Suing Air Canada over a 7up served in English ... Transformers ... Deal of day

At first glance, it is to laugh. The Supreme Court of Canada, CP reports, has agreed to hear the appeal of a couple who sued Air Canada when they weren't able to order a 7up soda in French.

It's a sad joke, you think to yourself. I mean, really? A 7up? They couldn't say 7up in English or point to a can or say "Sprite" or something?

We all know English speakers can run afoul of absurd language rules in Quebec. And we'll hear a lot about that as this case gets to the court, I'm sure.

But that's missing the point. Air Canada is mandated to serve people in both of our official languages. It's a legal requirement.

The 7up thing is silly on its own. Stupid, even. But if you read the fuller story you'll find that Michel and Lynda Thibodeau filed eight complaints with the official languages commissioner over what they say was English-only service they got on Air Canada flights between January and May, 2009.

You'll also find that Air Canada admitted fault. Here's the Canadian Press story on the Federal Court ruling from July, 2011, the ruling that's being appealled to the Supreme Court.

 Air Canada must pay $12,000 and apologize to an Ottawa couple after admitting it failed to provide them with services in French, a Federal Court judge ruled Wednesday.

However, the judge decided against imposing punitive damages, saying the carrier has tried to comply with its obligations under the Official Languages Act.

The case arose out of two trips Michel and Lynda Thibodeau made in the first half of 2009 between Ottawa and the United States.

They argued they couldn't get service in French when they checked in, at the boarding gate and aboard the flight, and that an announcement about a change of baggage carousel was made only in English.

The Ottawa couple each sought $25,000 in compensation.

"The applicants' language rights are clearly very important to them, " Madam Justice Marie-Josée Bédard said in her ruling."The violation of their rights caused them a moral prejudice, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of their vacation."

Under the Official Languages Act, Air Canada   s required to communicate and provide services in both official languages where there is significant demand in the minority language.

Air Canada conceded the Thibodeau's had four legitimate complaints, but argued they didn't suffer damages that should be compensated. The judge disagreed. 

"Awarding damages in this case will serve the purpose of emphasizing the importance of the rights at issue, and will have a deterrent effect, " Bédard wrote.

After considering the various factors at play, Bédard set the amount at $6,000 each - $1,500 for each of the four admitted breaches. But she rejected the Thibodeau's request to award $500,000 in exemplary and punitive damages, which they based on what they described as arrogance from Air Canada's side.

Call me soft, but I think if Air Canada admits fault it should be required to pay something. The ruling by Bedard sounds quite reasonable to me, however.

It's difficult for Air Canada in the sense that other Canadian carriers aren't bound by the same rules. But AC gets plenty of help from the government (like in the recent pension decision). So I don't feel particularly sorry for them. These were flights from Ottawa, folks. Surely they'd have someone at the airport and on board to speak French.

Given the decision, I can't quite see why the Supreme Court is taking up the issue. Surely it's not the sort of publicity Air Canada wants. Nor the Prime Minister, I suspect.

ONTARIO GOVERNMENT APPLAUDED BY TOURISM FOLKS

The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario today sent out a release applauding Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's new provincial budget.

 "Yesterday’s budget showed us that the Ontario government is listening and supports the tourism industry in Ontario by maintaining their current level of investment in tourism, by increasing investment attraction activities, and by increasing the commitment and programing for job creation."

The Association said it had laid out three priority areas for the Province to consider in the 2013 budget:

- Maintain the current level of investment in tourism;
- Encourage the attraction of new investors to the tourism industry to build new product; and
- Maintain support of workforce development and skills training in tourism.

Tourism is a $23.6 billion a year industry in Ontario, the association said, noting opportunities for growth in places like China, India and Brazil.

"By working with partners across the country, Ontario can leverage its marketing dollars to draw new visitors and increase visitor spending. Attracting increased foreign and domestic tourism investment to Ontario benefits everyone: tourism operators, municipalities, residents and visitors alike. Investment in new and existing tourism experiences will attract more new visitors and encourage repeat visitors, enhancing Ontario’s reputation and strengthens the provincial economy."

It's interesting to see the note about China. I've said it before, but it seems everyone and his brother (and cousin) is madly chasing Chinese tourism dollars.

 A story I saw Thursday from Xinhua, the Chinese news agency, noted that Australia is trying to become "China Ready" as China is its fasted growing "and most cherished" market.

I've noted previously how hotels in Canada and the U.S. are adding more Mandarin speakers, plus adding Mandarin TV stations and other amenities. You'll find the same thing in top high-end shops on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, I'm told. Now, in Sydney, folks who want to climb the famous Harbour Bridge will find Mandarin guides awaiting them.

If I was a kid today, I'd be trying to learn Mandarin...

CALGARY AIRPORT GROWING

Here's an item that'll make Montrealers gasp. It seems Calgary's airport is poised to become Canada's third biggest by the end of the year, surpassing Montreal Trudeau International.

Calgary is behind right now and in fourth spot, but with a faster growth rate than Montreal it's expected to go past the 14 million mark by the end of the year and surge past Montreal.

NEW TRANSFORMERS THEME PARK

Universal Orlando says it's new, 3-D theme park ride, based on the Transformers toy brand, will open June 20 in Florida.

Officials describe the ride as an interactive, "larger than life battle" between the Autobots and the Decepticons. It uses flight simular technology, along with wind, heat and smoke to make the riders feel immersed in the experience, according to Associate Press.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a fabulous deal today for a round-trip ticket to Florida, priced from just $210, including taxes and fees.

