Another Toronto Olympic bid could be on the horizon ... Deal of day: China

Here we go again. Maybe.

Canadian Olympic Committee chief Marcel Aubut was quoted last week as saying the COC is considering a Toronto bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Aubut was believed to be pushing for a Quebec City bid for the 2022 Winter Games. And maybe he still is. But he said last week that the country needs a Summer Games more.

"Toronto is going to deliver a great 2015 Pan Am Games and it should be the first step in going higher for the Olympics like Brazil did (in winning the 2016 Summer Olympics), Aubut told Reuters. "If not we are going to look again at the Winter Games, and Quebec is a very good possibility. But the first goal is to convince people to go with Toronto in the summer."

The time for a 2022 Winter Games bid is almost here, actually. The International Olympic Committee will vote in September of this year on the site of the 2020 Summer Olympics, with the final ballot consisting of Istanbul (the favourite), Madrid and Tokyo.

A 2022 decision will be made by the IOC in 2015, while the 2024 decision comes two years after that.

It's good to see Aubut talking about the need for a Summer Games. Because Canada still needs good, Olympic pools and running tracks and other facilities. And a Summer Games in Toronto would do a lot for the city's tourism if it's done right.
Lord knows we should've learned how to bid, too, having lost out for the 1996 Games and then losing to Beijing in the 2008 race.

What we do NOT NEED is another ski jump or another bobsleigh/luge/skeleton course. It's bad enough to have Olympic winter facilities in Calgary and Vancouver; to spend public money on duplicating them in Quebec would be absurd.

Having staged the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver is probably enough for Canada. But the trouble is that, with global warming (or global inconsistency), there aren't many places cold enough to pull it off any more. Quebec might be one of the few dependably cold places the IOC can find for a Winter Games at some point, although there should be plenty of options for 2022, including perhaps China, Norway or maybe a Slovakia-Poland joint bid.

Staging the 2024 Games in Toronto is fairly soon after Vancouver. But it's definitely time for the big summer event to return to a North American stage as the last one here was way back in 1996 in Atlanta (after Atlanta nudged out Toronto and other cities).

Since then we've seen the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, and Rio in 2016. It's time to come back to North America.

But I’d be leery of the U.S. Big-time. The U.S. and the IOC were kinda like Karen Stintz and Rob Ford for a while; very much at each other’s throats. But they resolved a major issue over television money a while back and are now back on good terms. I think a Canadian bid would be extremely hard-pressed to elbow the Americans from the front of the IOC food line.

So far there's been interest from Los Angeles (which already has held the Games twice), Philadelphia and, um, Tulsa. I think Toronto could take on Tulsa, no offence to my Oklahoma friends. Also rumoured to be mulling a 2024 bid are Rome, Paris, Doha, Dubai and Durban, South Africa.

Aubut sounded excited.

"There won't be any political problems, there won't be a problem with terrorism. They (members of the IOC) love Canada. It's close to America. They love our country.

"But we have to make sure the interest is there, the government support is there."

I can see Mayor Ford jumping at it. Hard. But I'm not sure Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario government would feel the same way about such a huge undertaking during tough economic times. I'm also hugely worried about the potential security costs of a Toronto Games, as the bill would be massive.

Still, it should be fun to watch.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal today for a great-sounding trip to mystical China to see The Great Wall, rhw remarkable Terra Cotta Warriors and more. It's a five-star, 11-day trip priced at $2,419, including $720 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• 11-Day/9-Night Terracotta Treasures Tour, including visits to Tian An Men Square, the Imperial Palace, and the Great Wall of China, an itinerary offering time to shop for cultural and artistic treasures, and more!
• Includes international airfare with Air Canada, plus domestic airfare and airport/hotel transfers throughout the tour. See Offer Details for more info.
• Includes transportation via private air conditioned coach, accompaniment of licensed English speaking local tour guides, tours & entrance fees as per the itinerary and more!
• Pricing includes single-entry China Visa (valued at $120) and gratuities for local driver & guide (valued at $150)
• Accommodations for 11 nights in 5-Star Hotels, based on double occupancy. See below for hotels included (or similar).
• Meals include 9 daily breakfasts, 8 lunches & 6 dinners including dinner with a traditional Apsara show 

• You'll experience China in depth, from traditional medicine to dance shows and savoury foods
• See the Great Wall of China, Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors
• Stay in true luxury at five-star acommodations

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on November 20, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  
  Vancouver:
  Double: $1699
  Single: $2119
  Tax: $720
  
  Toronto:
  Double: $1899
  Single: $2319
  Tax: $720
  
  Calgary:
  Double: $1799
  Single: $2219
  Tax: $720
  
  For Other DATES or LAND ONLY option, Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
  
• Accommodations Included (or similar): Oriental Bay Hotel, Beijing (3 nights); Titan Times Hotel, Xian (1 night); Sanli New Century Grand Hotel Zhenjiang, Hangzhou (1 night); Landison Plaza Hotel Wuxi, Wuxi (1 night); Grand Metropark Hotel, Suzhou (1 night) and Majesty Plaza Hotel, Shanghai (2 nights)
• Your Flights Include: Departure airfare from Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary to Beijing and return airfare from Shanghai to Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary, domestic round-trip flight from Beijing to Xian and Xian to Hangzhou.
• Valid passport and visa required for travel from Canada
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

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.

