Summer
year-round in Cuba
Air Canada Vacations is now offering the Cuban resort of Varadero with new Saturday
non-stop flights from Toronto on A320 aircraft. Air Canada Vacations is using Sol Melia
Hotels in Cuba..
Jamaica spa
package
A new optional Body & Spirit package at Swept Away Negril in Jamaica has been added to
Signature Vacations' lineup of spa options. Priced at $639, the package includes 12
treatments ranging from massages to facials to body wraps. There are also exercise
options.
SuperClubs'
new Starfish
SuperClubs is launching a new brand of low-cost all-inclusive resorts, called Starfish
Resorts, which will be marketed separately from SuperClubs. The first Starfish property
will be Starfish Ocho Rios, formerly Club Jamaica Ocho Rios, opening in October. Trelawny
Beach & Fun Resort will also be converted to a Starfish property and will reopen as
Starfish Trelawny in December. All Starfish properties will be three-star resorts
featuring children's programs and wedding packages.
Globus tour
and cruise
Globus has released its first-ever Tour & Cruise Seven Continents 2001 brochure,
offering a total of 27 tour and cruise vacations, nine of which are new. They include the
14-day Austria & Danube Cruise, with land-only prices from $2,939 to $2,979, the
11-day Beautiful B.C. & the Inside Passage from $2,319, and the seven-day San
Francisco & California Vineyards cruise from $2,649.
Radisson
winners
Seven Canadian Radisson Hotels & Resorts
properties were recently recognized with the President's Award, the brand's top honour for
hotels. The 60 award-winners were selected from more than 420 Radisson properties around
the world. In Canada, the winners were the Radisson President Hotel & Suites Vancouver
Airport, the Radisson Suite Hotel Winnipeg Airport, the Radisson Suite Hotel Halifax, the
Radisson Hotel Toronto-Markham, the Radisson Hotel Longueuil in Quebec, the Radisson Plaza
Hotel Saskatchewan and the Radisson Hotel Saskatoon.
AC adds new
routes and boosts capacity
Air Canada is adding 11 new routes and increasing capacity to its most popular leisure
destinations in Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean for the winter season. The new flights
will be introduced in addition to previously announced new services to Florida, Las Vegas
and Phoenix. To Florida, Air Canada will offer new service to Orlando from both Ottawa and
Winnipeg starting October 28. Also in late October, extra flights will be added to Ft.
Lauderdale from Toronto and Montreal and from Montreal to Orlando and Tampa. New routes to
Mexico include Toronto-Cancun, Toronto-Puerto Vallarta and Montreal-Cancun. To the
Caribbean, Air Canada will offer Toronto-Grand Cayman and Toronto-San Juan. New charter
routes operated for Air Canada Vacations include Toronto-Ciego de Avila,
Montreal-Varadero, Toronto-Varadero and Montreal-Ciego de Avila in Cuba.
Name that
mascot
The Parks Canada's mascot needs a name. Young Canadians are invited to participate in the
"I need a name" contest by filling out the form on Parks Canada's Web site at http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca and in the June and
September publications of Les Débrouillards and Owl magazines. The goal is to find a name
that works equally well in both English and French for the beaver, Parks Canada's mascot.
The contest is open to everyone residing in Canada. First prize is a one-week vacation for
two adults and two children in a national park or national historic site, selected by the
winner. Second prize consists of 13 computers with printers and third prize features 100
Parks Canada backpacks. The deadline for registration is midnight, September 15 (ET).
Air Canada
launches mobile services
Effective immediately, Air Canada's customers can access a variety of important travel
information, at any time from their Web-enabled, wireless phone or communication device.
With the launch of its Mobile Services, Air Canada became the first carrier in Canada to
offer today's connected air travellers this exciting and efficient customer service
innovation. Using Air Canada Mobile Services, customers can register to receive real-time
departure and arrival flight status updates to their text-enabled phone, communication
device, pager or e-mail address. Clients can check departure and arrival information for
all Air Canada flights and can also view Air Canada schedules, check their Aeroplan
account balance and get contact information for Air Canada reservations and Aeroplan.
Enter http://mobile.aircanada.ca to access Air
Canada Mobile Services.
Platinum
offerings
If you want to see the world for free, get to know an American Express Platinum
Cardmember. American Express recently announced that Alitalia, British Airways and Cathay
Pacific Airways will provide Platinum Cardmembers with a free companion ticket with the
purchase of a full-fare ticket in specified classes and routes on each airline. To book
travel and a free companion ticket using this new benefit, Platinum Cardmembers can use
Amex's Personalized Travel Service, a full-service travel agency specifically for Platinum
Cardmembers at 1.800.668.9147, or can book through any American Express Travel Services
office in Canada. Some terms, conditions and restrictions apply.
Fuel
surcharges imposed
Air Canada and Canada 3000 implemented a fuel surcharge of $15, one way, for travel on all
domestic routes. The introduction of this domestic fuel surcharge is brought about by
continuing high fuel prices. The temporary surcharge will remain in effect until such time
as fuel prices recede or the additional cost is absorbed into permanent fare increases.