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Canadians want more airline competition...Naked body scanners...Deal of Day

More flights. More airlines. More purchasing options.

A study conducted for the Consumers Association of Canada shows Canadians are strongly in favour of more access for international carriers.

The group’s polling found that 60 per cent of Canadians believe foreign airlines should be allowed to increase their service to Canada. Only 14 per cent of respondents were opposed.

Looked at another way, 61 per cent of Canadians said they think foreign airlines should be allowed to compete with Canadian airlines for their business, with only 20 per cent opposed.

Air Canada has been fighting to keep Emirates from adding more flights to Canada, saying it would hurt the Canadian economy and cost jobs in this country. The Harper government, so far, has been swayed by that argument. But there’s been a thaw in relations between Ottawa and the United Arab Emirates government, and it could be that efforts by Emirates to get more landing spots in Canada will soon be renewed.

The CAC poll had some other findings that weren’t too surprising. Asked if allowing more foreign airlines to fly to Canada would lead to more competition for their travel dollar, a full 77 per cent of folks agreed. Only six per cent disagreed. Asked if allowing more foreign airlines to come here would lead to lower travel costs, 69 per cent said yes and 12 per cent disagreed.

But those are silly questions. Of course more airlines means more competition. The question that matters is whether that competition is a good thing. Sure, it’s good for our travel budget. But it might not be good for the economy as a whole, which is what Air Canada argues with some justification. I’d like to see more competitition, but I am mindful of the effects it might have here at home. So is the Prime Minister.

The CAC said it will use the poll “to renew our call for Canada to adopt a dramatically different approach to international aviation.”

“Current policy has protected vested interests,” said CAC president Bruce Cran. “It is time to open Canada’s skies and welcome foreign carriers into this market to compete for the business of Canadian travelers.”

Good luck, sir. Good luck.

CANADA’S SENATE WEIGHS IN ON AIR TRAVEL

The Canadian senate has weighed in with a report on the future of the aviation industry in this country.

The Standing Committee on Transport and Communications issued a report called “One Size Doesn’t Fit All: The Future Growth and Competitiveness of Canadian Air Travel.” Putting aside the sexy title and all, I can’t for the life of me tell what the report is supposed to mean by reading the committee’s press release.

The top sentence in the release says this: “Canada needs a single, cohesive national air travel strategy, which must take into account the needs and challenges of all regions, particularly in the North, to chart a new course toward increased air travel in Canada.”

The release says the committee determined that “efforts to improve the competitiveness of regional and northern air transport should begin with transportation strategies that support air traffic growth, and infrastructure improvements that lead to accessible pricing for all Canadians.”

Later I discovered, it talks about how airport rents should be phased out to make airlines more competitive. This also was in the committee's interim report and is an interesting item.

The National Airlines Council of Canada sent out a release today saying it welcomes the Senate report "supporting its position that air travellers are being unduly penalized by excessive taxes and fees that are making air travel more costly for Canadians."

LESS INTRUSIVE SCANNERS AT CANADIAN AIRPORTS

It’s probably a good thing that the Harper government says it will bring in new software that will reduce the size of the images revealed by so-called naked scanners at the airport.

Officials in Ottawa said the new software will produce a computer-generated stick figure, and not so much a realistic body image, while still protecting Canadians with proper security.

I guess it’s good. But I never bought into the whole civil liberties argument about body scanners and all those crazy folks screaming about invasion of privacy.

I mean, do folks honestly think that airport security workers who can access any pornography they want at home will get their jollies by looking at wavy, grainy images on a computer screen in a back room at Pearson Airport? I don’t think so.

BLUE MOUNTAIN CHANGES

Skyline International Development Inc. today announced the closing of a $20 million investment and acquisition in Blue Mountain.  Skyline has purchased both retail and undeveloped residential land interests in and adjacent to the renowned Blue Mountain Village at the base of Blue Mountain Resort.

"Under the retail portion of the agreement, Skyline has acquired 50 per cent of existing commercial retail space within the Blue Mountain Village from current owner Intrawest ULC. In addition, Skyline will manage the remaining 50 percent of the Village's retail space. Skyline has also acquired the land to build an additional 20,000 sq. ft. of retail space to expand the Village retail. Skyline's retail interest under agreement at Blue Mountain is currently generating $1.5 million of net operating income.

In the residential portion of the acquisition, Skyline has acquired 136 acres of remaining developable land in and adjacent to the Village, with plans to double the Village's current residential footprint. Skyline intends to develop 1,200 residential units, townhouses and single-family homes along the golf course and in the Village centre in the years ahead.

 

“We are very excited to be part owners of one of North America’s premier destinations. The Blue Mountain Village acquisition is an important milestone for Skyline’s growth. As of today, we can offer visitors and home buyers a unique set of four-season activity-focused destination communities, extending from downtown Toronto and reaching across southern Ontario,” says Gil Blutrich, Skyline Chairman. “We look forward to bringing the knowledge and expertise of our team to the table to make Blue Mountain this country’s top vacation destination, while offering more home buyers the chance to live in the heart of this thriving resort community and be connected to the rest of our portfolio.”

 

CARNIVAL IMPROVEMENTS

Good to see that Carnival Corp., the cruise operator that has suffered so many black eyes this year, will spend around $700 million or more on fire protection and backup systems across its 101-ship fleet.

