FLORIDA a la carte

Florida has it all - Disney World and Universal Studios with the kids, golfing with your buddies or hitting the beaches solo… And you can save a lot on your trip if book your holiday as a Package – one of the most convenient and flexible vacation options. 7 day package includes roundtrip airfare from Toronto, 7 night accommodation at a hotel of your choice and budget. Various departure dates in July and August. Possible upgrades to packages with stay at 2 bedroom condo/home and larger car/minivan. Fly & Drive Packages are available. Prices from $429. For the complete list of hotels, dates and prices – please contact your agent at YYZ TRAVEL AMERICAN EXPRESS.

Paris Hotel Deals

Paris, known as the City of Light, is the world's most popular city destination. Paris is the second-largest city in Western Europe, and possibly the most exciting city to see. Now you can discover Paris and stay at luxury hotels near the Champs Elysees or charming inns on the Left Bank – The Choice is yours – and get an amazing rate, including continental or buffet breakfast and free 5^th of 6^th night! For participating hotels, rates and restrictions please contact your agent at YYZ TRAVEL AMERICAN EXPRESS.

FUN for EVERYONE
There is Fun to be had by Everyone this summer! Here is an opportunity not to be missed! Stay at a select Walt Disney World Resort Hotel and pay per room per night only $74 CAD for select Disney value resort or $117 CAD for select Disney moderate resorts. Special rates for Disney’s Saratoga Spring Resort and Spa or Disney’s Old Key West Resort are available. Limited time offer! Certain restrictions and black out periods apply. Call your agent at YYZ TRAVEL AMERICAN EXPRESS for further details.

BREAKING NEWS

NON-DRIVING LICENCE PLANNED: Ontario to develop enhanced photo ID for cross border travel
Several provinces, including Ontario, have been pushing for enhanced driver's licences to allow Canadians to cross by land or sea into the US. Now that Ontario says it will also develop a high-tech photo ID card for the four million residents who don't have a valid driver's licence, under legislation introduced in the legislature very recently. Ontario plans to offer enhanced photo identification cards to non-drivers as an alternative to a passport when they travel to the United States, Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said Tuesday.

``If passed, this legislation will make cross-border travel more accessible, saving our economy millions and reducing congestion at the borders,'' Bradley said.

Under the proposed Photo Card Act, the province would offer both regular and ``enhanced'' licences for drivers and photo IDs for those who can't or don't drive. The province is working closely with the Canada Border Services Agency and the US Department of Homeland Security to develop the programme, Bradley said.Other provinces also support the idea of an enhanced driver's licence to relieve backups at the border as the US continues to step up security. Passports are still required when flying to the US. British Columbia is the first province to try out enhanced licences through a pilot project involving Washington state and the federal government. Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba and several US states, including New York, have also shown interest in developing the high-tech licences, which are embedded with a radio frequency identification chip that can be scanned at border crossings. Negotiations are continuing between Ottawa and Washington over the proposal to use enhanced licences, which has been endorsed by US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. Next June, all travellers to the US will have to present either a passport or an acceptable alternative.

As millions of travelers plan their summer getaway, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) urges them to think security before packing their bags and heading to the airport. Over 20 million passengers will travel through Canada’s major airports this summer. With the additional traffic, travelers are advised to do their part to help take the stress out of security screening. Simply by following some easy steps and by being prepared and well-informed prior to arriving at the airport, every traveler can get through the security process in a fast and hassle-free manner.

1) LIQUIDS, GELS AEROSOLS: remember the quantity restrictions for carry-on items. Store these items in 100 mL containers (or smaller), and place the container inside a 1 litre clear, resealable bag. One bag per passenger! This applies to all your summertime necessities, including sunscreen, bug repellent and hand sanitizer. To be safe, pack all liquids, gels and aerosols in your checked baggage.

2) COMPUTERS and ELECTRONICS: Remover your laptop, blackberry, video camera and all electronic devices from their carrying cases and place them in a tray.

3) CAMPING and SPORTING GEAR: Fishing rods and hooks, as well as golf clubs and other large equipment travel as checked luggage.

4) Check with your airline and refer to the attached flyer for further information.

If all goes as planned American Airlines and its technology partner AirCell plan to test in-flight Internet access on a New York to Los Angeles flight today. Passengers with laptops and hand-held devices will be able to access the Internet, download video, and send and receive e-mails and instant messages.

A pilot programme is expected to follow in the next few weeks on flights between New York and Los Angeles, and San Francisco and Miami.
If it works as well as American Airlines hopes, there are plans to roll out airborne Internet access through its whole fleet.
American plans to charge US$9.95 for flights less than three hours and US$12.95 for flights longer than that, according to published reports.
Aircell will also be providing the equipment Virgin America.

