It looks like what most of us have suspected is true - people desperately want to travel. After the travel restrictions were lifted in Britain - bookings were up 600%. Hopefully this will follow in Canada soon.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/lifestyle/tra ... li=AAggFp5

UK airline easyJet reported a 300% increase in flight bookings while vacation package bookings increased more than 600% from last week,

British travel company TUI also reported a 500% surge in bookings overnight on Tuesday, according to the British outlet. The highest demand was for vacations in Greece, Spain, and Turkey.

I hope that training departments are ready to go!

The world gets ready to travel ....while we Canadians will continue to sit in a snowbank waiting for the jab.

I’d be more curious to see how it compares to the same week last year not last week. If you are operating at 5% capacity and your bookings are up 500% that’s still only 25 % of pre covid

fish4life wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 1:45 pm I’d be more curious to see how it compares to the same week last year not last week. If you are operating at 5% capacity and your bookings are up 500% that’s still only 25 % of pre covid

Good point, but I also wonder if the 600% is based on projected operating capacity, vs 5% , if that's what it actually is currently. Honestly I didn't even read the linked article. Just a thought.

flying4dollars wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 5:30 pm

fish4life wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 1:45 pm I’d be more curious to see how it compares to the same week last year not last week. If you are operating at 5% capacity and your bookings are up 500% that’s still only 25 % of pre covid

Good point, but I also wonder if the 600% is based on projected operating capacity, vs 5% , if that's what it actually is currently. Honestly I didn't even read the linked article. Just a thought.

Who cares what it’s based on, just nice to see.
When Canadians are vaccinated in 2025 hopefully we see the same .....

Yycjetdriver wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 6:37 pm

flying4dollars wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 5:30 pm

fish4life wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 1:45 pm I’d be more curious to see how it compares to the same week last year not last week. If you are operating at 5% capacity and your bookings are up 500% that’s still only 25 % of pre covid

Good point, but I also wonder if the 600% is based on projected operating capacity, vs 5% , if that's what it actually is currently. Honestly I didn't even read the linked article. Just a thought.

Who cares what it’s based on, just nice to see.
When Canadians are vaccinated in 2025 hopefully we see the same .....

You mean that we’ll elect a new government?

Kejidog wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:56 pm

Yycjetdriver wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 6:37 pm

flying4dollars wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 5:30 pm

Good point, but I also wonder if the 600% is based on projected operating capacity, vs 5% , if that's what it actually is currently. Honestly I didn't even read the linked article. Just a thought.

Who cares what it’s based on, just nice to see.
When Canadians are vaccinated in 2025 hopefully we see the same .....

You mean that we’ll elect a new government?

That would be nice, I just meant given our current daily vaccination rate it will be January 2025 before 75% of Canadians have received both doses.

We're 6 months to a year behind the rest of the developed world for covid recovery, and we spent the most!

altiplano wrote: ↑Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:21 am We're 6 months to a year behind the rest of the developed world for covid recovery, and we spent the most!

Yeah but look who is in charge. This country is so f*cked!

I mean come on they only had about 8 months to work out a schedule and a plan to implement it. I guess they were to busy shredding we documents and trying for a do nothing seat in the un.

We are stuck with these jokers for the next decade. We’re screwed. Well not me but my kids are

Guess tis “Our Saviour “ the O’ Foole to rescue us all from Satan’s(JT) call when we(the voters) had gone astray.... oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.

Old fella wrote: ↑Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:55 pm Guess tis “Our Saviour “ the O’ Foole to the rescue.

It appears as though you are the new post holder of the Octogenarian Troll position.

You are going to need to up your game as the previous post holder had ten times the ability you do.

Good to see you have pivoted off Harper or Scheer at least. $16 orange juice still causing you heartburn?

Kejidog wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:56 pm

Yycjetdriver wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 6:37 pm

flying4dollars wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 5:30 pm

Good point, but I also wonder if the 600% is based on projected operating capacity, vs 5% , if that's what it actually is currently. Honestly I didn't even read the linked article. Just a thought.

Who cares what it’s based on, just nice to see.
When Canadians are vaccinated in 2025 hopefully we see the same .....

You mean that we’ll elect a new government?

The new government that'll break up AC and allow foreign carriers in?

This article is just another propaganda piece imho.

As stated above - there are no figures given so it doesn't really say anything.

One other problem - just because the UK will slowly re-open doesn't mean other countries will do the same.

From personal experience:-

International travel is extremely difficult and with the testing and quarantine requirements it is one-way only. I've been denied check-in twice in the last 12 months - that was in uniform with a letter from my Airline.

