Jetsettersblog

Porter Airlines is adding a fourth weekday roundtrip flight between Windsor International Airport, Ontario, Canada, and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, starting April 15. Flights are timed to provide convenient connections in Toronto for Ottawa, Montreal, Northern Ontario, and other destinations.

“Windsor passenger numbers have really improved since we started flying there less than two years ago,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “It’s a perfect example of how competition can make fares more affordable and lead to more and more people choosing to fly. This is what has made it possible for Porter to add a fourth flight for Windsor.”

Air Canada’s rebranded top tier frequent-flyer recognition program, Altitude, has taken effect. Designed to recognize and reward Air Canada’s most frequent flyers, Altitude offers members a range of travel privileges, rewards and additional status levels. Improved benefits include enhanced priority travel services such as a complimentary checked baggage allowance, higher upgrade priority for higher status members, exclusive partner offers, such new incentives as tier status gifts and a new website.

“We have renamed our top tier program Air Canada Altitude and redesigned it to better recognize and reward our most frequent flyers,” said Craig Landry, Air Canada’s vice president of marketing. “These changes are the most significant made to the program since we launched Air Canada Super Elite status over 15 years ago.” Altitude members continue to enjoy travel privileges with over 25 Star Alliance member airlines.

Canada continues to improve its rail system as VIA Railnears completion of an almost one billion dollar investment from the Canadian government to modernize key elements of the passenger rail network including: making service improvements, updating equipment and tracks as well as the information technology it uses to help make the customer’s experience more seamless.

A few notable improvements include: new Ottawa – Québec service and track upgrades on VIA’s Corridor route; an expanded network of intermodal partners, providing customers with better connections to urban transit systems, bus companies and airlines; upgrades in VIA’s cars including improved access for persons with disabilities.  Technological improvements will include new WiFi service and automated train status information with real-time information on train locations. E-ticketing and mobile reservations are now available, increasing business travelers’ on-the-road productivity

Passengers on VIA Rail Canada’s Quebec City-Windsor corridor trains can now stream live videos on their laptop, smart phone or tablet. The new on-board entertainment will be provided to passengers in addition to the free Wi-Fi that is already in place. In partnership with CBC/Radio-Canada and the National Film Board — a publicly-funded film producer and distributor — VIA Rail will also allow passengers to view Canadian TV shows and news broadcasts.

This wide selection of on-board shows, in French and English, includes free CBC programming, animated and documentary movies from the National Film Board of Canada and the Heritage Minute series of short films on Canadian History. VIA Rail has offered Wi-Fi on all of its trains for the past two years. With this new on-board entertainment, passengers can sample Canadian culture on and off VIA Rail and throughout the entire trip.

Sunwing Airlines is inaugurating debuting to new flights to the Sun Triangle destinations of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo from Montreal and Toronto.

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Sunwing Airlines and introduce additional flights service from Toronto and Montreal, both which are important gateways and markets for our destinations,” said Aguirre Rivero governor of the state of Guerrero. “These new flights provide access for travelers looking to explore the natural beauty of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and experience it’s world-class services as well as further solidifies the confidence that our travel industry partners have in the Sun Triangle destinations. We believe this relationship has been strengthen by our plans for new infrastructure, increased security and various tourism initiatives.”

The new flights are a result of the Guerrero Secretary of Tourism Javier Aluni’s trip to Canada last month to increase airlift to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo from Canada. Guerrero intends to support the new flights to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo through advertising and promotional campaigns with the support of the Mexico Tourism Board and Sunwing Airlines.

The flights will be available two times per week starting in the 2013/2014 winter travel season. Additionally, Sunwing Airlines currently operates weekly flights to Acapulco, the third SunTriangle destination, from Toronto during the winter travel season.

The eforea: spa at Hilton is expanding into Canada at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre & Spa. The 5,000-square-foot spa is the first location for eforea in the country and the fourth in North America.

“As the global expansion of eforea: spa at Hilton continues, we are delighted to bring this dynamic concept to Canada,” said Rob Palleschi, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts. “Eforea is proving to be a strong solution for owners and is well received by our guests with 14 spas currently open and more than 90 in development.”