• BONUS: Enjoy $1500 USD Resort Credit and 2 FREE Adult Beach Boys Concert Tickets per room!
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 4.5-Star Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort, located in Cancun, Mexico
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Cancun, and round-trip airport/resort transfers in Mexico
• Accommodations in a Superior Garden View Room featuring 1 king or 2 double beds. Maximum Occupancy: 4 adults
• Daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

Why We Love It:

• Enjoy the laidback beach beats of The Beach Boys in concert
• Pamper yourself with the world class spa services and golf course
• Entertain the whole family with Kids Clubs and numerous dining options

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on August 3, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  Toronto:
  Double: $1379
  Single: $2069
  Triple: $1319
  Quad: $1259
  Tax: $347.56
  
  Other DATES and GATEWAYS available.
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
• Use your $1500 resort credit for a range of perks including spa treatments, select excursions, golf and more! For a full breakdown of how to use your credit CLICK HERE
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

WestJet expands T.O. options, FinnAir cheap flights to Europe, Whistler news

A lot of the focus from WestJet on Monday was, understandably, the naming of Nanaimo and Fort St. John B.C. as cities to be served by their new, regional carrier, called Encore.

From a Toronto standpoint, and we all know the world revolves around this fair city, there's plenty of news from regular WestJet. At the same time it was slipping into new destinations in B.C., they also announced twice-weekly service from The Big Smoke to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and upped the Orlando service from seven times a week to 11.

What I hadn't noticed in the flurry of announcements was an increase of WestJet flights from Toronto to Miami (see photo at right) from seven a week to eight, plus new flights (three times a week) from Toronto to Fort McMurray, Alberta. They also significantly bumped up flights from here to Saskatchewan, adding three more per week to both Regina and Saskatoon for 10 flights a week to each city in total.

As well, they added two more flights a day from Toronto to Vancouver (now 11 per day), Calgary (also now 11 in total) and Edmonton (8 per day). They'll fly to Winnipeg from Toronto five times a week.

One of the company's press releases on Monday also said they'll extend service to Aruba , Liberia , Costa Rica , and Trinidad and Tobago on a year-round basis and add one extra flight each week between Toronto and Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica , Varadero, Cuba , St. Martin, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Cancun.

There are rumours WestJet may soon take aim at Air Canada's international network, and wouldn't that be fun to watch?

SKI WITH AN OLYMPIAN - AND GO WATCH SOME AT THE GAMES

A couple of things to note for fans of the Olympics. Whistler-Blackcomb  has expanded its Snow School offerings with the addition of a "Ski with an Olympian" program. The new offering lets ordinary folks hear stories and get tips and spend time with an Olympic athlete as their personal guide.

You get a full day of skiing or riding with an Olympic athlete, with capacity limited to just five people per group. Guests also get lift line priority.

Thirteen ski and snowboard athletes are taking part, including noted Olympic skier Rob Boyd. For more information, visit whistlerblackcomb.com.

Speaking of the Olympics, tickets for the 2014 Winter Games (how did this happen so quickly?) in Sochi, Russia are now available for Canadians to buy at cosport.com. Fans will be able to choose from a variety of packages that combine tickets with hotel stays or hospitality services.

Individual tickets start as low as $22. I suspect a ticket for the gold medal hockey game would be slightly, just slightly, more than that. 

FINNAIR BARGAINS TO EUROPE

Finnair is offering a series of round-trip economy deals for spring. Prices start at just $679 Canadian for flights from Toronto to Helsinki, Saint Petersburg, Stockholm, Warsaw and even Prague (with a stop in Helsinki). I went online this morning and found a roundtrip flight from Toronto to Prague for just $778; which is about the same as a round-trip flight on Air Canada to San Francisco in April.

