that major U.S. chains are expanding in a major way into Asia.

Starwood is said to be opening up to 40 new hotels in the Asia Pacific region this year, while Marriott is going big in China and India.

There's a new Ritz-Carlton underway in the Pudong area of Shanghai. The newly renovated Fairmont Peace Tower also is slated to open soon over on the Bund, where they've also just finished the remarkable Peninsula hotel. Personally, I'd much rather stay over on the Bund side of town.

Pudong has some great hotels; I quite liked the Grand Hyatt. But it's a bit remote from the action for my tastes. The Bund is a far better bet if you want to be able to walk about and see the sights of a truly fascinating city.

CURRENCY WATCH

Time to check your currency tables in Star business, folks. A quick look earlier today showed the British Pound was down at $1.54 Canadian. And that's remarkable when you consider it was well over $2 Canadian a couple years ago.

It makes for a remarkably cheaper holiday than it was only a short time back.

The dollar also is up against the Euro, so it makes for attractive spring travel options.

DOWN UNDER ON SALE

Tourism Australia is extending a 12-night getaway deal to Canadians, but it's only for a short time. The package features Sydney, Adelaide and Hobart. In addition to this special 12-night offer, Tourism Australia continues to provide its selection of popular niche vacation packages.

This package includes roundtrip airfare with Qantas, three free domestic flights in Australia and three nights in each city, with the fourth night free. Packages start at $1899, depending on your city of departure. Prices reflect per person rates in Canadian dollars and exclude taxes and fees.

The prices are valid for bookings by March 31, 2010.

For more deals, details and itinerary suggestions, visit www.australia.com/today. To book, call a Goway expert at 1 877 310 7407.

MEXICO MADNESS

It's hard to know what to make of the situation in Mexico. While things seem to get worse every day in some border towns, the fact is most Canadians don't go to Tijuana or Ciudad Juarez but to spots near Cancun or Puerto Vallarta that don't appear to have major drug or crime problems.

It's best to exercise caution, of course, but for now the incidents, violent as they've been, don't appear to be affecting the usual leisure travel spots.

Hong Kong in full bloom...rugby sevens coming soon to HK...offering to the gods

HONG KONG - This is a huge, bustling, wild and teeming city. No doubt about that. But one of the things I love about Hong Kong is that you can get away from it all far easier than in many cities.

There's Victoria Peak, of course, where you can walk for a couple miles amid hanging vines and towering trees and gaze down at not only the buildings of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon but also vast ravines and wide open stretches of ocean and nearby islands. There also are plenty of open spaces down near Stanley and Repulse Bay on the opposite side of central Hong Kong.

But there also are plenty of fabulous gardens, some of them in the heart of downtown, and don't Torontonians wish we could say the same thing? Okay, we've got Queen's Park and Allan Gardens, but nothing downtown in the way of Chater Garden. It's literally across the street from some of the biggest towers in Hong Kong, including the massive Bank of China building and the HSBC tower.

In addition to palm trees and fountains, there are dozens of other varieties of trees, including African Tulips and Travellers Trees, which seems fitting for a city with so many tourists. This week, the rhododendrons and azaleas are in bloom, which made a certain golf fan from Toronto think of the coming Masters tournament. I don't know if they call this little part of downtown Hong Kong Amen Corner, but there's a pretty good resemblance in part. I didn't see Tiger Woods, but there were a couple crouching lions outside the HSBC building.

They're also getting ready for a major rugby sevens tourney, which hits Hong Kong at the end of this month. They were publicizing it at Chater Garden on Monday with giant rugby exhibits that allowed folks to try to toss a ball into a hole or even tackle a plastic rugby player on a giant, inflatable raft-like device similar to those you'd see at a kids' party. They had one gimmick where folks were tied up by a giant rubber band and had to try to run forward with a rugby ball in their hands and overcome the pressure of the rubber band pulling them back. One woman I got a picture of got pretty close to handing it off to a rugby player at the end of her plastic "ramp," but ended up tumbling backward in a pile. She seemed to have a great time.

Up the road a couple blocks is Hong Kong Park, which is far larger and more grand; complete with fountains and a waterfall, even. Wild white parrots or cockatoos flit about in the branches overhead, and it's a great spot for wedding photos or for little kids to gather and try their hand at painting.

Earlier, my tour guide, Michael Poon, had taken me for a glass of "milk tea" at Lan Fong Yuen, a famous spot near the escalators that take folks up and down from central Hong Kong to the mid-levels. It's a great area for strolling, and the markets along the street are great for people watching. Mr. Lan takes a secret mixture of five teas and strains it through a roll of muslin, then adds special milk he imports from Malaysia and ends up with a fabulously refreshing drink. I'm not a tea guy, but it was perfect on a warm Hong Kong morning, and the place always seemed pack with folks drinking tea or eating his noodles or sandwiches.

As I finished an interview I was doing with him near the cart where they boilt the tea outside his shop, noticed a woman setting fire to some paper next to the tea pots. I couldn't resist sneaking around the corner and getting a photo. Poon  explained she was making an offering to the gods on behalf of her relatives by burning special paper.

 

 I said I wasn't sure this was the safest thing in the world, notwithstanding she was doing it on some bare patches of brick. He explained she's an older woman who's been doing it a couple times a month for years.

"I'm not sure they'd let you or me get away with it," Poon said with a laugh.

We finished our morning with a great lunch at  a place on Johnston Road called The Pawn. It's a former pawn shop in Wan Chai that's been converted to a terrific English-continental spot offering everything from fish and chips to roast shoulder of lamb, which I had. They also had a small mason jar filled with crab meat and, I think, a bit of cheese, plus a soft and wonderful bread pudding with chocolate sauce, all for about $22 as one of their lunch specials. A great spot, with terrific views of a nearby playground and the buzzing traffic of central Hong Kong.

We didn't stop, but I also got a fun photo of what looks like a breakfast place near the escalators. Forgive the fact someone is making fun of Asian pronunciation, but I thought it was pretty funny.

So, a wild 24 hours in Hong Kong comes to a close, and now it's a 16 hour flight home to Toronto on Cathay Pacific. Hope they still have some of the old Star Trek episodes I can watch...