JetBlue is also testing broadband service on one of its planes, offering passengers free use of e-mail and instant messaging, but not internet access.  

Icelandair revises winter schedule from Toronto
Icelandair has announced a modified winter flight schedule from Toronto. The airline will operate flights from Toronto as scheduled through Oct. 26 with four flights weekly through Sept. 15, three flights weekly through Oct. 21 and two flights weekly through Oct. 26. Service will then resume with four flights weekly beginning March 27, 2009.

Hungarian national carrier Malév has restarted its scheduled service between Toronto and Budapest. The direct Toronto-Budapest route is operated by two-class, 229-seat configuration Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, flying five times a week. Malév suspended this flight during the winter season. The timetable is integrated with Malév’s regional schedule, providing transit passengers with smooth connections via Budapest to southeast European destinations on the Malév network.

EL AL is making it clear that it’s committed to Toronto, unveiling details of its summer schedule. The carrier will operate four time per week, non-stop between Toronto and Tel Aviv. Flights operate on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Haim Romano, president and CEO of EL AL Israel Airlines stated: “to further emphasize the commitment of this organization and responding to the needs of our passengers we are offering the best schedule possible and are committed to strengthening our position in Toronto.”

The airline notes that in spite of the dramatic growth of external challenges -- including increased operating costs and increased competition – it has succeeded in recording its highest ever first quarter revenues with a growth factor of 21 per cent. The company continues to see growth in their traditional markets, and a continued strengthening of market share from Canada. El Al’s general manager for Canada, Dinah Kutner stated: “we remain optimistic as we have seen significant growth from Canada and will continue to be there to meet the needs of the Canadian traveller to Israel.”

Sunwing Airlines has cause for celebration.  The Canadian airline has just been designated as a scheduled carrier between numerous cities in Canada and several destinations in Mexico. Sunwing will now be flying scheduled flights to Cancun from Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montréal, Québec City and St. John’s. Puerto Vallarta flights from Vancouver, Winnipeg and Montréal are also now scheduled, with Calgary and Edmonton to be added in December of this year.  Additionally, the carrier has been awarded scheduled flights between Vancouver and Mazatlan, and Toronto and Cozumel.

“Mexico is an important market for Sunwing, representing a significant percentage of our overall business. We are very pleased to have been designated as a scheduled carrier on 14 routes between Canada and Mexico,” said airline president Mark Williams. 
“With these new scheduled service rights, Sunwing will be increasing capacity to Mexico allowing for greater choice to travel agents and consumers.”

Sunwing features a highly fuel-efficient Boeing 737-800 fleet, and offer inflight amenities many airlines now charge for. Included in every ticket price on flights between Canada and Mexico is a welcoming hot towel service, a glass of champagne, a choice of hot meals served with red or white wine, and inflight entertainment with yours-to-keep headsets.

FINNAIR plans spa in Helsinki
Finnair plans to open a spa and wellness centre in Helsinki lounge. The project is part of a new premium passenger lounge at its Helsinki hub that will open next year. The spa will include a sauna with a view of the runway, a mineral water bath, cold water baths, and rooms for different wellness treatments. The projet will be located in an extension to a terminal that will be completed late next year.

Air Canada Jazz closes Hamilton operations
Regional airline Air Canada Jazz has begun to scale back its operations to tackle higher fuel costs by announcing plans to close its Hamilton operations at the end of July, a move that will affect 14 customer service agents and eliminate 10 daily flights between the airport west of Toronto and airports in Ottawa and Montreal. It will have a minimal impact on the airport, whose largest airline is WestJet.

UP, UP AND AWAY Levitating train from Los Angeles to Las Vegas gets big boost
Plans for a levitating train from Las Vegas to Disneyland can move forward under a transportation bill signed by President George W. Bush, that frees up US$45 million for the futuristic project.

Described by critics as pie in the sky, the train would use magnetic levitation technology to carry passengers from Disneyland to Las Vegas in well under two hours, travelling at speeds of up to 480 kilometres an hour. It would be the first MagLev system in the US.
The money is the largest cash infusion in the project's nearly 20-year history. It will pay for environmental studies for the first leg of the project.
The money had been delayed by a drafting error in Congress' 2005 highway bill, which was corrected along with some other changes by the legislation signed last Friday by Bush. The delay had allowed a competing and cheaper diesel-electric plan to emerge as an alternative, but with the money now freed up supporters hope to move forward with the MagLev plan.

The train is meant to ease traffic on increasingly clogged Interstate 15, the main route for the millions of Southern Californians who make the 400-plus-kilometre drive to Las Vegas each year. There is no train on the route - Amtrak's Desert Wind between Los Angeles and Las Vegas was cancelled in 1997 because of low ridership. 