The deal is valid for a host of other cities, including Riga, Oslo, Norway and Krakow. Travel must be taken from May 23 to June 20 and from Aug. 21 to Sept. 5.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on offer for a beautiful Alaska cruise, priced at $1,315 (including $591 in taxes) Here are the details:

• 7-night Alaska Cruise sailing on the ms Amsterdam, departing and returning to Vancouver, BC
• Includes return airfare from Toronto or Montreal to Vancouver
• Ports of Call include: Vancouver, BC; Glacier Bay; Skaqway, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; & the Inside Passage
• Accommodations in one of the following staterooms: Oceanview (Category H) or Verandah (Category BB or BC)
• Includes daily breakfast, lunch and dinner at various complimentary dining options  
• The ms Amsterdam is an exquisite ship with fanciful details and beautiful artwork
• Alaska is as exhilarating as it is beautiful, with breathtaking scenery and fascinating wildlife
• Enjoy culinary demonstrations and other delicious activities in the Culinary Arts Centre

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates: May 24, 31, June 7, 14, 21, 28, July 5, 19, 26, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, September 6, 13, 2013
• Pricing: (Rates are per person, plus tax, & based on double occupancy)
  
  Toronto:
  May 24:
  Oceanview: $724 + $591 tax
  Verandah: $1446 + $569 tax
  
  May 31:
  Oceanview: $804 + $591 tax
  Verandah: $1526 + $591 tax
  
  June 7:
  Oceanview: $884 + $602 tax
  Verandah: $1709 + $602 tax
  
  June 14:
  Oceanview: $884 + $602 tax
  Verandah: $2018 + $602 tax
  
  June 21 & 28:
  Oceanview: $936 + $602 tax
  Verandah: $2018 + $602 tax
  
  July 5:
  Oceanview: $936 + $585 tax
  Verandah: $2018 + $602 tax
  
  July 19:
  Oceanview: $936 + $602 tax
  Verandah: $2018 + $602 tax
  
  July 26:
  Oceanview: $936 + $585 tax
  Verandah: $2018 + $585 tax
  
  August 2 & 9:
  Oceanview: $936 + $585 tax
  Verandah: $2018 + $585 tax
  
  August 16:
  Oceanview: $936 + $585 tax
  Verandah: $1709 + $585 tax
  
  August 23 & 30:
  Oceanview: $884 + $598 tax
  Verandah: $1709 + $598 tax
  
  September 6 & 13:
  Oceanview: $884 + $598 tax
  Verandah: $1709 + $598 tax
  
  

 

 

Busy times at Blue Mountain as Skyline International eyes an expansion plan

 

Skyline is making its mark.

A lot of you probably don't know much about this company, but chances are you've heard of their (growing) lineup of resorts and hotels.

It was announced on Thursday that Skyline International has acquired a $20 million stake in Blue Mountain, the province's largest ski and golf resort. The company plans to double the size of the village at the base of the mountain over the next 10 years, with some 1,200 condos, townhouses and detached houses within walking distance of the ski hill. It also will add 20,000 square feet of retail space.

Skyline has been picking up properties all over southern Ontario in the past eight years. They also own Horseshoe Ski/Golf Resort and Deerhurst, plus three downtown Toronto hotels: the King Edward, the Pantages and the Cosmopolitan.

Apparently there have been plans for more ski runs at Blue but they haven't gotten off the drawing board, The Star's Susan Pigg reported in today's Business section.

"We don't have any say in what Blue Mountain does, but they have expansion capacity to the south of the (existing) hill," said Skyline CEO Michael Sneyd. "It's up to them but we'd love to see them expand."

Blue Mountain Development - half-owned by Fortress Investment Development, which bought Intrawest in 2006 - will continue to control mountain, commercial and condo rental operations, Pigg reported.

Sneyd apparently isn't content to have locked up so much of southern Ontario's resort biz, and he's said to be eyeing other hospitality holdings in Eastern and Western Canada.

Whatever their plans are for the rest of the country, the investment in Blue Mountain ought to mean good things for hotels, inns and restaurants in and around Collingwood. And that's positive news.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, is offering a pretty sweet package at the Marriott Gateway at the Falls in Niagara Falls. You get accomodations for two people Sunday to Friday for $119 for a one-night stay in a Cityview Room and $249 for a two-night stay. If you want a Fallsview Room from Sunday to Friday, it's $149 for one night and $279 for two nights.

The deal includes:

• Buffet Breakfast for two daily
• One $25 Milestone dinner voucher
• 2 48-hr WEGO Shuttle Passes
• 2 Drink tickets 
• One $25 Casino slot voucher for Fallsview Casino or Casino Niagara

Offer Details

• Valid for travel: December 26, 2012 – March 14th, 2013
• Blackout dates: December 25, 31, 2012, January 1, February 17, 2013
• Reservations must be made by February 28, 2013
• For more information, go to www.jaunt.ca

 

Air Canada Rouge is new carrier/Porter Escapes launches/New airline ad rules

 

This might be the craziest day I've ever seen for airline travel in Canada.

At 11:15 a.m., Air Canada unveiled "Rouge" as the name of their new, low-cost airline that will start flying to Europe and the Caribbean/Central America next July 1. Fares appear quite competitive and, in the case of a roundtrip to Punta Cana I checked, strikingly lower than WestJet and Transat. More on that in a minute.