I have been offered a COVID vaccination due to the nature of my work. However even after being vaccinated there will be no change to my quarantine or testing requirements. I'm in an area with zero cases. I get a weekly PCR test as do the rest of the crew - all negative but the rules are not being relaxed.

I don't see too much changing in the short term - maybe towards the end of 2021.

Let's hope we can get the public flying again in Canada soon!

No matter what political party is in power, they will have their challenges, it won't just be fixed with a change in party. The biggest challenge they all face seems to be keeping honest.

16 dollar Orange juice, yeah I remember that. Always wondered how good it tasted. And wonder if she drank the whole glass??? Ha ha.

Let's not forget the Conservative ETS scandal...400 million!

This scandal involves a number present or former Conservative officials:

The Honourable Michael Fortier, a former Senator and PWGSC Minister when the contract was awarded. In his prior role as Credit Suisse First Boston's key Montreal executive in 2004, Fortier had helped to underwrite CGI's $858 million acquisition of AMS Inc. In 2003, Fortier was the co-chair of now-Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s leadership campaign, and in 2006 he was co-chair of the Conservative campaign.
Denis Pilon, a Crown Prosecutor having joined the government in late 2008. He charged TPG and its owner with bid-rigging (under the Competition Act). Pilon had been a Progressive Conservative candidate in the 1997 federal election.
Justice David Near, who issued a controversial ruling on the ETS case. Only 18 months prior to hearing an important motio this case, he had been working in the office of the Conservative Minister of Justice. He was also Chief of Staff to a former Conservative Minister’s Office.

Corruption in Canadian politics has no party boundaries!

Yes, $16 of juice vs $1 billion of taxpayer funds deposited into the account of a real estate holding company masquerading as a charity.

I don't wonder which tasted sweeter.

Maybe pm hairdo's estranged wife, mother, and brother could tell us if the laundered funds they received were as sweet?

I booked to Europe for September. No reason not to now we will get our shots at some point. Really looking forward to it. I, for one, put my money on things improving. I am however getting pretty tired of people whining about whose fault this all might be on here.

ayseven wrote: ↑Sun Feb 28, 2021 3:25 pm I booked to Europe for September. No reason not to now we will get our shots at some point. Really looking forward to it. I, for one, put my money on things improving. I am however getting pretty tired of people whining about whose fault this all might be on here.

I admire your optimism but I think you're a few months early.

Time will tell. I am quite glad I wasn't born in 1895: First World War, Spanish Flu, Great Depression, followed by the Second World War. Then probable rationing. It would be enough to have a bad day. Most generations have some economic trauma at some point.

Things will turn around.

Any increase in bookings is good news. Any increase in the actual number of bums flown from A to B, even better. But I have to wonder for any carrier with nearly a 90-95% reduction in normal operating capacity what the actual significance of a 300% or 600% increase in "anything" actually means. Other than better news than we've been used to.
The industry is nowhere near what it used to be a year ago and isn't about to be anytime soon. In Canada, at least. Sadly.
Passenger demand could well exceed our carriers ability to respond when the consumers return and want to travel. They may not get what they'd otherwise expect, unfortunately. Disappointment will only create more hostility toward the airlines.

Asset recovery from storage to ensure appropriate capacity will take how long?
What about the maintenance time needed to place these stored aircraft into service?
Pilot training requirements to have sufficient crew available to operate services?
Flight Attendant training and requalification time needed to have sufficient cabin crew available to operate services?
Sufficient maintenance personnel recall to prep the aircraft?
Sufficient numbers of ground service staff needed to operate at a sudden and vastly increased operational level?
Financially, can our carriers survive the funding needed to complete all the above successfully at lightening speed?

This is going to be interesting to watch and I'm not overly optimistic regarding the outcome many seem to be expecting.
But, it's better to be optimistic than pessimistic.

Gino Under

Canada’s aviation industry needs a total overhaul, not just a bailout

https://canadianaviationnews.wordpress. ... a-bailout/

I don't know whether those are good ideas or not, but somebody, somewhere makes a lot of money on the ticket and I do know, only some of it ends up with the airline. This industry is certainly not like most in our country, and certainly not competitive in the true sense. Big Canadian business will go to great lengths to avoid real competition. That said, how do you feel about working for a big US employer? They are RUTHLESS.

Kosiw wrote: ↑Fri Mar 12, 2021 6:52 am Canada’s aviation industry needs a total overhaul, not just a bailout

https://canadianaviationnews.wordpress. ... a-bailout/

All they need to do is nationalize Nav Canada and airport authorities and we will be off to a great start.

The act of treating crown land and airspace as private ventures is appalling.

Bookings have now picked up big time here too for the fall/winter. Cross our figures that the end is in sight!