According to Bloomberg News, Carnival will install added emergency generators and reinforce shipboard systems to prevent losses of power like the one that occurred on the Carnival Triump in February.

“Safety is our highest priority,” said Carnival vice chair and COO Howard Frank.

If it wasn’t before, it damn well should be now.

Nice moves, but the cruise company had little choice but to make a splash (pardon the pun) given the problems they’ve had.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for Cancun that includes a $1,500 resort credit and ticket to see the wonderful Beach Boys. It's priced at $1,727, including $348 in taxes.

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Canada a nation of towel stealers? ... Hello Eaton Chelsea T.O. ... Deal of day

Are we really terrible people?

Well, maybe not as bad as Americans. Or Colombians. But not nearly as nice or considerate – or honest – as the Danes.

A study by hotels.com found that 88 per cent of Danish travelers say they’ve never taken an item from a hotel room, a number I find astonishing. They found that 85 per cent of folks from Holland said the same thing, followed by 84 per cent of Norwegians and 81 per cent of people from Brazil and those from Quebec. English-speaking Canada? Shame, shame: 70 per cent.

The survey didn’t include toiletries from the bathroom, since, in the words of the hotels.com press release, “everyone takes those.”

Worst on the list, if you can believe the numbers, were folks from Spain (64 per cent said they never take things), India (62), Mexico (60) and Colombia (only 43 per cent).

The company also asked people what their must-have hotel amenity is. To no one’s surprise, the answer was free Wi-Fi. Also scoring points were high-end coffee makers, free bottled water and happy hours.

DELTA CHELSEA CHANGING NAMES

Say hello to the Eaton Chelsea Hotel in Toronto.

Owners of what has been for years the Delta Chelsea on Gerrard announced Monday night that the hotel will be renamed the Eaton Chelsea Toronto starting July 1.

The hotel is owned by Great Eagle Holdings Limited, which counts Langham Hospitality as one of its subsidiaries. Part of the Langham group are Asian hotels with the name Eaton, with properties in Shanghai, Hong Kong and New Delhi. As luck would have it, what is now the Delta Chelsea is just two blocks from Toronto's Eaton Centre (where there's no Eaton's anymore, not to confuse things too much). The bustling hotel is an official sponsor of Canada's best known shopping centre, as well.

Major renovations are set to begin in a couple weeks, with millions to be spent improving the exterior, particularly the balconies, as well as on sprucing up the lobby and restaurants and bars. And continuing renovations on the rooms and on the function spaces.

I thought they might try to use the Langham name on the old Delta Chelsea but it's far too big a property to be branded a luxury hotel (it's 1,590 rooms make it Canada's largest hotel). The Eaton name should work well in its stead.

There already are Langham's in London, Sydney, Boston, Auckland, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Pasadena, California, and other cities, and there are new ones coming to New York, Chicago and other cities.

Officials said the Eaton Chelsea will be a "first-class hotel" with a focus on "great service and great rates" and that all workers will be kept on. So folks shouldn't notice too big a difference other than the updates/renovations and a new name.

“We are very excited about the addition of Eaton Chelsea, Toronto to the Langham family,” said Josef Ebner, Regional Vice President and Managing Director of Eaton Chelsea, Toronto.  “In repositioning to an Eaton brand that will include some significant renovations, we are excited to now share a design philosophy of smart, modern and uncomplicated interiors and an enthusiastic “can do” service culture which will set us apart from the competition in downtown Toronto.”

CALGARY TOURISM AD SPARKS REAX

I might have been wrong on this one. I mentioned on Twitter the other day that I liked a Maclean’s story that criticized a new ad for tourism in Calgary. I thought the author of the piece made a good point in saying cities need to stay true to themselves and not be too generic when they create their ad campaigns.

I still think that but on looking at the video a second time I must say I kinda like it. A little more in the way of cowboys and mountain views wouldn’t hurt, but there are some sleek and sexy bits to the video that probably gives us freezing in the dark Easterners a better view of what’s becoming a very cool city.

TURBULENT TIMES AHEAD?

In the future, white-knuckle fliers may be able to blame those brutally bumpy flights over the Atlantic on greenhouse gases. In a story in the Los Angeles Times, it was stated that turbulence will be stronger and occur more often if carbon dioxide emissions double by 2050 and the atmosphere heats up, according to a study in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Not good news for nervous fliers.

CHINA RISES

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) says China’s total business travel spending should increase by 15.1 per cent in 2013 to $226 billion. The projected expansion of 16.9 per cent in 2014 is more than twice the rate of the U.S.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for a southern Caribbean cruise, set at $1,668, including $148 in taxes.

 

• BONUS: Includes FREE prepaid gratuities & non-stop flight from Toronto (in comparison to if you had booked your air and cruise separately!)
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• 7-night Southern Caribbean cruise sailing aboard the Celebrity Summit
• Departs from and returns to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ports of Call include:  St. Croix, U.S.V.I.; Basseterre, St. Kitts; Roseau, Dominica; St. George's, Grenada and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
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Offer Details

• Valid for travel on January 4, 2014
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  Balcony (Category C2) Concierge Class stateroom:
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MOTEL 6: Not what it used to be! ... Deal of the Day: 7 nights in sunny Aruba

I remember Motel 6 when I was a kid in California. Small rooms. Paper wrapped around the drinking glasses. And the vibrating beds with the "Magic Fingers."

Not exactly the Ritz. But they've come a long way.

