Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Mexicana ceases operations

Unless you were on vacation like me, you probably caught this news as it came out on Friday, but YYC (and many other cities) has lost service from Mexicana as they ceased operations on Saturday August 28th.

This is the press release from Mexicana:

Grupo Mexicana suspends flights until further notice

* Current management received the company in a state of technical bankruptcy seven days ago after it filed for protection under Mexico’s insolvency laws
* Financial deterioration and lack of agreements force Grupo Mexicana to stop flying
* Grupo Mexicana deeply regrets any inconvenience caused to passengers

Mexico City, August 27, 2010. Nuevo Grupo Aeronáutico, S.A. de C.V. ("Grupo Mexicana") announced this morning that as a result of the group’s delicate financial situation when it changed owners a week ago, compounded by failure to reach agreements that would allow for the capitalization of its three airlines, Mexicana Airlines, MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink flights will suspend operations until further notice as of midday (12:00 p.m.) on Saturday, August 28, 2010.

Among the factors that have contributed to this announcement are:

1. Grupo Mexicana’s fragile financial situation, which has deteriorated further over the last four weeks due to the previous management’s decision to suspend ticket sales, forcing the company to continue operating in the interests of passengers without receiving any revenue.
2. No substantial agreements were reached to give companies in the Group long-term viability.
3. Lack of effectiveness in the insolvency (Concurso Mercantil) process intended to protect additional financial resources available to the company so it could to continue operating.
4. Given the uncertainty of the situation, certain suppliers have begun demanding advanced payment of services that are essential to the airlines’ operations.

Today’s decision is a painful one for the 8,000-strong Grupo Mexicana family, but we will continue seeking out ways of securing the company’s long-term financial viability, so our passengers can once again enjoy the quality services they are accustomed to. We hope to be back in the air soon and would like to thank everyone involved in this process for their support and understanding.

If you have bookings or/and have paid for a Grupo Mexicana flight and have a reservation code, we would like to inform you that:

1. All Mexicana, MexicanaLink and MexicanaClick flights will be suspended until further notice as of midday on Saturday, August 28, 2010. All flights programmed to depart after this hour will be canceled.
2. Grupo Mexicana deeply regrets any inconvenience this decision may cause and will continue to assist passengers to the full extent of its abilities. Passengers who have already flown a leg of their journey and who are scheduled to fly with a Grupo Mexicana airline after Saturday, August 28, 2010 are advised to consult the websites or contact us at the numbers listed below. Priority will be given to minors traveling unaccompanied, passengers traveling with children under age 3 and special needs passengers.
3. If you have not yet begun your journey, we recommend you make alternative travel arrangements.
4. For information on how to apply for a refund, visit mexicanainforms.com (Tickets issued in the United States and Canada; - Tickets issued in Mexico and the Rest of the World), or contact us at any of the numbers listed below:

1-888-882-9994
1-877-801-2010
from the U.S. or Canada

Condor to return in Summer 2011

German leisure airline Condor is set to return to Calgary in the summer of 2011 after leaving our city when parent company Lufthansa began flights to our city. Condor will offer two flights per week between Calgary and Frankfurt between June 24 and October 3.

Flight Timings:
Calgary-Frankfurt Dep 2000 Arr 1335+1
Frankfurt-Calgary Dep 1505 Arr 1715

Bookings can be made directly through Condor

Sources: SkyscraperPage & Airline Route Updates

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Double Delta SkyMiles when flying Alaska & select SkyTeam airlines out of Calgary

Technically this offer is not only for flights out of Calgary but for any flights taken with Alaska/Horizon and Delta or select SkyTeam Airlines.

To earn Double SkyMiles you have to fly Alaska/Horizon and either Delta, Air France, KLM or Alitalia all on the same ticket. For most Calgary fliers that will mean flying Alaska/Horizon to Seattle and connecting to Delta or Air France from there. Of course other routings are also eligible. The offer runs from Sep 15 to Dec 15 and requires registration prior to flying. For full details and registration please visit Delta.com

Friday, August 20, 2010

Cathay Pacific Economy Class Fall Seat Sale

Cathay Pacific has launched a fall seat sale for economy class flights to Hong Kong and SE Asia that includes pricing from Calgary. The sale fares start at $1104 and are good for travel Sep 4 - Nov 30 and Jan 1 - Mar 31, 11. Of course Cathay does not fly to Calgary but they offer connections on both Air Canada and WestJet to their flights in Vancouver.

Full Details

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Air Canada: Save 15% on Tango Plus fares in Alberta/B.C.

Air Canada's latest partner offer with Visa is 15% off Tango Plus flights within Alberta and British Columbia. So if your planning a trip within these two western provinces (and not buying the lowest tango fare) you can save 15% by using promo code Q4PKPU81 and your Visa card for the purchase. You must book and pay by Aug 22 for travel until Dec 14, 10.

Full Details and Online booking

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Air Canada restores 3rd daily YYC-LAX flight

Effective Oct 31, 10, Air Canada will restore the 3rd daily flight between Calgary and Los Angeles. The service was reduced to two flights a day back in January 2010 when they also cut back on San Francisco flights and canceled the San Diego flights. There is no word yet on whether those other reductions will be restored.

Source: Airline Route Updates

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Air Canada increasing Calgary-Maui service

According to Airline Route Update, Air Canada will be adding a 4th weekly flight between Calgary and Kahalui Maui for the Winter 2010-11 season. This is an increase of 1 flight per week over last winter. The flights will now operate Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday starting on Dec 17. From Nov 6 to Dec 16, there will be 1 flight per week on Saturdays only.