Travellers’ choose
Las Vegas’s McCarran Airport and Orlando’s International Airport tied for second place among large airports in overall customer satisfaction, according to a recent survey from J.D. Power and Associates. McCarran scored high in airport accessibility and check-in/baggage check process factors.
First place among large airports went to Philadelphia's international airport. The top medium-sized airport went to Chicago Midway, and the highest ranking small airport was Dallas Love Field.

PLACES TO STAY

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac completes makeover
Just as Quebec City is about to kick start its summer celebrations for the 400th anniversary of the city, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has completed a major renovation project which has spread over two years. The $12 million project, started in February 2005, encompasses the renovation of more than 500 guest rooms, including five Heritage suites and the introduction of Fairmont Gold, a 46-room boutique hotel located within the Château. The new guest room décor combines classicism and many subtle contemporary touches, including flat screen televisions. Also part of the renovation project is the transformation of two restaurants, the integration of high speed Internet access in all guest rooms and major masonry work to preserve and maintain the historic building.

Once A Prison, Now An Award-Winning Boutique Hotel
Malmaison Oxford is an exquisite hotel with ninety-four rooms. Modern culture mixes uniformly with the historic past in the city of Oxford. Malmaison Oxford hotel is an exemplary example of this distinguished feature of the city. In this hotel, you can have a rare glimpse  of original cell with genuine bars and doors. The heavy metallic doors of the hotel are studded with stones and jewels. In the main atrium, you can witness thick steel doors and wrought ironwork stairs. Malmaison Oxford is a spectacular prison cum hotel in the Oxford Castle that is located in the center of Oxford city. In UK, Malmaison Oxford is the first prison that has been converted into an award winning boutique hotel. In its structure this historical building shows a blend of the essence of the Victorian age and 20th century modernity.    The Victorian slot windows, exposed brick and ironbound doors are still visible in the ancient entity of the hotel, reflecting features of prison. The contemporary rooms, the area for solitary confinement and posh lounge are furnished with modern day finishes. You will surely feel drawn to indulge in the lush and lavish of antiquity and modernity of Malmaison with its stylish bar, luxury bedrooms and brasserie. The old house of the Governor features mezzanine rooms with mini cinema and four-poster beds. Mall cells are equipped with king-size beds, moody lightning, CD libraries, CD players, satellite TV, DVD players, power showers, naughty nibbles and serious wines. Other luxurious facilities that the guests are entertained with include same-day laundry, free internet access and toiletries. Brasserie reflects contemporary tastes and traits of the prison under guise of a hotel. It is an inexplicable pleasure to wine and dine in the serene but smashing ambience of the brasserie ostentatiously lit by lamps and candles.               

The Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel has completed an extensive two-year make-over, including a new design of the lobby, public areas, meeting space and the Sheraton Club Lounge on the 43rd floor. A significant component of the lobby re-design is the Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft, an area that allows Sheraton’s guests to work, relax and remain connected to family, friends and work colleagues. Adjacent to the Link@Sheraton is the Link Café, offering light meals, snacks and refreshments. The 1,377-room Sheraton Centre has also expanded its meeting space, with the addition of the new 810-square-metre Osgoode Ballroom on the convention level. (www.starwoodhotels.com)

Marriott Hotels & Resorts of Canada has opened its first Fairfield Inn & Suites in Quebec, however, the property is Marriott’s 10th in the province. Located within close proximity to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, the new Fairfield Inn & Suites Montreal Airport offers 162 guest rooms and suites, all equipped with Wi-FiTM technology, LCD HD televisions, and spacious accommodations. In addition to the Fairfield Inn & Suites Montreal Airport, Marriott is developing another hotel in the area scheduled to open in 2009. The full-service Montreal Airport Marriott will connect to the airport via a walkway and, combined, these properties will serve as core area-hotels offering convenience to Montreal travellers.

Park Inn is expanding with the opening of its first Park Inn hotel in Ontario, the Park Inn Toronto Hwy 27 at Woodbine, ON. This brings the number of Park Inn properties in Canada to four and advances the brand’s plans to develop an increased presence in the Canadian marketplace. “The Park Inn brand represents a fresh, fun, and bold approach to hospitality,” says Sandy Russell senior director, revenue generation, Carlson Hotels Worldwide. “Watch for Park Inn to step up its efforts to let business and leisure travellers know all we have to offer,” Russell added. In the coming months, Canadian Park Inn hotels will offer a number of special packages and promotions, many based on the “If Park Inn were a…” concept, for families, couples, business travellers, and for those looking to get away for special events. The hotel’s introductory rates -- being offered until August 31 -- are $79.95 CDN per night for a standard room and up to $179.95 for the 600 sq ft. Jacuzzi Suite. Go to www.parkinn.com for more.