Canada
3000's new Business Class service
Canada 3000 launched its new business class service, Club C3, on all North American routes
with big seats, an enhanced menu, priority check-in, laptop connection, complimentary
alcoholic beverages and an increased baggage allowance. "Club C3 offers our
passengers a choice of a new class of service on Canada 3000, with a seat pitch of 38
inches," says Angus Kinnear, president. "Club C3 will be especially attractive
to the value-conscious business traveller, companies with a limited travel allowance, or
entrepreneurs owning their own business." Club C3 will be available on trans-Atlantic
routes in the fall.
Deck
the "hulls" on board QE2
Say good-bye to the winter chill and celebrate Christmas in the Caribbean on board Cunard
Line's classic vessel Queen Elizabeth 2. The world-famous liner will take 1,791 guests on
a 16-day "Grand Holiday Caribbean" adventure from December 22 to January 7,
2002, as she sails round-trip from Fort Lauderdale continuing up to New York. Along the
way, you'll glide through azure waters and venture into some of the most beautiful ports
in the southern Caribbean as QE2 calls at: St. Croix; St. Kitts; Martinique; Barbados; St.
Lucia; Grenada; and Curacao. Call Cunard at 1.800.5.CUNARD or visit http://www.cunard.com.
ClubLink
opens third course in Muskoka, Ontario
ClubLink Corporation ("ClubLink") recently celebrated the May 31 opening of The
Mark O'Meara Course at Grandview Golf Club in Huntsville, Muskoka, signifying the
worldwide debut of the 1998 PGA Tour Player of the Year as a signature designer. The Mark
O'Meara Course opened for play on May 31, 2001, 18 months after construction began
adjacent to Delta Grandview Resort in Huntsville, Muskoka. Grandview Golf Club is a
ClubLink Premium Member Club with access for resort guests of Delta Grandview Resort and
ClubLink's three other Delta Muskoka Resorts. ClubLink also operates Rocky Crest Golf Club
and The Lake Joseph Club in Muskoka.ClubLink owns four resorts in Muskoka, which are
operated and managed by Delta Hotels: Delta Grandview Resort, Delta Sherwood Inn, Delta
Lake Joseph Resort and Delta Rocky Crest Resort.
Québec City hotel listed in prestigious directory
Resorts & Great Hotels, the connoisseur's guide to the world's best hotels, has listed
Québec City's Château Bonne Entente as one of its luxury hotels. The Château Bonne
Entente is a luxurious 160-room hotel. This grand country hotel, dating from 1950 and
located in a large wooded domain, has just made major investments to inaugurate the
AMERISPA Health Centre containing 25 treatment rooms. Call 418.653.5221 or visit http://ww.chateaubonneentente.com.
Novotel
offers weekend getaway
From now until December 31, Novotel is offering special weekend rates at any of its six
Canadian properties for as low as $89 per night! Packages are available on Friday and
Saturday nights only and are subject to availability. Rates per room, per night, vary upon
season. Novotel properties are found in Montreal, Toronto, North York, Mississauga and
Ottawa.
Alberta
claims "Best in Canada" attraction
Columbia Icefields and the World's Largest Dinosaur from Drumheller are two of 14 national
winners of the 2001 Attractions Canada Awards. Columbia Icefields in Jasper National Park
took the award for Natural Outdoor Site more than 100 kilometres while the World's Largest
Dinosaur in Drumheller won the award for Leisure & Amusement Centre, Recreational or
Sporting Venue with an operating budget less than $600,000. Other Alberta winners included
West Edmonton Mall, Heritage Park Historical Village, Remington-Alberta Carriage Centre,
Canadian Death Race, Lamont County and Athabasca's Magnificent River Rats Festival.
VIA's
family plan
Until August 30, children aged between two and 11 can travel free on VIA Rail Canada
trains, in Economy class. Each child must be accompanied by an adult having purchased a
ticket. Last summer, more than 30,000 children took advantage of this offer to travel
across Canada. Each child receives a Kiddies Kit with vouchers worth up to $150. Another
bonus this year: children can travel free on any Saturday until December 17 and on all
long weekend Sundays.
Windstar
opens the books on 2002
Windstar Cruises recently announced bookings are now open on all 2002 cruises and
reservations are being taken on all sailing dates. New destinations for 2002 include the
Far East, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Bahamas and Florida Keys, and Malta. Call
1.800.258.SAIL or visit http://ww.windstarcruises.com.
Southern
Ontario trip packages available
Southern Ontario Tourism is promoting more than 30 overnight trip packages for families
and couples on its Web site at http://www.southernontario.org.
The family packages include overnight stays at hotels and admission to a variety of
attractions. Getaways for two feature stays at inns and hotels, and some include
sightseeing tours, meals and entertainment. Prices range from $35 per person for a Long
Houses and Grand Houses Day Tour to $360 for two on a two-night escape at the Kettle Creek
Inn in Port Stanley. Call 1.800.267.3399, Ext. 21 for a copy of the 2001 Southern Ontario
Travel Digest.
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