Motel 6 is renovating its Canadian properties with bright, splashy orange colours and other amenities. They've also created something called Studio 6, a long-stay affair (very popular these days) but with a budget in mind.

They have a Studio 6 (see photo below left, with the green accents) in Mississauga already and they're planning one for late spring in, get this, Kensington Market in Toronto; about as urban a spot as you'll find in the country.

"The hotels are not dumps," laughs Monica Nowak, who's in charge of p.r. for the chain. "The hotels are clean, consistent. But there aren't frills. We have minimal operating costs and that helps consumers.

"There's no food or beverage; just free coffee and vending machines. But there's always a Tim Horton's or an A and W or something nearby. And prices are reasonable; usually $59 to $109."

There are 31 hotels scattered in five provinces: Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta. More are planned.

The newer style Phoenix rooms (Nowak describes them as having an "Ikea look") feature free Internet and they're also pet friendly. About one half the motel 6 buildings feature the new Phoenix rooms now. They all should be renovated by 2015, Nowak said.

"They're very good for young professionals or families on a budget. They're called motels but that's just the name. They all have interior corridors like a hotel. The properties are lower-end in the U.S. but not in Canada."

STUCK ON "IT'S A SMALL WORLD"

As a guy who grew up going to Disneyland a lot and still enjoys the Magic Kingdom, I had to chuckle at the story of the guy (well, not really) who got stuck on "It's a Small World" for a half hour. The poor fellow is disabled and apparently didn't get evacuated in the way other guests were when there problems on the ride.

He sued and his attorney says Disneyland awarded him $8,000.

I think we've all been on that ride and thought to ourselves, "Please, lord, don't let this ride break down and make me listen to that insipid song over and over again."

To borrow a phrase from My Fair Lady, "I'd be equally as willing for a dentist to be drilling..."

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for sunny Aruba for $1,719, including $320 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

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• Aruba is one of the loveliest Caribbean destinations
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Offer Details

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  Toronto:
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  Child: $1279
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• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
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Via Rail gets more entertaining ... Transat attendants falling ... Deal of Day: DR

Train trips with VIA Rail are about to get a little better.

Canada's rail giant has announced that they'll now be showing CBC news and other shows on board their trains, as well as top documentaries and other entertainment.

Starting in Spring 2013, the new interactive digital platform will provide passengers on VIA trains in the Windsor-Quebec City corridor (sorry, that's all for now) "free access to Canadian programming, including CBC/Radio-Canada TV shows programs, documentaries and animation from the NFB, and "Heritage Minutes" vignettes and Memory Project veteran interviews produced by The Historica-Dominion Institute."

Over time, they said, entertainment will be added from other organizations.

"Over the past two years, VIA Rail passengers have become accustomed to world-class Wi-Fi on our trains. Today, we are pleased to extend our Wi-Fi offer with entertainment and information produced by Canadians, for Canadians," officials said.

Okay, it's not quite Netflix. But it's certainly a nice step, and fitting that the content will be Canadian.

The VIA press release says the "on-board entertainment initiative required a total investment of $543,000 by VIA Rail. This program is part of VIA Rail's modernization plan launched in 2007, and was made possible by the nearly $1 billion in capital funding announced by the Government of Canada since 2007 to rebuild aging equipment, refurbish stations, upgrade infrastructure, improve accessibility and support critical information technology projects."

Rail officials posted a YouTube video about the coming system, which you can find here.

FAIRMONT ANNIVERSARY DEALS

The legendary Fairmont Banff Springs hotel is celebrating its 125th birthday with a year-long deal. The special 125th Castle Celebration Package offers two nights in luxury and a daily resort credit of $125. Guests can enjoy sumptuous dining with expansive mountain views, golf on the world-famous Stanley Thompson golf course, hikes down the Spray Valley to the site of the original Rundle stone quarry or a sojourn in the world-class Willow Stream Spa. Available year-round, rates start from $359 per night with a minimum two night stay.

This is also an eventful year for Quebec City’s Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, which Fairmont said "is celebrating 120 years as the most photographed hotel in the world." The 120th Anniversary Package highlights the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac’s inauguration in 1893 with a special rate and historic gift. The package includes accommodation in a Fairmont room, a full buffet breakfast for two at Le Café de la Terrasse restaurant, a vintage reprint poster of the famed Château Frontenac, and access to the hotel’s indoor pool. Available through June 24, 2013, rates start from $189.30 per night (to celebrate the hotel’s opening in 1893).

(I don't know about that most photographed hotel in the world bit. But it probably makes sense when you think about the hordes of tourists in and around Quebec City in summer. There's no way to quantify these things and I guess there could be a hotel somewhere next to a famous landmark that has its picture taken more often, but I can't honestly think of one. I mean, there's no Hyatt Machu Picchu I know of and there's not yet a Comfort Suites at the end of the Golden Gate Bridge or a Ritz Carlton under the Eiffel Tower.)

In Arizona, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is celebrating a quarter century of luxury. The AAA Five-Diamond resort’s 25th Anniversary Early-Bird Special is perfect for a summer getaway. The package includes nightly accommodation and a daily $25 USD food and beverage credit. Available for stays from May 27, 2013 to September 2, 2013, rates start at $125 USD per night.

TRANSAT CHANGES

The Star's Vanessa Lu reports on looming changes to staff on board Transat flights.Writing in today's paper, she says that because of stiff competition in the leisure travel business, "Air Transat’s flight attendants have agreed to $9 million in cost-saving measures.

