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.
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WESTJET DOWN TO THE WIRE: Flights could start being grounded Friday
WestJet and the union representing some 4,400 flight attendants have agreed to an “operational wind-down” plan should a strike go ahead as soon as this Sunday. With the clock ticking down, the two sides this week inked an agreement that lays out how to ground planes and get cabin crew back home in the event of a work stoppage.
FEDS BOOST ONLINE PASSPORT RENEWALS
Immigration Minister Lena Diab says that online passport renewal is now open to all eligible Canadian adults. To qualify, applicants must have an address in Canada, be older than 16 when they got their last passport, and must have received it within the last 15 years, among other criteria.
TRANSAT TO TAP UP FEDERAL AID TO COVER FUEL COSTS
Transat A.T. Inc. says it has secured up to $150 million in federal aid to help offset the soaring price of jet fuel caused by the Middle East war. The Montreal-based travel company, which runs Air Transat, says the size of the loan will be based on the difference in the cost of fuel between the next few months and the same period last year, ending on Oct. 31.
STORYTELLING STARTS THE JOURNEY: Make clients care about destination first, urges airline exec
Trevor Sadler, CEO of interCaribbean Airways, believes what inspires travellers to choose one Caribbean destination over another begins with storytelling.
SOUTHERN EUROPE BURNS: French fire three time the size of Paris
An uncontained wildfire four times the size of Paris threatened to surge again in southwest France on Wednesday – as three firefighters died in Greece and crews across southern Europe confronted a punishing mix of heat, drought and strong winds.
IN-FOCUS BAVARO BEACH: Endless bliss at Grand Palladium Punta Cana resorts
Bavaro Beach is one of the Dominican Republic’s most celebrated stretches of coastline and Grand Palladium’s three Punta Cana properties put guests right at the heart of it. Whether travellers are paddle boarding through crystal-clear waters at the family-friendly Grand Palladium Select Bávaro or setting sail on a catamaran at Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort and Spa, every day is shaped by the sea.