Around about noon, I got a press release from Porter Airlines saying that their new package program, called Porter Escapes, is now available online at www.porterescapes.com. It will allow folks to book flights and entertainment or ski or golf packages to places like New York City, Montreal, Burlington Vermont, Myrtle Beach, Halifax, Chicago and Quebec. And Toronto, of course.

Okay. That's a busy day. But then, right at 12:44, I got a note from the federal government saying that Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced that all-inclusive airfare advertising is now mandated under amendments to the Air Transportation Regulations.
This will ensure consumers can clearly see the total price of an airline ticket, with no hidden fees, officials said.

Most airlines in Canada have been following this rule for some time, either listing prices that include the taxes and fees and surcharges or advertising both together. Still, it will force all airlines doing business here to follow suit, and that's a good thing. So kudos to the Harper government for protecting consumers.

Vanessa Lu, the Star's hard-working airline/transport reporter in the Business section, has a full report at www.thestar.com/business.

Getting back to Rouge, the Air Canada folks held a splashy announcement in a movie theatre at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto and then went outside to give away "boarding passes" with discounts from 10 to 99 per cent for the new airline.

Not everyone likes the name, of course. One reporter turned to me at the press conference and said, "It's Red. Like Air Canada is in the red."

I was thinking more like it's a rouge from Canadian football, but then I'm again I'm a former sports reporter. It looks pretty good, I think, and certainly red is the colour in the Canadian flag and is Air Canada's primary colour, so it fits.

Officials said it was tested across the country and was far and away the best name they checked out.

The destinations and prices, of course, are what we really care about. They could call it "Let's beat West Jet's ass" or name it after their chief and call it "Rovinescu Air" for all I care. I just want cheaper rates and a good airline, and that's what they're promising.

Flights will go from Toronto to Venice and Edinburgh and from Toronto and Montreal to Athens for as little as $949 round-trip, including all fees and taxes. Flights to the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana, Samana and Puerto Plata) will go from as little as $538 round-trip, while those to Costa Rica (San Jose and Liberia) will go from $778 round-trip, while flights to Varadero, Cayo Coco, Holguin and Santa Clara, Cuba start at $538 round-trip.

They're only starting with four planes, which means they can't do flights every day to all destinations. Toronto to Athens will be four times a week for now, while Toronto to Punta Cana will be three times a week for now.

Ultimately Air Canada plans to hire 900 workers and will have 50 planes, both Boeing 767-300ER's and Airbus A319 aircraft.

Complimentary meals and non-alcoholic beverages will be served on flights to Europe and snacks, meals and beverages will be available at a "nominal fee" on flights to the Caribbean. Their press release also says in-flight entertainment, such as movies and TV and music, will be available for "an affordable fee," versus free on Air Canada.

I don't know what the difference is between a "nominal fee" for food and an "affordable" fee for entertainment.

Just for kicks, I went onto the Air Canada site - Rouge flights can be booked at aircanada.com and folks can collect Aeroplan points, which is an important factor for many consumers - and found a round-trip flight from Toronto to Punta Cana for July 6-13 for $502.68, which actually is LOWER than they said in their press release. A flight on the same days on WestJet was listed at westjet.com for $700.79, while Transat (www.transatholidays.com) had flights on July 7 and 14 for $991.

Vanessa Lu told she found flights next August from Toronto to Athens on Rouge for $949, as advertised. But she said Transat was costing out around $1,300. That's another ENORMOUS difference in Air Canada's favour, so it'll be interesting to see if Transat makes any adjustments.

Those might not be typical. But if they are, Rouge could be a VERY attractive airline for Canadians.

In addition to regular Rouge seats, Air Canada will offer a series of upgrades, including rouge Plus and Premium Rouge. Those will cost extra but rouge Plus is just $40 extra each way if you fly to the Caribbean and $90 each way to Europe. For that you get nicer seats with more pitch and reclining ability, plus other options.

Rouge flights will have Air Canada's checked and carry-on baggage allowance.

In addition, they're promising flight attendants trained for both safety and "warm, welcoming service."

It's clearly a nod at WestJet. I asked Air Canada folks if they'd give the same training for "warm, welcoming service" to their existing crew members if it works on Rouge. Naturally, they suggested Air Canada folks are just wonderful as things are and reminded me they've won the Skytrax award as best North American airline several years in a row.

True, and I think Air Canada's crew is getting better. But there's plenty of room for improvement.

I just hope they don't get carried away. Some folks like it, but I really hate it when the WestJet crew gets all silly with the jokes. I want courtesy and smiles but not David Letterman in the sky, thank you very much.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY - HIDDEN VALLEY HUNTSVILLE ONTARIO

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, is offering the following "embrace winter" package at Hidden Valley Resort in Huntsville:

• Enjoy 1 night accommodation in a Hillside Room for two
  • For $99 stay Sunday to Thursday night
  • For $109 stay Friday or Saturday night
  • For $169 stay Monday - Friday night - includes 2 adult 6-hour flex ski lift tickets
• Continental breakfast for two
• One bottle of wine to enjoy in your room or in the dining room
• 2 for 1 table d’hote dinner
• One $20.00 Algonquin Outfitters voucher - 2 stores to redeem in Huntsville
• Late checkout at 1pm (based on availability)

Offer Details

• Valid for travel for December 18, 2012 – March 31, 2013
• Blackout dates: December 23, 2012 – January 5, 11-12, February 1-3, 8-9, 16-18, 26-28, 2013

• Purchase one dinner and receive a second dinner free (of equal or lesser value from table d'hote menu only.)