About 1,750 flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, voted 66 per cent in favour of the company’s plan, which will reduce the number of flight attendants on Airbus 330 wide-body planes to 10, from the current 11.

“They haven’t touched our salaries,” said Peter Buzzell, president of CUPE’s Air Transat component, in an interview. “Working with one person less, that just means we have to work a little bit harder.”

 

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for the sunny D.R. this week for $1,087, including $388 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Save $300 per couple with Jaunt compared to what you'd pay for the same vacation on other sites!
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• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 4-Star Grand Bahia Principe El Portillo, located in Samana, Dominican Republic
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• Accommodations include a Standard Room featuring 1 king or 2 twin beds and a balcony or terrace. Maximum occupancy: 2 adults, or 2 adults and 1 child
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• The exquisite natural beauty on the Samana peninsula
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• Close the beautiful town of Las Terrenas

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on March 17, 23 & 24, 2013
  Other DATES and GATEWAYS available. Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  Toronto:
  Double: $699
  Single: $1039
  Child: $699  
  Tax: $388
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

WestJet carry-on bag change ... Ikea hotels on the way ... Deal of Day: Scotland

WestJet announced today that guests can now carry just one carry-on bag onto their planes, instead of the previous limit of two.

Officials are talking about this change (effective April 4) making  things smoother onboard, with more space and easier boarding. Of course, if you want to create lots of space let’s not allow any bags on board. Think of the time we’d all save that way.

This can’t possibly be couched as a victory for travelers, who now will be forced to check more bags or cut down on luggage.

The new limit means one bag on board (of a certain size, of course), plus one so-called “personal item.” Which is the same as Air Canada now allows.

The WestJet press release on the issue described a personal item as including “small purses, laptop bags or mobility or child restraint devices.”

Me? I think what we need is an airline restraint device.

IKEA HOTELS COMING TO EUROPE

I touched on this some time ago, but now there's official word that Ikea has teamed with Marriott to open a series of budget-minded hotels across Europe.

According to travelmole.com, Ikea's parent company "has confirmed it is to open around 50 budget hotels in Europe in the next five years in partnership with Marriott International, with the first opening in Milan (see photo)."

The hotels will be branded Moxy and are aimed at youth travelers on a budget. Rooms look to be going for around $100 a night, which isn't bad for Europe but is a significant step above a hostel rate.

Marriott apparently has spent $500 million or so on the project and has plans to build 50 hotels in the next five years and 150 over 10 years. Travelmole said it's "looking for sites close to business parks, airports, train and underground stations in the UK, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Austria."

The hotels will have "upscale bathrooms and guestrooms will be kitted out with modern technology including flat screen TVs and built-in USB ports, and there will be meeting rooms and snack bars."

The rooms apparently won't feature Ikea furniture but will be built mostly off-site and then transported to various cities for final assembly, no doubt by engineers with really big Allen keys and a set of baffling instructions.

HOTEL PRICES ON THE RISE, AND SO ARE REWARD PROGRAM COSTS

Feeling the pinch in North America? There's good reason for that. A new study by hotels.com finds that hotel prices in North America rose 5 per cent last year; considerably higher than the worldwide average ike of 3 per cent.

Here in Toronto, prices rose only 2 per cent. In Montreal, they were up 3 per cent. But rooms can get expensive in some parts of the country, with average prices in Kananaskis, Alberta last year pegged at $259 and in Lake Louise at $246.

Looking for a sun holiday? Prices in the Caribbean were up 6 per cent last year, the study said. Asia prices rose just two per cent, while prices in Latin America crept up by just 1 per cent. Prices in the Middle East and Europe dropped slightly, which is good news for many travellers.

In addition to paying more for North American hotels, consumers here face some bad news on the rewards program front. CNN reports that Marriott, Hilton and Starwood, which operate Westin and Sheraton hotels and many others, are all increasing the number of points needed to get free nights at their properties.

Hilton, CNN said, will nearly double the points needed to stay at its most popular locations in peak times. Marriott, it said, will hike the number of points needed to stay at more than 1,000 of its hotels around the world after May 15. And Starwood plans to hike the "combined points and cash needed to stay at the majority of its hotels by 25 per cent."

Bad news, folks. Bad news.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY: SCOTLAND

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on hand for a fabulous trip to Scotland, priced at $3,465, including $567 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: Extend your flights for up to 30 days at no additional cost, and return from anywhere Transat flies in Europe
• BONUS: $150 Future Travel Voucher
• 10-day/8-night Scottish Dream Tour & Military Tattoo featuring a Loch Ness cruise, visits to Edinburgh Castle, reserved seating for the Military Tattoo and more!
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Glasgow on Air Transat
• Includes all transfers in Scotland via luxury coach, services of a professional English speaking tour guide, and all sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
• 8 nights' accommodation in Superior First Class hotels (based on double occupancy)
• Includes full breakfast daily (except day one), and 6 dinners throughout the tou

• The incredible amount of inclusions in the trip, from accommodations in Superior First Class Hotels, Military Tattoo, meal inclusions, to cruises, tours and more
• Visits and admissions to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Inveraray Castle, Clan Donald Centre at Armadale Castle, Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, Balmoral Castle or Crathes Castle, Glamis Castle, St Andrews and Edinburgh Castle
• Cruise on the legendary Loch Ness, and Loch Lomond

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on August 13, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, and based on double occupancy):
  Toronto:
  Single: $3448 + 567 tax
  Double: $2898 + $567  tax
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable

 

 

 

 

Happy 125th to Fairmont Banff Springs ... Hot times in Hilton Head...Deal of Day

Thanks to the folks at Travel Alberta for filling the media in last week on what's happening out their way.

