TRAVELHotNews.com Magazine

CONQUEST ADDS SAMANA

New summer program begins on June 30, 2008

Samana whalewatching is a popular activity

Conquest Vacations have announced a new summer program to Samana, Dominican Republic. The new program, which begins on June 30th, will depart Toronto on Mondays with Canjet Airlines and will operate through August 25th. All flights will operate directly into the new Samana airport which drastically reduces transfer time from the airport to the hotels by as much as 2 hours. Conquest, have partnered with the popular Bahia Principe hotel chain and will offer four of their 5 star properties in the area. Vacationers can choose from the Bahia Roulette Samana starting at $999 plus tax, the Gran Bahia Principe Cayacoa, the Gran Bahia Principe El Portillo or the Gran Bahia Principe Cayo Levantado. All properties, with the exception of the Cayo Levantado, are offering a free stay for up to 2 children per room under the age of 13. All product is now available for booking and full details are available at conquestagent.com.

SOUTHWEST CEO STEPS DOWN

Herb Kelleher leaves his post as CEO of Southwest Airlines

Southwest leader Herb Kelleher steps down after annual shareholder meeting
The Herb Kelleher era ended Wednesday at Southwest Airlines Co., with one final plume of cigarette smoke and Kelleher's cackling laugh as he shook hands with adoring employees and shareholders. Few executives are as closely identified with their company as Kelleher is with Southwest, the Texas puddle-jumper he built into a low-fare, no-frills giant and the most consistently profitable carrier in the United States. Kelleher stepped down Wednesday as chairman after presiding over his 31st annual shareholder meeting, a festive and emotional farewell at the company's headquarters. Kelleher was vague about his assignments now that he's no longer the chairman. He said he expects to conduct lobbying missions, fighting Southwest's battles in Congress and with the Federal Aviation Administration. [Full text and pictures]

DELTA FLIES TO YHZ

Two summer routes to Halifax; Atlanta begins June 21, New York launches June 5
Delta Air Lines is resuming its weekly service to Atlanta from Halifax and will introduce new daily service to New York for the summer. The U.S. carrier will fly non-stop to Atlanta from Halifax International Airport, beginning June 21. The Saturday service will depart Atlanta at 10:55 a.m and arrive in Halifax at 2:15 p.m. The out-bound flight will depart Halifax at 3:00 p.m. The flights will run until Aug. 16 and be operated by Delta's connection carrier Skywest, using a 76-seat Canadair jet. The daily New York service will start June 5 and operate until Sept. 7.

MAKE-A-MATCH & WIN WITH SUNQUEST, ALBATOURS

Agent incentive can earn you from $10 to $40 on gift cards each time you play the game

Effective immediately, Sunquest and ALBATours are offering a brand new agent incentive called Make-A-Match that will have you winning a minimum of $10, and up to $40, every time you play. Applicable on all Sunquest and ALBATours bookings made during the promotional period, you simply need to go online to sunquestagent.ca, enter the valid booking number, and you will be prompted to play our Make-A-Match game. The game features 18 cards with nine different images. You must match all nine images to win, and the faster you match them, the more you can win. Read on for more. [Full text and pictures]

STAY THREE, GET ONE FREE WITH ACV

Air & Hotel Escapades packages in Bermuda, London or New York offer savings when booking at least 3 nights

Bermuda's famous pink sand

Air Canada Vacations is offering a trio of different packages that will allow your clients to save. Bask in the sun in Bermuda and explore the traditional colonial British towns in the Caribbean heat, or embark on a whirlwind adventure to England with quick and easy Air & Hotel Escapades packages to London. Take advantage of great savings in London or Bermuda or opt for a large dose of luxury on an Escapades Air & Hotel package to New York at the Waldorf-Astoria. Simply book 3 or more nights and receive one hotel night free. Read on for full details. [Full text and pictures]

TRANSAT’S ENGLAND IS ‘JOLLY GOOD’

Enjoy city packages from YYZ, YFC and YHZ; ‘Travel Scrabble’ promo still on

Transat Holidays England program offers plenty of options that best suits the needs of your clients. Affordable city packages are available to Gatwick from Toronto, Fredericton and Halifax. The ongoing Travel Scrabble promotion runs until June 22, 2008. Book 15 seats to the UK and WIN a $350 Travel Voucher. Valid for departures May 1 – October 31, 2008. A 7-night City Package staying at the President Hotel starts at $1229 per person departing Toronto between July 1 to July 4 and $1659 per person departing from Fredericton or Halifax between June 24 to July 29. Packages includes roundtrip flights, seven night accommodations, breakfast daily and transfers plus receive a hop-on hop-off cruise. Located in the heart of Bloomsbury just a short walk from Russell Square and opposite the tube station, this hotel provides an ideal location for exploring London’s many sights. Read on for more. [Full text and pictures]

AC MAKES PRICING TRANSPARENT

Air Canada to make pricing more transparent as it copes with pricey oil
Canadian Press

Air Canada vowed Wednesday to be more up front about ticket prices as the country's largest carrier prepares to weather consumer backlash over the rapidly escalating cost of air travel. ``The severity of it will impact customer demand,'' president and CEO Montie Brewer told reporters following Air Canada's annual meeting in Montreal. ``We'll see how much the customer can absorb and still plan on travelling.'' Brewer indicated the dramatic jump in oil prices has hammered Air Canada's operating costs and hinted consumers can expect to pick up at least part of the tab. Oil prices jumped past $130 a barrel on Wednesday - only the latest high-water mark in a months-long run on crude that has forced Canadian carriers to slap travellers with fuel surcharges. Brewer said fuel surcharges will now be included in new advertisements for the airline. [Full text and pictures]

AA MAKES MAJOR CUTS

American Airlines to charge for first checked bag, cut flights
Canadian Press

The first bag checked will cost $15 as of June 15

American Airlines will start charging US$15 for the first checked bag, cut domestic flights and lay off possibly thousands of workers as it grapples with record-high fuel prices. Rival Delta has no current plans to match American's fee for the first checked bag, a spokeswoman said. American, the nation's largest carrier, said Wednesday the fee for the first checked bag starts June 15 and that it would raise other fees for services ranging from reservation help to oversized bags. The other fees will mostly range from $5 to $50 per service, the airline said. Last month American announced it would join other carriers in charging $25 for second bags checked for some passengers, but it wasn't immediately clear how Wednesday's announcement would affect that. [Full text and pictures]