News that has caught Chris' eye in the Travel World

New destinations for Air Canada (October 20, 2016)

Going East? Air Canada is making that a little easier with news of six more destinations to consider on its international network.

On June 1, 2017 Air Canada will launch service between Toronto and Berlin four times weekly and between Vancouver and Nagoya in Japan three times weekly. Nagoya will be the airline’s fourth airport in Japan.

One week later, Vancouver to Taipei starts daily service, and Montreal to Marseille in the south of France starts with three times weekly service.

Later in June. Air Canada introduces Montreal to Algiers flights four times weekly. And on July 1, 2017 they will add Toronto to Mumbai, India three times weekly. This will be Air Canada’s third route between Canada and India starting with the launch of Toronto-Delhi service last fall.

With these new services, Air Canada will now operate 21 routes between Canada and Asia, including the Middle East. Berlin and Marseille will bring the number of European routes served to 44 next summer, including four cities in France.  And Algiers will be their second destination in Africa, which makes Air Canada one of only a small number of global carriers flying to all six continents.

All flights are available for sale immediately with special introductory pricing, except for Taipei and Algiers which will be available for sale in the near future as soon as final government approvals have been received. Go to www.AirCanada.com for all the details.

Global Destination Cities Index (October 20, 2016)

The economies of much of Asia and the Middle East are bringing a windfall in tourism and spending to the two regions. According to the latest Global Destination Cities Index produced by Mastercard, no less than seven out of the top ten cities are in Asia.

The top ten most visited cities for 2016 in this index are: at number 10, Seoul, South Korea’s capital, which we covered on the Travel Show in March. Tokyo is ninth, Istanbul is eighth and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is a perhaps surprising seventh. At number six spot is the world city of Singapore, New York is only fifth, and is edged out by Dubai in fourth place.

And the top three are, in reverse order, Paris, London and Bangkok. Yes, Bangkok has overtaken London as the most visited destination for international travelers, so perhaps you should consider this friendly, colourful, chaotic city for your dream Far East vacation itinerary.

Extensions for Electronic Travel Authorizations (September 27, 2016)

A new entry requirement to Canada is coming into effect starting November 10, 2016. Visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to or transit through Canada will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Exceptions include U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid Canadian visa. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, cannot apply for an eTA and will need a valid Canadian passport to board their flight,

The federal government is extending its leniency period for the Electronic Travel Authorization – or eTA - requirement until November. A previous six-month leniency period was put in place in March so that travellers who are unfamiliar with eTA could still board their flight to Canada. The leniency period was set to end this week – but clearly, there is still more work to be done on getting the message out to affected travelers!  

Starting November 10, 2016 all visa-exempt travellers arriving into Canada (except U.S. citizens) will need an eTA to board their flight. eTA was a key commitment under the Canada U.S. Beyond the Border Action Plan to develop a common approach to pre-screening air travellers coming to either country.

Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, cannot apply for an eTA and will need a valid Canadian passport to board their flight. Canadian permanent residents also cannot apply for an eTA and, as usual, must show their valid permanent resident card when travelling to Canada.

The government says applying for an eTA is a “simple online process” that costs $7.  An eTA is valid for five years or until the traveller’s passport expires, whichever comes first. It recommends applying for an eTA before booking a flight to Canada at the government website www.Canada.ca/ETA. 

Ethiopian Airlines 70th anniversary (September 27, 2016)

Ethiopian Airlines is celebrating its 70th anniversary this month and it is perhaps the world’s most unsung airline.  It’s Africa’s largest airline and boasts a fleet of aircraft that is under five years old.  I met this week with Birhan Abate, Ethiopian Airlines chief in Canada, at an event where we discussed the airline’s three times a week service between Toronto and Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia.  Without question, this is now the optimum way for Canadians to travel to Africa directly – without having to connect in Europe. They also have a vast flight network on the continent beyond the Ethiopian capital. Explore the African world of travel further at www.EthiopianAirlines.com.