Top of the news for most folks might be that Canada's most iconic hotel (other than that really nice Comfort Inn in Niagara Falls, that is) is celebrating its 125th birthday this year. The Fairmont Banff Springs was opened in 1888 in a stunning part of the Rockies and remains a standard-bearer in the industry; a regal and beautiful hotel in an equally magical setting.

"Opened in 1888, the landmark hotel was the inspiration of Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, 19th century railway pioneer and hotel visionary, who famously quipped, “If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists.” 125th anniversary celebrations will run year long including special events, exclusive offers, community engagement and much more," according to the hotel web site.

They've recently renovated the Royal Suite and the hotel's two signature Terrace Suites, overlooking the lovely Bow River Valley. Both the Rundle Lounge and Waldhaus Restaurant & Pub, the original golf course clubhouse, also have been given a re-do for the birthday, officials said.

Check the website for special promotions and deals for a special birthday.

Banff was the first national park in Canada and only the third in the world, apparently. And that's pretty cool.

Things will soon heat up in Edmonton, as well, with another edition of the fabulous Fringe Fest, plus a stop on the LPGA golf tour this summer, the CN Canadian Women's Open Aug. 22-25. The city also will host the start of the Tour of Alberta cycling race.

Down in Calgary they're celebrating an increasingly sophisticated city, with new restaurants and micro-breweries and new festivals, including what's billed as Canada's first professional outdoor opera festival come September.

HILTON HEAD HEATS UP

Great beaches. Beautiful waterways for boating. Fabulous golf courses. And no high-rises in sight.

Sounds better than a foot of wet snow outside your doorstep here in Toronto, doesn’t it?

I had a chance to sit down with folks from Hilton Head, South Carolina the other day and I learned the area was “the first planned eco planned destination in the country,” with no buildings over five storeys high and no bright lights allowed to block night viewing of the stars.

Charlie Clark of the Hilton Head tourism bureau (check) said all the island’s waterfront properties are currently undergoing renovation of some kind, those being the Westin, Marriott, Omni, Sonesta (formerly the Crowne Plaza) and the Beach House (formerly the Holiday Inn).

“Our biggest secret is how lush it is,” Clark told me. “There’s a natural dolphin habitat. Kids as young as five are out there in kayaks and there’s a Disney resort on the island, too.”

The island, just north of the Georgia border, is about 12 by 5 miles, roughly the size of Manhattan, with 24 golf courses. Some are as low as $49, but you also can try your luck at Harbour Town, where the RBC Heritage classic will be played April 15-21.

Not a golfer? There are miles of bike paths and the sand is firm enough that you can ride your bike on the beach.

“Just remember to ride upwind first,” Clark said with a smile.

Tennis is also huge,e with more than 300 courts.

The island has a bit of a reputation as fairly high-falutin, but Clark said there are a variety of lodging styles available including Hampton Inn with a kids’ suite.

It’s a lot closer than Florida, maybe a 16 or 17-hour drive from Toronto, and the weather is excellent about this time of year. Today’s high is slated to be 20 degrees Celsius, and wouldn’t that feel nice right about now?

For families that want extra space, there are a ton of home and villa resorts available, some quite closwe to the beach.

I went online at Expedia.com the other day and found a room at the Red Roof Inn for four days in mid-March for just $60 a night and a condo for as little as $74. The Hilton Head Island Beach and tennis Resort was showing rooms for just $89, while the Omni’s rooms were listed at $179 and up.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY: ITALY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on offer for a great trip to Italy, priced at $4,690 for 16 days and 14 nights.

Jaunt Highlights

• 16-day/14-night Country Roads & the Vineyards of Italy tour, featuring visits to Cinque Terre - a UNESCO World Heritage site, the vineyards of Tuscany, the ‘Gates of Paradise’ on the Baptistery and more!
• Includes roundtrip hotel/airport transfers, transportation in Italy via Luxury air-conditioned coach, services of a professional tour guide, and headsets for all visits and walking tours
• 14 nights' hotel accommodation in Premium Hotels. See Offer Details section below for hotels included (based on double occupancy)
• Includes 14 buffet breakfasts, a welcome reception, 1 celebration dinner, and 4 three-course evening meals with choice of tea or coffee

• Hotels are conveniently located and range from rustic Tuscan villas to romantic Roman rooftops
• You'll taste your way through the Italian countryside and also enjoy Italy's major city sights
• Insight Vacations is a luxury tour provider with attentive guides and spacious coach buses

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates: May 11 & September 21, 2013

• Pricing (Rates are per person, based on double occupancy):
  Double: $4690
  Single: $5929
  Triple: $4392
  Child: $4196
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

 

 

West Jet ups the ante in fight with Air Canada, Porter ... Deal of Day is Turkey

Big news in the Canadian airline biz today, as WestJet takes aim at both Air Canada and Porter.

Calgary-based WestJet announced today it will start flying twice weekly between Toronto and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (see photo at right), beginning May 2. Air Canada doesn't fly that route but Porter does, out of the Toronto island airport.

Myrtle Beach folks are obviously excited to welcome hundreds more Canadians to their beaches, golf courses and fine restaurants each week.