• Ski hill closed on Tuesday's & Wednesday's
• Offer based on hotel availability

• No cash back. No cash value. Cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions
• Taxes and gratuities not included and payable directly to hotel

For more details on all jaunt deals, visit www.jaunt.ca.

 

 

British Columbia revelling in a winter wonderland ... Air Canada earns kudos

The folks out in British Columbia are having a glorious start to the winter tourism season.

Whistler-Blackcomb last week sent out a note to say they've already had more than 300 centimeters of snow and that a potential record season could be shaping up. Today I got a note from Revelstoke resort in the B.C. interior saying they've already surpassed FIVE HUNDRED centimeters!

"Closing out this past weekend, the resort had received 90cm of snow over the previous five days, and has now received 523cm of snowfall to date," officials said. "Starting today, more terrain opened with access all the way down to the Mid-Mountain Lodge.

"With cumulative snowfalls overnight throughout the past week, powder conditions can be found in the bowls and trees and on the sides of groomed trails while groomed trails are skiing like a dream with an excellent base of 166cm."

Meanwhile, things are just starting up in Ontario. According to the Ontario Snow Resorts Association, there a few scattered lifts open at Blue Mountain, Horseshoe and Mt. St. Louis-Moonstone. At least the cold temperatures the last couple days have given the snow-making folks a chance to do their thing.

The OSRA website's posting for today, Dec. 12 (and happy birthday to my oldest, by the way), "we have Blue Mountain open for the first time this year with one lift and two slopes in operation Horseshoe Resort, just north of Barrie will be open today with one lift and four slopes and Mount St. Louis Moonstone will be open as well moving up to two lifts and nine slopes in operation."

The resort association says none of Ontario's commercial cross country centres open in the province today. For the latest conditions on the slopes and trails for Alpine & Cross Country areas please call: 1 800 ONTARIO (668-2746).

KUDOS FOR AIR CANADA

Air Canada has been named best airline in North America by readers of several magazines. In annual readership surveys conducted in 2012 by U.S. travel magazines, Business Traveler, Global Traveler and Premier Traveler, readers named Air Canada as their favourite airline in North America overall, as well as tops for international travel and in-flight service.

Here are their mentions, according to Air Canada: 

"Best Airline in North America" - Global Traveler magazine

"Best North American Airline for International Travel" and "Best North American Airline Inflight Experience" - Business Traveler magazine

"Best North American Airline for Business-Class Service," "Best North American Airline for International Travel" and "Best Flight Attendants in North America" - Premier Traveler magazine

Air Canada gets some knocks, and understandably so. But the entertainment system rocks and the service is always pretty good. I don't know if they've taken any kind of page from WestJet but the last couple AC flights I've been on have featured entertaining flight attendants who went above and beyond the usual, perfunctory "here you go" service.

Of course, AC's rivals have their own successes to brag about. Conde Nast Traveler, arguably a much more important or at least much more widely known publication than Business Traveler, Premier Traveler or Global Traveler, recently named Porter the second-best small airline in the world and the fourth best airline overall with a points total of 80.4. Conde Nast readers ranked WestJet as third-best small airline in the world, albeit a good deal behind Porter in the numerical rankings at 58.5...

NEW YORK HOTELS OUTGROW MANHATTAN

I've talked about this before, and Star Travel has profiled a few of them. But it looks like the growth of hotels in the "outer boroughs" of New York City continues.

According to a story in USA Today, 162 hotels have been built or renovated in New York City since 2008. That's added 28,150 rooms to the city's hotel supply.

More than a quarter of the new properties, 27 per cent, have been in boroughs outside Manhattan, which represents about 17 per cent of added rooms.

Queens got 15 per cent of the new properties, while Brooklyn got nine per cent. Those two boroughs are attractive to developers and travelers because a tall hotel in some of neighborhoods can offer something you often can't get in Manhattan: grand views of the Manhattan skyline.

I stayed at the Z hotel in Queens this summer (see photo). It's not an incredible neighourhood, at least not yet. And the food at dinner was just so-so. But the vibe was nice and the breakfast was good and there's a nice rooftop deck. And the views are simply STUNNING, as the hotel has giant windows facing the East River and the Manhattan skyline, not to mention the Queensborough bridge, are so close you can almost touch them.