Thirteen treatment rooms are available where guests can enjoy signature eforea treatments, including hydrotherapy. To encourage male guests to feel as comfortable as possible in the spa setting, renovations include a treatment room dedicated to male spa services with furniture, décor and amenities designed specifically for men.

Eforea: spa at Hilton launched in October 2010 to meet the growing need for a spa experience designed specifically for global travelers. Fourteen eforea: spa at Hilton locations operate in nine countries: U.S., New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, China, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Romania and Canada.

Rocky Mountaineer, the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America, starting April 23 will stop in Lake Louise, Alberta on its First Passage to the West route. This new travel option marks the return of passenger rail service to Lake Louise for the first time in over two decades and is a first for Rocky Mountaineer.

The new destination is offered on select departures during the 2013 season from April 23 to Oct. 3. Lake Louise is set in a small glacial valley surrounded by the mountains, from which guests will now be able to begin and end their two-day journey.

Vacations By Rail added two new train vacations in Western Canada incorporating travel aboard the all-daylight Rocky Mountaineer train through the Canadian Rockies. The packages travel between British Columbia and Alberta. Rocky Mountaineer & Alaska By Land and Sea is a 16-day rail-cruise adventure beginning in Calgary and traveling through the Canadian Rockies by train to Vancouver for a short city stay.

Vacationers then board their seven-day Alaska cruise with ports of call in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier Bay. Upon arrival in Anchorage, travelers journey by train to Denali National Park, home to Mt. McKinley and copious wildlife, and end their vacation in Fairbanks. Travel is available in RedLeaf Service with an inside cabin aboard the ship and stays in Superior hotels as well as SilverLeaf Service and GoldLeaf Service including an outside cruise ship cabin and deluxe hotel stays. Departures are available May 21, June 18, July 16, and August 13 and 27, 2013. Prices start at $3,579 (land-only, per person based on double occupancy) plus port taxes.

Vacations By Rail’s new Edmonton Mall & Rocky Mountaineer vacation is an eight-day package that begins in the metropolis of Edmonton. Travelers then transfer by coach to Jasper for a two-night stay in the National Park. The journey concludes with a two-day all-daylight rail journey past mountain peaks and through river valleys aboard the Rocky Mountaineer. Departures are available May 26, June 2, 13, and 30, July 11, and August 8 and 22, 2013. Vacations are available in RedLeaf Service and SilverLeaf Service with superior hotels and GoldLeaf Service with deluxe hotels. Prices start at $1,935 land-only, per person based on double occupancy.

VIA Rail Canada’s largest passenger rail service, from now until April 28, is offering 25 percent discount on supersaver and discounted business fares on Saturday and Sunday. VIA Rail’s business benefits include exclusive lounge before boarding, priority boarding, more spacious and comfortable seats, three-course meal with wine and more.

Every week, VIA operates 503 intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking 450 communities across its 7,800-mile route network. Passengers must be booked by March 31 to secure one of these VIP seats. The seats can be booked by clicking on Via Rail Booking.

The Great Canadian Travel Company this summer will operate 10-night Greenland voyages from July 2 to Aug. 27.

Fares start at $3,785 per person, double occupancy, onboard the 249-passenger Sarfak Ittuk, Greenland’s primary intercommunity vessel.

The cruise starts with two nights in Reykjavik, Iceland, and three nights in Ilulissat, Greenland, which is north of the Arctic Circle in Disko Bay.

Then travelers board the Sarfaq Ittuk to sail to Aasiat, Manitsoq, Sisimiut and Nuuk, the capital. After a two-night stay in Nuuk, guests will fly to Reykjavik for another night’s stay before catching flights back to North America.

The “Classic Greenland Coastal Voyage” includes round-trip airfare between Iceland and Greenland, three nights’ accommodation with breakfast in both Reykjavik and Ilulissat, two nights’ accommodation with breakfast in Nuuk, arrival transfer and one local tour in Iceland, and accommodation on board the ship in a twin berth cabin. Airfare from North America to Iceland and meals other than breakfast daily are not included (the ship has a restaurant and lounge).