As someone with allergies it is important to know each airline’s policies when travelling.
Many of them have detailed policies, and this chart lists the policies of 13 major carriers, including Air Canada.
Most airlines have detailed precautionary measures and emergency protocol they take for all kinds of other allergies, too. Allergic Living researched and put together a list of the allergy policies of 13 major airlines.
Here is a link to this well-researched article by Allergic Living.
AllTheRooms is the world’s first and only complete accommodations search engine.
They connect you with every accommodation – hotel, vacation rental, couch or hammock – to give you a comprehensive list of places to stay at a every place on earth.
I like this meta-search idea and if you are a heavy Airbnb or VRBO user it lets you see the benchmark (hotels are charging).
It works like any other hotel search tool, you enter in your dates and city, and the site compiles a big list that you can easily filter by provider, room type, reviews, and so on.
Enjoy!
I saw this interesting graphic and I was shocked to not see a few countries in the list (New Zealand, Japan).
The World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015, which assesses 141 economies on a range of factors linked to their tourism industries.
In the report, price competitiveness is calculated based on ticket taxes and airport charges, hotel price index, purchasing power parity and fuel prices.
Switzerland, is ranked the #1 expensive place to visit.
What I want to know is where are the cheapest country to visit?
I have had a few meals over the years on my flights but I can’t think of anything memorable (except for my Air New Zealand flights)!
The blog the Kitchn has wrote an article on some technical reasons why food up in the air doesn’t taste as good:
The science of taste and smell is complex, but in general, both senses require humidity to function optimally, and those senses are key to your eating experience. Depending on the flight’s altitude, the humidity levels can drop below 15 percent, which is less humid than a desert. With less moisture available and a low cabin pressure, taste buds are much less sensitive to salty and sweet. More importantly, odor receptors can’t do their job. Just like when you have a cold or a stuffy nose, if you have trouble smelling the food, your sense of taste is also dulled.
The background noise of an airplane doesn’t help your in-flight eating experience either. Noise levels easily reach 85 decibels during a flight (and even higher during takeoff and landing), which can have a huge impact on how much you enjoy your food. Noise muffles or completely drowns out some sounds, while crunching sounds are oddly enhanced, which actually makes foods harder to identify and taste. Noise even affects our ability to taste sweet, muting some sweet flavors.
Here is a link to the article.
I personally do not have this card but it has some interesting offers where you don’t need to redeem points!
The National Bank World Elite MasterCard has a new offer where you earn $200 in points first year, $100 in points second year and $250 travel credit (on airport parking ($100), seat selection ($50) and baggage check-in fees ($100)).
The first year is also free (value of $150).
Emergency Medical:
54 or under = 60 days; 55 – 64 = 31 days; 65 – 74 = 15 days
Trip Cancellation:
$2,500 per insured person
Trip Interruption:
$5,000 per insured person
Baggage Delay:
Baggage delayed for 6 hours = $500
Looks like you can only redeem in certain increments. 11,000 points = $100. Next is 50,000 = $500, and each 10K above 50K is another $100. So if you only do the first year, 20K points you will have to do some spending to get 22K points to get your $200 credit. Otherwise only $100.
You must “purchase your trip at a travel agency, online travel agency, airline or the À la carte Rewards Travel Agency.”
Here is a link to the card’s details.
This is a great idea for when you are researching flights.
If you’re planning a trip, and you’re a member of multiple frequent flyer programs, you might want to see how much that flight will cost in terms of miles rather than dollars. AwardAce can help with that.
Head over to http://www.awardace.com/ to check it out.
For new Uber users in Ottawa only, use promo code: OTTAWARIDES and your first two rides will be free with the promo code.
Being heavy Aeroplan users, my family typically flies Air Canada for our local and international flights.
I have always wanted to learn some additional tips that could help our readers learn some more strategies about saving on their flights (often the most expensive part of the trip).
Enjoy!
You can cancel an Air Canada flight within 24 hours of booking and receive a full refund.
So read that itinerary they e-mail you carefully. If you made a mistake, this is your window to fix it.
Book your Air Canada Vacations package and if you find a lower price elsewhere within 24 hours of your initial reservation, they’ll refund you the difference, up to a maximum of $400 per booking.
When you book Air & Cruise with Air Canada Vacations they guarantee that you’ll get there, no matter what. In the unlikely event that a delayed flight causes you to miss your cruise, you will be rebooked on the next available flight to catch up with it.
No hassles, no extra cost. They even guarantee your return flight, so if the ship is late, they’ll book you on the next available flight home.
Air Canada makes available extra seating free of charge to passengers travelling within Canada who require additional space due to their disabilities, including obesity, or to accommodate an attendant.
The policy meets the “One Passenger, One Fare” requirements of the Canadian Transportation Agency.
Passengers requesting extra seating will require a doctor’s certificate of their disability or need for an attendant when travelling, as well as medical approval for travel. If the passenger’s special requirement is limited to extra seating due only to obesity, the authorisation will be valid for two years in order to facilitate repeat travel.
Eligible customers requiring additional space for their own use will be assigned a single reservation and ticket. Their seats will be assigned in advance of their flight by the Air Canada Medical Services desk so that their disabilities can be best accommodated. Additionally, such passengers should be aware that extra seating is not available on Beech aircraft and in Executive Class, and may be restricted on CRJ regional jet and Embraer aircraft.