The USA Today story says that, in the old days, "tourists wouldn't dare cross a bridge or drive through a tunnel to get off Manhattan Island and into the city's four other boroughs. But with land so expensive in Manhattan, hotel developers are turning to the outer boroughs for less expensive property. And tourists are following for the less expensive hotel rooms -- sometimes 30% less than what rooms cost in Manhattan.

During the holidays, when Manhattan hotel prices skyrocket, the outer borough hotels can be even more appealing. And if tourists such as Bark want to get to Manhattan, all they have to do is hop on the subway, in some cases for just one stop.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been heavily promoting the city's outer boroughs as tourist destinations, USA Today noted, and "the city has rezoned many neighborhoods where new hotels are sprouting, to encourage growth."

"Clearly, the economic development efforts taking place in all five boroughs ... that has been a driving force," says George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company, the City's official marketing and tourism organization.

I think Brooklyn, in particular, has become a hugely hip spot for New Yorkers. Long Island City in Queen's could be next on the list. There also are fine hotels over on the Jersey side these days, although not quite with the neighbourhood vibe of Manhattan or Brooklyn.

 

Destination Europe 2020 program aims to deliver lots more Canadians

They’re after us.

The European Union, for the first time ever, is launching a new program to lure tourists to Europe as a whole. And Canadians are a prime target.

The “Destination Europe 2020” campaign is a modest campaign as these things go, less than $2 million, but it’s interesting that European countries have banded together for an overall “Come See Europe” campaign for the first time ever.

In the past, all marketing was done by individual countries. But this is a Europe-wide program from the European Travel Commission.

The parallels are pretty strong with the U.S., which in the last year or so launched Brand USA as an overall marketing tool to lure tourists to the land of Uncle Sam.

The Europe campaign is aimed solely at four countries: Canada, the U.S., Brazil and China, and it’s mostly going to be social media and on-line.

They’re asking folks to go to visiteurope.com and build a dream vacation and then “sharing their most inspiring discoveries” with friends and family.

I got a kick out of the visit europe site this morning. I mean, where else would you find three quotes about traveling in Europe from such disparate sources as Mark Twain, Puff Daddy and travel writer extraordinaire Bill Bryson?

In addition to the website, the ETC also is planning something called “Ensemble Europe” as a big “industry workshop” in Toronto in February, 2013, according to an online summary of Destination Europe 2020. They’ll hold similar workshops in Brazil, China and in New York City and report back on those at the giant ITB travel show in Berlin in March of next year.

ETC chief Eduardo Santander, a native of Spain who has worked with Vail Resorts in Denver and Innsbruck, told me his organization actually was formed in 1948 as part of the Marshall Plan to save Europe after World War II.

“We realize the tourism sector could really push the economy,” Santander said. “Ten per cent of the European GDP is directly related to tourism, and tourism provides about 102 million jobs. That’s roughly equivalent to the population of Austria or Belgium.”

He didn’t have the list in front of him, but Santander told me eight of the world’s top ten tourist sites are in Europe. (Hmmm….The Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, The Colosseum are there I’m sure. Maybe the Berlin Wall and Notre Dame and the city of Florence as a whole? Eight seems a tad high to me but he may be right.)

Anyway, there’s no doubting Europe’s popularity with Canadians, as some 4.3 million of us made the trek in 2011.

While a lot of young travelers are heading to Asia to travel more cheaply, Santander says Europe isn’t as expensive as folks might think.

“There’s a Europe for every pocketbook,” he said. “You can spend $5,000 a night, sure, but you also can have a wonderful holiday for just a few dollars.”

I’ve seen European hotels on hotwire.com and hotels.com for incredibly low amounts; four-star properties in Madrid and Lisbon in January or March of next year for $60 or $70, and three-stars for $40 or $50.

“Skiing is a lot cheaper in Europe, too,” Santander said. “You can get ski passes for as little as 30 Euros a day. Not like in Canada.”

Europe, of course, offers a huge degree of diversity; Alpine villages, sunny coastlines, historic cities, modern art galleries, and an incredible array of cultures in a small area.

“Asia’s wonderful, but it’s not Europe,” he said with a smile.

Asked if Europe’s economic troubles have caused an issue for tourism, Santander nodded.

“I don’t think the brand has been damaged. Not yet. People still want to travel to Europe. We’re trying to bring it closer.”

The Destination Europe 2020 budget isn’t much, but it’s at least a move in the right direction and is a strong contrast to the huge cuts that have been made to Canada’s tourism marketing. The Harper government has made serious cuts to Parks Canada budgets and the money flowing to the Canadian Tourism Commission also has been curtailed.

Those cuts are coming despite the fact that Canada has slipped – badly – in terms of international tourism. The travel industry association of Canada says Canada was seventh in the world in international arrivals in 2006 but is now down to 20th.

