WestJet adds 11 new U.S. and international destinations

Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet has unveiled its largest-ever seasonal non-stop flight schedule, featuring a record eight new international destinations and three additional U.S. destinations for the winter of 2009-2010.

By late fall 2009, the Calgary-based airline will operate service to 66 cities in more than 10 countries, as compared to 51 cities in eight countries one year ago.

Beginning in late fall, WestJet and WestJet Vacations will launch seasonal non-stop service to Varadero, Holguin and Cayo Coco, Cuba; Ixtapa and Cozumel, Mexico; St. Martin; Providenciales, Turks and Caicos; Freeport, Bahamas; Lihue (Kauai), Hawaii; Miami, Florida; and Atlantic City, New Jersey.

This new schedule also includes new, year-round service between between Calgary and San Diego, CA (SAN). WestJet launched both routes on a seasonal basis in May.

For more information, visit http://www.westjet.com/

OpenSkies celebrates first anniversary

OpenSkies, the all-business-class airline, operating nonstop flights between New York (JFK) and Amsterdam (Schiphol) and between New York (JFK and Newark) and Paris (Orly), celebrates the first anniversary of its inaugural launch.

Since OpenSkies first took flight last year, it has carried more than 92,000 passengers on both routes. Through the airline’s two business class options (BIZ BED and BIZ SEAT), combined with accessibility from major airports and unbeatable pricing in business class, OpenSkies has quickly established itself as a unique, innovative travel experience for customers flying between New York and Amsterdam or Paris.

A subsidiary of British Airways, OpenSkies is the first transatlantic airline created as a result of the Open Skies agreement allowing airlines to fly between any U.S. and E.U. destination.

For more information: flyopenskies.com

China's empty nest

Alaska Airlines to preserve Austin-San Jose nerd bird flight

Just days after American Airlines said it would cease its Austin-San Jose nonstop daily service, Alaska Airlines announced Monday it will launch daily flights between the high-tech hubs starting Sept. 2.

The Austin-San Jose flights, which American offered since 1992, have become known as the "nerd bird" by virtue of the link between the tech centers of Austin and the Silicon Valley.

The new flight will leave Austin, Tex. at 3 p.m. and arrive in San Jose, Calif., at 4:40 p.m. The return flight will depart at 8:55 a.m. and arrive in Austin at 2:15p.m.

Alaska Airlines will operate the route with Boeing 737-800s, accommodating 141 passengers in the main cabin and 16 in first class.

Ultimate travel companion launched for iPhone and iPod touch

Are you struggling to let the Russian waiter know you have a nut allergy? Perhaps you need to iron a shirt in your Chinese hotel? Or maybe you want a fun way to learn key words and phrases in German?

Point Don’t Shout is a new picture dictionary travel application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It’s fun and functional, giving you word translations alongside images so you can point even if you don’t speak the language at all.

Just pull out your iPhone or iPod Touch and type the first few letters of the word you need to translate, then pick it from the list - or you can browse by category.

Point Don’t Shout includes hundreds of common words and phrases, and has a quiz mode that is an addictive way to learn a bit of a new language. Currently supporting nine languages (English UK, English US, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Finnish and Chinese), more are due for release during summer 2009.

Learn more at http://www.pointdontshout.com

Porter Airlines announces Toronto-Boston service

Canadian carrier Porter Airlines is adding Boston to its list of U.S. destinations beginning this fall, the company said this week.

Starting September 14, Porter will offer three daily, nonstop roundtrip flights to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) from Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ).

The Toronto-based airline will be the only carrier offering service between these two airports.

Boston Logan is the airline’s third U.S. destination, besides New York (Newark) and Chicago (Midway). The new route will also offer connecting flights to other Porter destinations, including Ottawa, Montreal, Thunder Bay, Ont., and Quebec City.

Emirates adds two new A380 routes

Emirates Airline started the world’s first A380 commercial services to Bangkok and Toronto on June 1. The launch of Emirates’ A380 operations – daily flights from Dubai to Bangkok and thrice weekly flights to Toronto – signals a new era of luxury air travel to Thailand and Canada, and represents yet another milestone in the airline’s A380 programme.

The Airbus A380 “superjumbo” is the world’s only twin-deck airliner that has 35 per cent more seats than its closest rival. It is the most environmentally-advanced commercial aircraft in the sky today, offering better fuel economy than most hybrid passenger cars. The A380 is also quieter - both inside and outside of the cabin - generating less than half the noise of other aircraft on take off.

Emirates has orders for 58 Airbus A380-800 aircraft and was the second airline to receive the aircraft, after Singapore Airlines. The airline currently uses their A380 fleet on flights to Auckland, Sydney, and London Heathrow.