LET’S MAKE A DEAL: WestJet, flight attendants agree on contract, flights slowly resume
WestJet and the union representing some 4,400 flight attendants reached a tentative deal Monday to resume work after a brief work stoppage, but neither side is sharing specifics yet.
TOURISM AT RISK: Sargassum smothering Caribbean, Mexico
Swaths of seaweed are blanketing the beaches and coastlines of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, suffocating shorelines and snuffing out marine life while spooking visitors in areas that depend heavily on tourism.
PORTER CABIN REFRESH ELEVATES ONBOARD EXPERIENCE
Porter Airlines is elevating its economy travel experience with a comprehensive cabin refresh across its De Havilland Dash 8-400 fleet. All 29 aircraft are being upgraded with the latest generation of Expliseat’s TiSeat 2V, the world’s lightest aircraft seat in its category, alongside a series of cabin enhancements designed to improve passenger comfort and modernize the onboard environment.
‘NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT’: Eight-hour wait at boiling Croatia-Serbia border
Travellers at a popular border crossing between Croatia and Serbia on Saturday faced hour-long waits in scorching temperatures as peak summer holiday traffic clogged one of the major crossings between the two Balkan nations. It was not clear whether new EES rules were in part to blame.
FLAIR VACATIONS FILLS OUT LEADERSHIP TEAM
Flair Vacations has made several key leadership appointments ahead of its plan to enter the Canadian vacation market this fall. Joining the company are Lindsay Watkinson as Director of Commercial Operations, Nadia Granata as Director of Marketing and Rares Dumitru as Director of Business Development & Partnerships.
LAST WEEK THIS MORNING: July 27-31, 2026
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WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT POSSIBLE WESTJET STRIKE
With a threatened work stoppage looming for 4,400 flight attendants at Canada’s second-largest air carrier after their union issued a 72-hour strike notice early Thursday morning, WestJet responded to the union’s move by issuing a 72-hour lockout notice. Here’s what that means:
TAKING SIDES: Canadians support flight attendants – poll
Nearly two-thirds of Canadians support WestJet flight attendants in their job dispute with WestJet, according to a new Abacus Data survey commissioned as flight attendants represented by CUPE 8125 prepare for potential strike action.
RISKY BUSINESS: Allstate says bad social media habits an invitation to thieves
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Holidays and social media tend to go hand-in-hand, with travellers eager to share not only their exciting experiences, but their whereabouts. And while that might please (or annoy!) friends and family, doing so is nothing short of a leaving a “gone fishin’” sign on the front door for thieves, says Allstate Canada.
CURTAINS UP ON CROATIA: Country enlists John Malkovich for creative cinematic travel campaign
Rather than producing a traditional tourism commercial, the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) has released “Croatia – I Hear It’s Beautiful,” a six-minute cinematic film starring Academy Award-nominated actor John Malkovich, who recently became a Croatian citizen.
EGYPT GEARS UP FOR A NILE CRUISE BOOM
By WALLACE IMMEN/ The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities has launched a new Digital Visa-on-Arrival System to simplify entry procedures for international travellers. The pilot phase of the new system has begun at Cairo International Airport, and will be rolled out nationwide.
LISTENING IN: Styx still sailing away
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Styx was always particularly popular in Canada in the 1970s and ‘80s, and still is decades later, as evidenced by the Chicago-based band touring the country this summer with a gig in Toronto this week (a double bill with that other great Chicago band, Chicago) and continuing in the fall in St. John’s, Halifax, Moncton and Quebec City.