 

 

Club Med comes to Canada (minus the palm trees) ... Drag queens on Carnival

Travel Pulse reports that ClubMed and Le Groupe Massif in Quebec have signed a deal to jointly operate the first Club Med resort in Canada.

You won't see any palm trees, at least not outdoors, but plans call for the resort to be built at the renowned ski hill at Le Massif de Charlevoix, in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François.

Le Massif Chairman Daniel Gauthier (of Cirque du Soleil fame) made the announcement at a Chamber of Commerce and Industry conference in Quebec City.

Plans call for a 300-room hotel to be built by Dec. 2015. Gauthier said that represents 24 per cent of the total number of units in phase one of the development project at Le Massif.

“Club Med’s interest confirms Le Massif de Charlevoix’s vast tourism potential," Gauthier said in the Travel Pulse story. “It coincides perfectly with our aspiration to offer all-inclusive lodgings at the mountain. It is nevertheless important to mention that this hotel, which will be jointly operated with Club Med, represents only a portion of the mountain’s overall lodging offer.”

DRAG QUEENS BACK ON BOARD

Etravelblackboard reportsthat Carnival Cruise Lines "will now allow guests aboard what is being dubbed as the largest gathering of drag queens at sea to wear drag during the cruise, following outrage at a letter sent to passengers advising them that they will not be permitted to do so in public areas."

The letter, sent by Carnival Cruise Lines vice president of guest services Vicky Ray, told passengers sailing on the 2 December Carnival Glory voyage out of Miami that guests who violate the policy, “will be disembarked at their own expense and no refund will be given.”

Ms Ray attributed the decision to the amount of families and children that sail aboard the ship and expressed the line’s expectation that passengers “recognise that minors are onboard and refrain from engaging in inappropriate conduct in public areas.”

Carnival Cruise Lines president and CEO Gerry Cahill has taken to social media to explain what he says was a miscommunication between the cruise line and travel agency, Al and Chuck Travel, who booked the cruise.

“When the group was presented to us we were advised that only the performers would be dressed in drag during the private events,” Mr Cahill writes. 

“However, we are now aware that this was not clearly communicated to members of the group and therefore anyone who wishes to dress in drag may do so.

Mr Cahill goes on to express the importance of onboard safety and security procedures asking passengers to keep in mind that people must still be recognisable by their government-issued ID.

ZIP AROUND VEGAS

Tourists will soon have a new way to see the lights of Las Vegas: By being spit out of the mouth of an 11-story slot machine and zinged down a five-block zip line past some of the city's oldest casinos, says a story from Associated Press.

Officials on Tuesday unveiled plans for a permanent zip line on the downtown Las Vegas promenade known as the Fremont Street Experience.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said the thrill ride dubbed SlotZilla was destined to become an iconic city landmark.

"This is going to be known around the world: Come ride our Slotzilla," she said, standing beside showgirls and a scale model at the unveiling.

The monster zip line will cost $11 million to build and between $20 and $30 to ride. Construction is expected to start in January.

The attraction, expected to open in June, is an expansion of a much smaller, temporary zip line that has for two years scooted families, newlyweds and Elvis impersonators beneath a long metal canopy that displays an hourly light show.

That ride was intended to be a 30-day novelty, but it proved such a crowd pleaser the business community began working to make it permanent.

Currently, riders launch four at a time from a 67-foot (20-meter) metal scaffolding and land 800 feet (244 metres) away near the Four Queens casino, halfway across the pedestrian mall that features the world's largest video screen.

The new tower will be twice as tall, feature twice as many lines, and will look like a giant slot machine spitting out disoriented tourists.

With each new batch of zip-liners, the handle will dip, the wheels will spin, and the doors will open, revealing the course to the tourists on top.

"If you're going to do something here, you have to do it bigger and better than anywhere else," said Fremont Street Experience marketing director Thomas Bruney.

Officials are betting the new attraction will lure more visitors the downtown area, which has struggled to compete with the flashier Strip three miles (less than five kilometres) away.

It is intended to reflect the "vintage Vegas" vibe that characterizes the promenade, nicknamed "Glitter Gulch" for the classic casino signs that glow amid the souvenir shops and buffet signs.

Riders will be able to stop halfway, or continue to the end of the 1,700 course, landing near the Golden Gate casino. They will have the option of flying along the lines in a horizontal "superman" position, and accelerating their ride using a new "power launch" system.

Bootleg Canyon Flightlines operates the current ride. The new structure will be built by the Hawaii-based company Skyline, better known for zip lines that span waterfalls and forests.

“However, we are now aware that this was not clearly communicated to members of the group and therefore anyone who wishes to dress in drag may do so.

 

Cyber Monday travel deals, plus Dubai's latest plan to rule the (tourism) world

Well, it's Cyber Monday. But my inbox isn't exactly overflowing with travel deals. I think there are a few to be had, so I'd advise sticking by your computer today.