The Star's Vanessa Lu reports that within Canada, WestJet also is increasing the number of flights between Toronto and Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon and Regina, and will introduce new non-stop service between Toronto and Fort McMurray.

The airline will also boost flights between Toronto and Orlando to 11 weekly from seven a week, which is great news for Florida fans.

It is moving service between Calgary and Los Angeles to twice daily from once a day. Beginning April 29, it is also introducing daily service between Calgary and Dallas-Fort Worth, which is a hub for WestJet’s code-share partner American Airlines, Lu reported.

A lot of that sounds like warning shots across Air Canada's bow to me. And let's hope it means an air fare war of some kind, as prices these days are crazy high.

The Financial Post is reporting that Encore will serve Fort St. John, Saskatoon, and Nanaimo, from Calgary starting June 24. The Post also said they'll provide Encore service between Vancouver and Victoria with a 78-seat Bombardier Q400 turboprop.

The airline has plans to expand the Encore service to several other routes including flights between Calgary and Edmonton, Regina, and Grande Prairie as of Aug. 13, the paper said.

Last week, WestJet reported strong profits for 2012 of $242.4 million, or $1.78 a share, up from $148.7 million in 2011. Still the airline is embarking on a $100 million cost-cutting initiative over the next three years.

CHAOS AT PEARSON

It’s not bad enough that ordinary Torontonians don’t know how to drive in the snow. It’s worse when folks at Pearson Airport can’t handle a dump of the white stuff.

It was chaos at Pearson on the weekend. Every time I turned on the news there was some poor schlep standing in front of a camera explaining how he’s been at the airport since 1998, or something like that, and was still waiting to take his trip to Florida.

“The bad news is I’ve had to wait 15 years for the de-icing equipment to work and for a new flight crew to arrive,” I thought I heard one man say. “The good news is I’m now 75 and I won’t have to take off my shoes when I go through security.”

It was not only crazy inside the airport, but a story in today’s Star outlines how folks had to wait hours and hours just to get their cars out of the lot at the Park'N Fly, which seems crazy.

A report on travelmole.com this morning says more than 7,000 flights were cancelled because of the winter storm that hit eastern Canada and the northeast U.S.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for spring and summer. Because all we’ve have to worry about then is flooding and thunderstorms and hurricanes.

CRUISE SHIP TRAGEDY

It was about a year ago that the Costa ship ran aground in Italy. Now comes word of another tragedy, this one, bizarrely, during a drill lifeboat usage.

The incident took place during a safety drill on the cruise ship Thomson Majesty while it was docked in Santa Cruz on La Palma in the Canary Islands.

The lifeboat fell into the water killing five members of crew and injuring three.

Nautilus International, the union for seafarers and maritime professionals, argues that more people get killed and injured during lifeboat drills than rescued by lifeboats.

Andrew Linington, head of communications, said: "This is just ridiculous. There have been dozens of fatalities in the last few years alone due to these drills.”

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has an offering for a trip to fabulous Turkey.

Jaunt Highlights

• 16-day/14-night Ottoman Discoveries Turkey Tour with visits to ancient cities, mosques, Turkish markets and more!
• Optional return air from Toronto to Istanbul via Air Transat. Land-only option also available.
• Includes all transfers in Turkey via air-conditioned motorcoach, services of a professional English speaking tour guide, and all sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
• 14 nights' accommodation based on double occupancy. See below for hotels included (or similar).
• Includes 40 meals throughout the tour

• Your small tour and boutique-style accommodations ensure a unique, personalized experience
• You'll visit famous sites of antiquity like Ephesus and Troy
• You'll experience the energy of Istanbul and the healing powers of Turkey's countryside

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on May 19, 2013
• Pricing (based on double occupancy):
  
  Land Only:
  Double: $2029 per person, tax included
  Single: $2679 per person, tax included
  
  Including Toronto Air:
  Double: $2609 + tax
  Single: $3259 + tax
  Tax: $457.60 per person
  
  
• Accommodations included (or similar): Aziyade (Istanbul), Iris (Canakkale), Kalehan (Selcuk), Pam (Pamukkale), Dogan (Antalya), Anamas Konukevi (Beysehir), Upper Greek House (Cappadocia), The Apple Palace (Amasya) & Kadioglu Sehzade Konagi (Safranbolu)
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is refundable until Feb 13 at 5PM EST. After this time, this offer is 100% non-refundable

WestJet #19 safest airline in world, Air Canada 25th ... Jaunt.ca deal of the day

The folks at JACDEC, the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre, based in Germany, have issued their 2012 safety report for the world's airlines.

As reported in this space the other day, the centre said flying was safer around the world last year than in some time, with 23 accidents and 475 fatalities in 2012. The 10-year average was 34 accidents and 773 fatalities a year.

More interesting for us in Canada, perhaps, are the safety numbers for our two biggest airlines. JACDEC's 2012 report put WestJet 19th in the world out of 60 airlines rated, which means they can boast of making the top third. (Which is a lot better than screaming, 'We're number 19,' I think.)

Air Canada came 25th, which allows them to say they were in the top half but, again, probably not something we'll see marketing campaign built around.

Still, there's some solace in the numbers for Canadian flyers. We could be doing a LOT worse.

Porter Airlines wasn't included in the JACDEC survey, just FYI.

As for the top five, they were, in order: Finnair, Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Etihad. Worst five? Glad you asked: Korean Air, GOL (Brazil), Air India, TAM (Brazil) and China Airlines (Taiwan).

