News & Resources
The latest Thompson Okanagan tourism industry news from TOTA, tourism businesses, and communities.
New Air Canada Flights to Vancouver Airport from Brisbane & Quebec City
Air Canada is resuming direct flights from Vancouver International Airport - YVR to Brisbane starting this July! The service will operate four times a week year-round. The return of the Brisbane flights is part of an expansion of Air Canada’s flights to the South Pacific as governments begin easing travel restrictions.
Air Canada continues to strengthen its presence in Quebec City by providing additional travel options to Quebecers with new seasonal service routes being offered to Calgary and Vancouver. In May, Air Canada operated its first non-stop service between Quebec City and Vancouver. These new seasonal domestic routes will operate until the end of October.
Air Canada is resuming direct flights from Vancouver International Airport - YVR to Brisbane starting this July! The service will operate four times a week year-round. The return of the Brisbane flights is part of an expansion of Air Canada’s flights to the South Pacific as governments begin easing travel restrictions.
Air Canada continues to strengthen its presence in Quebec City by providing additional travel options to Quebecers with new seasonal service routes being offered to Calgary and Vancouver. In May, Air Canada operated its first non-stop service between Quebec City and Vancouver. These new seasonal domestic routes will operate until the end of October.
Air Canada Expands Flights to New Zealand and Australia
Air Canada announced a strategic expansion of its South Pacific schedule with the return of daily service to Sydney and resumption of services to both Brisbane and Auckland.
Air Canada's Australia and New Zealand flights operate from its trans-Pacific hub at Vancouver International Airport which the carrier has built to conveniently connect its international network to its vast North American network, including Kelowna.
Air Canada announced a strategic expansion of its South Pacific schedule with the return of daily service to Sydney and resumption of services to both Brisbane and Auckland.
Air Canada's Australia and New Zealand flights operate from its trans-Pacific hub at Vancouver International Airport which the carrier has built to conveniently connect its international network to its vast North American network, including Kelowna.
Air Canada Expanding Services from YVR
As travel measures ease and more people consider their next trip from YVR, Air Canada announced an impressive roster of new flights and the return of familiar favourites across North America and Europe.
Flights include new nonstop service to Austin and Halifax. Air Canada is also restoring service to Anchorage, Boston, Quebec City, Sacramento and Yellowknife, as well as Dublin, Frankfurt and Zurich.
This is great new for international visitors planning a trip to the Thompson Okanagan through YVR Airport.
As travel measures ease and more people consider their next trip from YVR, Air Canada announced an impressive roster of new flights and the return of familiar favourites across North America and Europe.
Flights include new nonstop service to Austin and Halifax. Air Canada is also restoring service to Anchorage, Boston, Quebec City, Sacramento and Yellowknife, as well as Dublin, Frankfurt and Zurich.
This is great new for international visitors planning a trip to the Thompson Okanagan through YVR Airport.
Air Canada Offers Industry's Most Comprehensive Travel Testing Options in Partnership with Switch Health, Including Self-Administered Tests
Air Canada has announced the introduction of new testing products, including portable self-administered COVID-19 molecular and antigen test kits, through a partnership with Switch Health, a Canadian-based healthcare company.
Using the Switch Health COVID-19 RT-LAMP Kit, customers can test themselves while travelling abroad prior to their flight to Canada to meet Government of Canada testing entry requirements without the need to visit a foreign COVID-19 testing clinic.
Air Canada has announced the introduction of new testing products, including portable self-administered COVID-19 molecular and antigen test kits, through a partnership with Switch Health, a Canadian-based healthcare company.
Using the Switch Health COVID-19 RT-LAMP Kit, customers can test themselves while travelling abroad prior to their flight to Canada to meet Government of Canada testing entry requirements without the need to visit a foreign COVID-19 clinic. These tests are conducted under the remote supervision of a Telehealth professional from Switch Health and include an electronic report suitable for travel.
Customers flying to Canada are currently required by the Government of Canada to present a negative molecular test taken within 72 hours of their flight. Switch Health's new portable self-administered test kit, officially called the Switch Health RT-LAMP Test Kit, can be taken by customers on their trips and used to satisfy this requirement without the need to visit a foreign testing facility.
Air Canada is Switch Health's launch partner for these new tests, with limited quantities initially available for Aeroplan Members.
Destination Canada Attracting U.S. Market by Matching Travel Perks on Air Canada
Destination Canada, has partnered with Air Canada and StatusMatch to launch a new status match program to encourage frequent American travellers to visit Canada. Destination Canada is offering to match the tier of Air Canada's Aeroplan members that are US residents and have a tier with an eligible US airline listed.
Canada is using the lure of travel perks to convince America’s frequent flying elite to fly north on Air Canada as the country steps up efforts to revive crucial traffic from the United States.
Destination Canada, has partnered with Air Canada and StatusMatch to launch a new status match program to encourage frequent American travellers to visit Canada. Destination Canada is offering to match the tier of Air Canada's Aeroplan members that are US residents and have a tier with an eligible US airline listed.
This limited-time offer marks the first time a tourism organization has used status-matching to entice visitors to travel to their destination.
COVID-19 has battered travel from Canada’s largest tourism market. During the first half of 2021, Canada had about 178,000 overnight arrivals from the United States, compared with 6.8 million during the same period in 2019, according to government data.
To help reverse that decline, government tourism body, Destination Canada has rolled out its first campaign targeting U.S. frequent fliers.
It is part of broader $14 million effort by the tourism commission to boost traffic after Canada recently opened its borders to vaccinated travellers. It comes as countries ease restrictions on international travel, with the United States set to reopen in November to vaccinated air travellers from 33 countries.
Air Canada Introduces Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Employees
Air Canada has introduced a new health and safety policy to further protect employees and customers that makes it mandatory for all employees of the airline to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to report their vaccination status as of October 30, 2021. Air Canada's policy is also in accord with a recent announcement by the Government of Canada requiring employees in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors to be vaccinated by the end of October 2021.
Air Canada has introduced a new health and safety policy to further protect employees and customers that makes it mandatory for all employees of the airline to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to report their vaccination status as of October 30, 2021. In addition, the airline is making full vaccination a condition of employment for any individual hired by the company.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Air Canada has adopted science-based measures in response to COVID-19. This has included the airline being among the first to require pre-boarding temperature screening of customers, obligatory onboard mask-wearing policies and the use of testing. The decision to require all employees of Air Canada mainline, Air Canada Rouge, and Air Canada Vacations to be fully vaccinated and report their vaccination status is another initiative to ensure the safety and well-being of all employees and customers.
Under the mandatory vaccination policy, testing will not be offered as an alternative. While Air Canada will fulfill its duties to accommodate employees who for valid reasons, such as medical conditions, cannot be vaccinated, failure to be fully vaccinated by October 30, 2021 will have consequences up to and including unpaid leave or termination, except for those who qualify for accommodation.
Air Canada's policy is also in accord with a recent announcement by the Government of Canada requiring employees in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors to be vaccinated by the end of October 2021.