The best deal I've seen so far today is from the terrific Kimpton hotell chain, a deal offering 30 per cent off on stays from Thursday to Sunday between now and Dec. 30. It's a pre-paid, non-refundable deal that's valid only at certain hotels and you need to use the word "CYBER" as your rate code.

I found a room for Dec. 21 and 22 at the Kimpton Palomar in downtown Phoenix for $139. Rooms at the outstanding Burnham Hotel in downtown Chicago, which I reviewed in the Star a few weeks ago, were going for just $140 on weekends in early December. It's a fabulous, historic hotel with a cool bar and a nice vibe in a good part of town and very much worth checking out.

I also spotted a series of deals at Expedia.ca, including rooms in Las Vegas for $16, hotels in Montreal from $66 and from Vancouver from $70 and Canmore/Banff from $84. Further afield, there were rooms in Punta Cana, D.R. from $90 and a three-star spot in Paris for $107, which is quite impressive. The deals must be booked today, Nov. 26 for travel by Dec. 31.

DUBAI ON THE RISE?

I had to shake my head at a Reuters report over the weekend, talking about Dubai's latest announcement for a monstrous tourism and retail development.

I don't particularly love Dubai as a destination but I guess it's a good sign for world tourism that Dubai thinks it's gotten over the corporate debt crisis that brought it (almost) to its knees three years ago. For those who missed it, the latest plan calls for the largest shopping mall in the world to be built on the outskirts of what passes for Dubai's current downtown area. There's also supposed to be a park that's 30 per cent bigger than Hyde Park in London.

A retail complex named the "Mall of the World" will be able to host 80 million visitors a year and include over 100 hotel facilities, officials said. A family entertainment centre linked to the mall, developed with Hollywood's Universal Studios would be designed for six million visitors each year.

It's all fine for Dubai, but just because a park is 30 per cent bigger than Hyde Park doesn't make it better. Ditto for the malls. I went to the big shopping mall in Dubai a couple years ago, the one with the indoor ski hill, and was utterly underwhelmed. Aside from the cosmpolitan group of customers, it may as well have been the Mall of America in Minneapolis with higher-end stores or the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta.

The historic centre of Dubai is fun and quite interesting, and there's a nicer beach than you might think to go with some sumptuous resorts. But the downtown feels like Houston without the southern charm and the majority of the developments that march ever onward make you feel like you're in Vegas, minus the crazy guys in costumes and the wedding chapels. Also without the girls and the gambling.

Still, folks seem to flock there and it is quite safe and there's a lot to do for kids, including a fun water park I tried out a couple years ago. They're clearly doing something right to warrant this kind of tourism plan....

 

 

New York tries to get back to normal following damage from Sandy

A week after superstorm/hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on New York, things are getting somewhat back to normal.

Reuters reports the subway is operating at about 80 per cent capacity but that service on many rail lines is reduced, which made for tough commutes today. That won't affect most tourists, but the subway system is still an issue.

USA Today is reporting that the 9/11 Memorial, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and South Street Seaport remain closed. But the Bronx Zoo and most New York parks reopened on the weekend. Already back in operation are such attractions as the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and Rockefeller Center skating rink, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and most Broadway theatres. So that's good.

"The visitors bureau recommends that travelers reconfirm hotel reservations directly with the property, regardless of location. Meanwhile, notes USA TODAY's Barbara De Lollis, the city's hotels are coping with unprecedented cancellations and requests to extend stays, a high number of walk-in room requests from powerless local residents, unpredictable staffing levels, non working phone lines, and in some cases no steam heat."

You gotta feel for the poor folks on Staten Island and on Long Island, where so many people lost loved ones in the storm or lost their homes and most treasured possessions. Not to mention, of course, the severe damage in New Jersey.

Heartbreaking.

THIS AND THAT

I see that Southwest is taking over some Air Tran routes in Key West, including flights to Orlando and Tampa. There's talk of a direct New Orleans-Key West flight, and how much of a dynamic duo would that be? I mean can you imagine the debauchery of a combined Big Easy-Key West vacation? All they need to do is add is a stayover in Las Vegas and they'd have the triple crown of carousing ... I have my own political views, but there's no doubt who wins the presidential election as far as travel and home states are concerned. Mitt Romney is mostly a Michigan, Boston and Utah guy, I'd say. And that's not bad. Boston is a great, great city and Michigan has plenty of charming inns and lakes and one of the best college towns in America, Ann Arbor. Utah has awesome skiing and beautiful canyons and deserts. But Obama can claim (mostly) Chicago and Hawaii. Chicago has incredible museums and powerful architecture, a fine waterfront and some of the best food in the U.S. I'd probably give it a bit of an edge over Boston, but it's as close as a Romney-Obama fight in Wisconsin. Hawaii is easily one of the world's great destinations, with perfect weather, amazing beaches and friendly people. Under-rated cuisine, too, if you ask me.