Air Canada to launch new Montreal-Brussels flight (with same plane service from YYZ)

Announced on August 20th, the new Air Canada non-stop service between Montreal and Brussels will launch on June 12, 2010 and allow for connections with upcoming Star Alliance member Brussels Airlines. The flight includes same plane service to/from Toronto. Connections include some key destinations in France and Africa like Toulouse, Lyon, Abidjan and Dakar. The flights will operate daily on a year round basis with a Boeing 767-300ER.

Flight times are as follows:
Toronto-Montreal Dep 1700 Arr 1815
Montreal-Brussels Dep 1940 Arr 0840+1
Brussels-Montreal Dep 1045 Arr 1225
Montreal-Toronto Dep 1400 Arr 1515

Air Canada to offer more sun destinations for this winter

Air Canada (in conjunction with Air Canada Vacations) have announced a large winter expansion to new and existing sun destinations. The new destinations include Fort de France, Martinique and La Romana, Dominican Republic. Existing destinations like Varadero will see increase in weekly flights from Toronto and new flights from Vancouver.

The complete listing of new flights is as follows:
Toronto-La Romana, Dominican Republic - New destination with Air Canada
flights departing every Saturday beginning December 19 onboard 120-seat Airbus
A319 aircraft.

Toronto-Varadero, Cuba - Increase to five times weekly, departing
Mondays, Thursday, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays onboard 120-seat Airbus A319
aircraft.

Montreal-Fort de France, Martinique - New Air Canada flights launched in
July will continue year-round, departing every Sunday onboard 120-seat Airbus
A319 aircraft.

Montreal-Fort Myers, Florida - New Air Canada flights will depart Sundays
beginning December 6 onboard 120-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.

Montreal-Samana/El Catey, Dominican Republic - New Air Canada flights
will depart Saturdays beginning December 19 onboard 120-seat Airbus A319
aircraft.

Montreal-Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - New Air Canada flights will depart
Fridays beginning December 25 onboard 120-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.

Montreal-Tampa, Florida - Weekly flights doubled with flights departing
Thursdays and Saturdays beginning November 7 onboard 120-seat Airbus A319
aircraft.

Montreal-Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - Increase to four times weekly,
departing Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays onboard 140-seat Airbus A320
aircraft.

Ottawa-Turks & Caicos - New Air Canada flights will depart Mondays
beginning December 21 onboard 120-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.

Ottawa-Fort Lauderdale - Increase to daily flights beginning December 19
onboard 93-seat Embraer E-190 aircraft.

Halifax-Samana/El Catey, Dominican Republic - New Air Canada flights will
depart Thursdays beginning February 11 onboard 120-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.

Halifax-Tampa, Florida - New Air Canada flights will depart Mondays
beginning February 8 onboard 120-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.

Vancouver-Varadero, Cuba - New Air Canada flights will depart Fridays
beginning December 25 onboard Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.

Continental Airlines returns to Edmonton

In another Star Alliance connection, Continental will be returning to Edmonton as of November 2 with daily flights from Houston. Flights are timed to connect with Continental flights to Latin America and Southern U.S. and will be operated with a mix of Boeing 737-500s and 737-700s

Flight times as follows:
Edmonton-Houston Dep 0640 Arr 1156
Houston-Edmonton Dep 1800 Arr 2145

Sunwing to fly Montreal-Ft. Lauderdale

According to Airline Route Updates, Sunwing Airlines will fly a twice weekly service between Montreal and Ft. Lauderdale starting on Dec 13, 09.

Flight times are as follows:
Montreal - Ft. Lauderdale Dep 1645 Arr 2020
Ft. Lauderdale - Montreal Dep 1220 Arr 1545

Air Canada to launch service between Calgary and Honolulu and Maui

Calgarians can now avoid connecting in Vancouver (or LAX, SEA, SFO) to get to Hawaii as Air Canada announced on Aug 18 that they will launch direct service from Calgary this winter. Both cities will start with once weekly service on Dec 5 and by mid to late December will be running at twice weekly to Honolulu and three times weekly to Maui. The flights will run until the end of April and be operated onboard Air Canada's Boeing 767-300ER's. Hopefully they will run the XMed planes with the new interiors and not one of the three they did not retrofit. However as the non-retrofitted planes do get quite a bit of rotation on sun/vacation routes due to lower yields, chances are the route will see them at least some of the time. No matter what I think my family will be hitting Maui again this year (even more then once perhaps)

Flight times are as follows:
YYC-OGG Dep 1420 Arr 1835
OGG-YYC Dep 1955 Arr 0515+1
YYC-HNL Dep 1405 Arr 1820
HNL-YYC Dep 1940 Arr 0510+1

Air Canada to launch non-stop service between Montreal and Houston

Of course during the week I decide to take vacation, Air Canada and other airlines announce a bunch of new routes from Canadian cities. All the new routes had two main focuses, Sun Destinations and Star Alliance connections. So here I am playing catch up on the new routes.

The new Montreal-Houston route announced by Air Canada on August 19th, is a Star Alliance connection. Houston is a large hub for Continental Airlines which is joining Star Alliance on Oct 27. This new daily route starts on November 30th and is timed to arrive into Houston to connect to Continental flights across the southern U.S., Mexico, Central and South America.

Schedule:
Montreal-Houston Dep 0955 Arr 1155
Houston-Montreal Dep 1225 Arr 1640

Continental sets Oct 27 as entry date into Star Alliance

From Continental email sent Aug 12:

Travel through Oct. 24, 2009
OnePass members can continue to earn and redeem miles and make reward reservations on SkyTeam partners through Oct. 24, 2009. All reward travel on these partners must be completed on or before Oct. 24, 2010.

Travel on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26, 2009
If you travel on a Star Alliance airline on Oct. 25 or Oct. 26, we will make every effort to ensure you automatically receive OnePass mileage credit (including Elite Qualification Miles/Points) and eligible customers receive lounge access. Please save copies of your travel documents for Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 — eTicket receipts and original boarding passes — until mileage credit is confirmed on your OnePass statement.

Travel Oct. 27, 2009 and beyond
When the transition to Star Alliance occurs on Oct. 27, 2009, OnePass members will begin earning base miles and Elite Qualification Miles/Points and be able to redeem miles on Star Alliance airlines.

Emirates 2 Day World Sale for Toronto departures

Receive an additional $150 off roundtrip Economy Class fares and $1,000 off roundtrip Business Class fares when you book online. Save on flights from Toronto to any one of Emirates over 100 destinations worldwide. Bookings must be made Aug 11 or 12. Travel is valid until Mar 10, 10 with Dec 5-Dec 24 blacked out.

Book online at Emirates

Air Canada cuts Madrid for winter season

From Airline Route Updates:

According to online GDS timetables, Air Canada will not fly the Toronto-Madrid route this winter. Initially it was planned that AC would fly the route 3x weekly.

US Airways to resume Edmonton-Las Vegas Service for the fall

Earlier this year US Airways cut their routes to Las Vegas from Calgary and Edmonton as part of a larger program in flight reductions out of LAS.

It appears though that the Edmonton - Las Vegas route has been reinstated and will be starting on Sep 11 (the incoming flight will leave LAS on the 10th) . It looks to be a 4x weekly routing for September (Mo,Tu,Fr,Sa) and then goes daily in October. The direct link will then end on Dec 16. Flights are operated by regional carrier Mesa Airlines with a CRJ900 as follows:

YEG-LAS Dep 630 Arr 832 x
LAS-YEG Dep 2128 Arr 139+1