For more information customers should consult the Air Canada website at http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/before/specialneeds.html or contact Air Canada Reservations or their travel agent. Air Canada will require 48 hours’ notice in advance of travel (in certain situations 72 hours’ notice) but will make every reasonable effort to accommodate bookings made within that time period. No advance seat selection is permitted when requesting extra seating.
For flights to and from the United States, Air Canada offers a 50 per cent discount off certain fares for attendants.
The Unaccompanied Minor (UM) service can be purchased only on non-stop flights operated by:
Important: The service cannot be purchased for connecting flights or codeshare flights.
| Under age 8 | Not available
|
| 8 to 11 years (inclusively) |
Mandatory
|
| 12 to 17 years | Optional
|
|
|
Contact Air Canada Reservations or your travel agent to let them know your child will be travelling alone.
You will be given details about our special services and what procedures are involved when a child is travelling unaccompanied. Please remember to advise us if your child has a medical condition.
Service Fee:
A service fee of $100 CAD/USD each way per child per flight applies, regardless of fare you select.
(And check if the fare dropped overnight. If you find a lower price on another website, Air Canada will credit you the difference plus $50.) On Air Canada Vacations, you have until the end of the business day (9 p.m. on weekdays; 5 p.m. on weekends) to cancel without penalty.
Here is a link to this service.
Have you heard about the Air Canada Stopover?
Is your connection time longer than 6 hours?
The new Air Canada Stopover travel option allows you to make the most of two consecutive flights and enhance your journey – and at no cost or for a flat price.
If you’re travelling with Air Canada, in addition to ease of travel, you now have the unique opportunity to sample and explore exciting Canadian cities en route to your destination.
Break your journey in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, North America’s most convenient hubs, and stay one night in Canada. You can even opt for a second Canadian stopover on your return flight.
For connections over 6 hours, the Air Canada Stopover option includes one-night hotel accommodation and applicable taxes for one low price. The Canadian break comes at no additional airfare and your hotel is free with a Business Class, Premium Economy or Latitude and for a minimal fee with a Flex or Tango fare.
If you’re travelling with less time on your hands, and your connections are under six hours, you can enjoy the comforts ofMaple Leaf Lounge access at the airport.
The new Air Canada Stopover option covers a great selection of hotels at major hubs, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
Air Canada will have to compensate bumped passengers in cash for as much as $800, depending on the length of the delay, under new rules the Canadian Transportation Agency has handed down.
Rules require that passengers be compensated $200, $400 or $800 per passenger depending on whether the delay is less than two hours, between two and six hours, or more than six hours.
The compensation structure only applies to passengers who do not volunteer to get bumped from a flight.
The CTA also imposed strict conditions on the carrier offering travel vouchers instead of cash, including a one-to-three exchange rate — for example, $1 in cash is equal to $3 in travel vouchers. Passengers can now insist on receiving cash as compensation for being bumped from a flight.
I didn’t know this but Air Canada lets you bring string instruments (e.g. guitars, violins and violas) on board as long as they fit in the overhead bin and there is space available in the cabin at time of boarding.
Here is a link to this policy.
Air Canada Corporate Rewards is a comprehensive program designed to help companies save on business travel, earn rewards and enjoy exclusive member services every time they book with Air Canada and Lufthansa Group* carriers.
Even if you have a small business or a consulting you qualify for these nice discounts.
If you are planning a wedding or event this could be very handy.
Meetings and Conventions travel service offers discounted travel and other valuable benefits to groups of 10 or more meeting attendees.
When you register your event online, you’ll enjoy:
Discount Chart
To qualify for Meeting and Conventions special fares, you’ll need a minimum of 10 delegates travelling from various origins to the same destination within Air Canada’s extensive North American and International network.
| Travel zone | Fare | Discount |
|---|---|---|
| Travel within Canada | Business Class (flexible) | 10% |
| Business Class (lowest) | 5% | |
| Premium Economy | 10% | |
| Latitude | 10% | |
| Flex | 10% | |
| Tango | 0% | |
| Travel between Canada and the U.S. | Business Class (flexible) | 12% |
| Business Class (lowest) | 5% | |
| Latitude | 10% | |
| Flex | 10% | |
| Tango | 0% | |
| Travel between North America and International destinations | Business Class (flexible) | 12% |
| Business Class (lowest)* | 12% | |
| Latitude | 10% | |
| Flex | 10% | |
| Tango | 10% |
Do you have any tips or secrets that I may have missed?
I just came back from New York and these photos are incredible!
Having 2 toddlers I didn’t do any exhilarating tours but it is an incredible city.
Aerial photography company FlyNYON are giving brave individuals the chance to take stomach-churning pictures of their legs hanging out of an open-door helicopter above famous New York landmarks.
You can also get shoe selfies in Miami!
The shot – known by the company as a ‘shoe selfie’ – has become a huge hit, with limbs being snapped over the likes of the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square and Freedom Tower.
Would you ever try this?
We found a great promotion to get a huge $230 savings with the Capital One Aspire Travel World Elite MasterCard.
Here is the lowdown:
$250 cash back when you apply through Great Canadian Rebates.
$120 Annual Free
$100 worth of rewards after first purchase
= $230 of money earned.
You earn 2 miles per dollar spent – essentially making it 2% cash back.
Here are the benefits of the card:
World Elite MasterCard Travel Benefits
World Elite MasterCard Everyday Benefits
MasterCard Benefits
Here is a link to apply for the card with Great Canadian Rebates.
This promo ends August 31, 2015.