Not so great for Brazil. Maybe I should rent a car if I go someday ...

The only North American airline that finished ahead of WestJet was JetBlue, which was the continent's top-rated group at #14. Southwest was 21, between WestJet and Air Canada. Other North American notables: Delta 28; United 31, American 42 and US Air a not too pretty 44.

ENGLAND GETS SMALL BOOST FROM OLYMPICS

I covered the Olympics for the Star off and on for more than 20 years, and I've made this point many times. So forgive me while I make it again.

Time after time after time after time, tourism and business types backing Olympic bids from cities around the world stand up in front of banks of tv cameras and microphones and talk in dreamy tones about how staging the Games will bring in hordes of tourists.

It almost never happens. People get scared to death of the Olympics. They fear security hassles and nightmare traffic and, for the most part, the numbers never come close to what folks boast about in those fancy press conferences. Oh, they do fine. But they seldom if ever do as well as the boosters insist.

What you CAN do by staging the Olympics, if you do it right, is boost your long-term standing in the travel world. Barcelona was a relative backwater until they spent gazillions on public works and beaches and fancy art work and now it's a HUGE player in Europe. Sydney, on the other hand, didn't seem to do as well. Ditto for Vancouver and certainly for Atlanta.

A report on travelmole.com today says Britain suffered a three per cent drop in tourists during the third quarter of last year when London hosted the 2012 Olympic Games.

Despite expectations of a bookings bonanza for the capital during the Olympics, London received 200,000 fewer overnight visits from overseas residents over summer 2012 than a year earlier.  Visits to the rest of England and Scotland also fell, but not those to Wales. 

However, there were benefits overall, so perhaps the boosters had it somewhat correct. It turns out that while overall numbers were down, spending by overseas visitors rose eight per cent. You could make the argument that total spending is more important than actual bums on the planes, so good for them.

VisitBritain said November was the best for five years, with visitor numbers up nine per cent year on year, keeping the country on track for 31 million visits by the end of 2012. It said spending for the 11 months of the year reached a record 17.2 billion pounds.

However, spending associated with overnight visits to London increased by 13% from £2.8 billion to £3.1 billion. Spending on Olympics and Paralympics tickets will have accounted for a part of this increase, said the Office for National Statistics.

No doubt the Queen's Jubilee and the royal wedding helped, too.

The point here is that the Olympics aren't a short-term panacea for tourism. But if you do things right, you can expect reasonable long-term improvements. Not to mention a great party and a morale boost for your city or country. Whether that's worth the enormous, multi-billion dollar costs of these things is, of course, up for debate. I think Canadians don't mind at all that we spent a fortune on security for Vancouver. It was a coming out party and a huge source of pride for us to win so many medals and I doubt many of us regret the money spent. Ditto for London, I suspect.

THIS AND THAT

Good item in today's Star Business section by reporter Vanessa Lu, charting recent problems with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The new planes should be coming to Air Canada in the next year or two, and they're supposed to allow AC to use its older planes on the new, discount Rouge carrier they just launched. It's possible that delays, if there are any, in delivering the Dreamliner would impact on Rouge. But it's pretty early to speculate. Besides, Boeing says everything's great with their new product. So it must be true. Right? Right? ... Aeroplan is again offering an exclusive invitation for CIBC Aeroplan Cardholders. They've 100 per cent of the seats for cardholders on two Air Canada flights from Toronto to Orlando for March break. Book now to take advantage ... StatsCan says tourism spending rose 1 per cent in the third quarter of 2012, up from 0.1 per cent in the previous quarter. The agency says higher tourism spending by Canadians at home more than made up for a decline in spending by international visitors. The Canadian Tourism Commission says its efforts to market last year's 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede lured thousands of visitors to Canada. It says more than 8,900 travellers booked trips to Canada in the six months leading to the centennial celebrations and that spending by those visitors injected more than $9.2 million into the Canadian economy. The Stampede received a record 1.4 million visitors, up 20 per cent from 2011.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal for a coach tour of fabulous and historic Turkey with Transat.

Priced at $2,049 plus $458 in taxes (for a total of $2,07), the tour includes many of the highlights of this fascinating and popular country. Here are the highlights:

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: $150 Future Travel Voucher per person
• BONUS: Extend your flight for up to 30 days at no additional cost (accommodations extra) and return from anywhere Transat flies in Europe
• 16-Day, 14-Night Tour of Turkey including visits to the Grand Bazaar, Ephesus, a walking tour of Antalya, sightseeing tour of Ankara along Salt Lake, and more!
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Istanbul on board Air Transat, and airport/hotel transfers in Turkey
• 14 nights' accommodation in 4-Star hotels and a Special class Hotel with private facilities (double occupancy) 
• Includes transportation via an air conditioned coach, services of an English-speaking licensed tour guide, and all sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
• Meals include 14 buffet breakfasts, 13 lunches and 12 dinners, including a farewell dinner with wine

• Hotels are in 4-star or special class hotels with private facilities
• The wide variety of sights include historic ruins, markets, natural wonders, battlegrounds and more
• Discover both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure date: June 2, 2013
• Pricing (per person, plus tax):
  
  Single: $2559
  Double: $2049
  Triple: $2029
  Tax: $457.60
• Valid passport and visa (not included) required for travel from Canada
• Other Turkey packages available with Transat Holidays. Call 1-855-GO-JAUNT to book!
• This offer is refundable until 5PM EST on January 16, 2013. After that time, this offer is 100% non-refundable