Online travel scams are on the rise......Here’s how to stay safe.

Cybercrime and online fraud is not new, and is something many companies from across a wide range of industries have to contend with as a persistent reality of our increasingly digital lives. In fact, according to the Identity Theft Resource Centre, data compromises were up 14% YOY in the first half of 2024 and phishing is the single most common form of cybercrime with an estimated 3.4 billion emails being sent every day.

 

Cybercriminals are targeting consumers every day, attempting to gain access to personal or financial information through a variety of (seemingly) trustworthy and sophisticated methods. This means that vigilance is more important than ever to avoid falling victim to a scam. Thankfully, with a little knowledge on what to look out for, travelers can protect themselves against common tactics.

 

Your data is sensitive. Treat it that way.

When sharing personal data and/or financial information, ensure it’s on a reputable site that is trusted by consumers. Look for trustworthy indicators like a padlock symbol in the browser's address bar (indicating the site has an SSL [Secure Sockets Layer] certificate, search the site on Google for reviews or red flags, and of course, heed any browser warnings that a site is potentially harmful.

 

Keep a skeptical mindset.

Cybercriminals exploit their victim’s trust, so proceeding with caution when asked for personal data can help thwart potential scams. Techniques like social engineering and phishing see fraudsters attempt to gain personal data by pretending to be from a trusted organization or individual. In these cases, do not share any information and instead contact the organization or individual through official channels to be safe. Additionally, consumers should be skeptical of any suspicious emails with links and/or attachments that request the recipient to log in or provide sensitive data.

 

Know the red flags.

Travelers should familiarize themselves with some of the common tactics used by cybercriminals which are relatively easy to spot. These can include: emails, texts or phone calls with urgent language/payment requests, with threats of financial consequences or trip cancellation should the recipient not reply; spelling/grammatical mistakes or a mix of different languages in the same email; a suspicious sender email address – just to name a few.

 

Keep your money safe.

Travelers should check policy details of the property carefully before booking, including the payment and damage deposit policies and additional fees section. If travelers receive urgent payment requests (e.g. money that needs to be transferred to a bank account within 24 hours to prevent the booking from being canceled), or if the property insists on communicating/sending payment on a 3rd party platform, the advice is not to make payment and contact the relevant customer service department for advice. No legitimate transaction (eg. payments and/or reservation changes) will ever require payment with gift cards or credit card details via phone, text message or email.

Marnie Wilking, Chief Security Officer at Booking.com.

.

Air Canada's Best New Restaurants 2024 Longlist is unveiled

The 30 nominees for Air Canada's Best New Restaurants 2024 were unveiled today, celebrating new culinary talent across Canada. Since 2002, Air Canada has championed the country's distinct culinary scene through the longest-running Canadian restaurant ranking and its signature program, Air Canada's Best New Restaurants. 

"We're thrilled to shine a light on Canada's emerging culinary talent through Air Canada's annual Best New Restaurants list," said Andy Shibata, Vice President, Brand, Air Canada. "Food is an important part of culture and heritage, and by sharing the very best of Canada's creative culinary scene, we hope to inspire people to seek out great food experiences across our country. In doing so, we are proud to celebrate the best of Canadian talent and support the vitality of Canada's restaurant and hospitality sector."

Air Canada's Best New Restaurants is the only cross-country restaurant ranking to use a single, anonymous reviewer who sets out to dine across Canada. Based on the recommendations of a coast-to-coast panel of food experts, Air Canada sends one undercover writer on a month-long culinary marathon to sample the offerings from notable openings across the country, all of which are now contenders for the coveted Top 10 list.

ICEYE to deliver SAR satellites and data to Greece’s National Satellite Space Project in collaboration with the European Space Agency

SAR satellites and data enable Greece to monitor their areas of interest and improve their natural catastrophe detection and maritime awareness capabilities.

 

       

ICEYE, the global leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite operations for Earth Observation, persistent monitoring, and natural catastrophe solutions, has today announced signing the contract for the Greek National Satellite Space Project Axis 1.2 (radar program) for the Greek Space Agency and Greek Ministry of Digital Governance, together with the European Space Agency.

 

Axis 1.2 covers the Greek SAR Space Segment and includes both radar imagery and the development of a Greek Observation System with two ICEYE SAR satellites, and their launches. In addition to sovereign satellites, Greece will also have access to ICEYE’s existing SAR satellite constellation, the largest in the world, and can start monitoring its areas of interest already while building its space capabilities. Since 2018, ICEYE has launched 38 satellites for its own constellation and for the use of its customers internationally.

 

Delivery of the ICEYE SAR imagery to the Government of Greece is expected to commence immediately, providing quick access to monitor the relevant areas of interest. Following that, the satellites are scheduled for a rapid delivery enabled by ICEYE’s fast production capabilities and booked launch schedule for many years to come.

 

ICEYE is establishing a stronger presence in Greece to accelerate the growth of the Greek space sector, and the satellites will be assembled in a new ICEYE facility to be opened in Greece.

 

Malaysia Airlines to launch flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport

              Malaysia Airlines has confirmed the launch of flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, marking a key milestone in the airline's European expansion plans.  The airline will commence the route on 22nd March 2025 and will be the carrier's 68th destination.     

                The service will operate four times a week, operating directly from Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 using the Airbus A350-900 aircraft, the route will ramp up to a daily operation from 29th March 2025.

Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said, "Our expansion into Europe marks a significant milestone for Malaysia Airlines. With the arrival of additional widebody aircraft starting this Quarter 4, we are ready to bring this long-awaited city back into our network. While the European market is highly competitive, we see tremendous potential for this route to attract key travellers, not just from Malaysia but also from neighbouring regions.

By launching services to Paris, we reaffirm our position as the flagship airline and strengthen our role as the gateway to Asia and beyond. This route will be served by our state-of-the-art A350-900 aircraft, which already operates on key routes like London and Doha, delivering a world-class travel experience to our passengers."

Delta aircraft involved in taxiway incident in Atlanta

At approximately 10:07 this morning, the wing of a Delta Airbus A350 taxiing out as DL295 from Atlanta to Tokyo-Haneda made contact with the tail of an Endeavor Air CRJ-900, DL5526 to Lafayette, Louisiana, on an adjacent taxiway, resulting in damage to the tail of the regional jet and the wing of the A350. 

There have been no reported injuries at this time and customers were transported back to the terminal. There were 221 customers on DL295 and 56 customers on DL5526. At this time, no additional operational adjustments are expected. Delta worked with each customer from flights DL295 to Tokyo-Haneda and DL5526 to Lafayette, Louisiana, to provide accommodation on alternate aircraft scheduled to depart Tuesday afternoon. The carrier apologized to all the customers for the experience. 

Delta is cooperating with the NTSB and other authorities on this incident, while Delta TechOps teams prepare to safely move both aircraft to maintenance hangars.

.

Finnair names Simon Large as Chief Customer Officer and Christine Rovelli as Chief Revenue Officer

Finnair has appointed Simon Large as Chief Customer Officer and Christine Rovelli as Chief Revenue Officer.  The carrier's current Chief Commercial Officer Ole Orvér will leave his position in Finnair Executive Board and work as executive advisor at Finnair until 31 December 2024.

Simon Large will head Finnair’s new Customer Experience, Loyalty and Marketing Unit and be responsible for driving Finnair’s product offering, marketing and brand, global sales, and a part of customer service functions, as well as Finnair’s Aurinkomatkat package tour business.

Christine Rovelli will head a new Network, Fleet and Sustainability unit, comprising fleet, network, revenue management, alliances and airline partnerships functions, and sustainability.

“Finnair has emerged from the double crisis as a strong airline, and a strengthened focus on customers and revenue will serve us well as we move to the next phase in Finnair’s 100-year-old history”, says Turkka Kuusisto, Finnair CEO. “I warmly welcome Simon to his new role in the Finnair family and wish him and Christine the best of success in their new roles. With a laser focus on understanding and responding to customer needs, and on using our revenue generation assets in an optimal way in every situation, we will support enhanced value creation both to our customers and to our shareholders.”

JetBlue reducing transatlantic Gatwick flights to limited seasonal services.

New York's self-proclaimed hometown airline, JetBlue will be reducing its transatlantic services to London Gatwick from year-round operations to a limited seasonal service. 

The carrier that is struggling to get back into profitability since its very expensive takeover of Spirit failed to get government approval is set to junk the daily flights next month.  The service between Boston and Gatwick will cease on 1st October while the New York - Gatwick route will stop on 26th October,

The airline has been removing a number of routes from its schedule this year, with at least 50 facing the axe and another 15 being planned. All of the carrier's transatlantic services are currently being re-evaluated and staff expect two more cities to be dropped before the end of the year. 

Currently, JetBlue says the flights to Gatwick from both Boston and New York will recommence on 13 June 2025. 

.

Wizz Air to start flights between Milan and Abu Dhabi and Gatwick and Jeddah with Airbus A321XLR

The European budhet airline Wizz Air has confirmed today that it will start a new route between Milan and Abu Dhabi when its gets its first Airbus A321XLR jet next year.

The carrier will launch daily flights on 2nd June 2025 from Milan Malpensa to Abu Dhabi Zayed International to become one of  Wizz Air’s longest services with a flight time of over seven hours. 

József Váradi, Wizz Air's Chief Executive Officer said:  "The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft of its class and, given the enhanced range capability, it enables Wizz Air to connect the furthest destinations in its network and further expand it, connecting cultures and continents. We’re excited to unlock unbeatable fares for our customers on the newly announced route to Abu Dhabi, while offering the most sustainable option for flying. We are already flying several 5-6 hour long ultra-low-cost routes with great satisfaction to our customers, and the XLR will extend our outstanding value proposition to 7–8-hour long flights."

"Wizz Air’s decision to operate the first A321XLR based in Italy from Milan Malpensa confirms the airport’s role as an ideal platform for the development of innovative business models." said Armando Brunini, CEO of SEA Milan Airports. 

The airline is also set to deploy the longer range Airbus A321XLR aircraft to its London Gatwick base and one of the first routes will be to Jeddah.  The inbound flight from the second largest city in Saudi Arabia will be overnight, with non reclining seats and a flight time of about seven hours.   Váradi recently said that he didn't care about the poor comfort levels on Wizz Air aircraft as the carrier offers such great fares and with one way prices starting at £134.99, Jeddah seems to be no exception. 

Provisional start date for the daily Gatwick - Jeddah route is 31 March 2025 with tickets on sale now.  Outbound the flight is set to depart at 16:00 with arrival expected at 00:35 the next morning, return departs 01:30 and lands back at Gatwick 06:25.   

.

Firas Al Osman appointed Chief Digital Officer at Air Canada

In this new role, Mr. Al Osman will be responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive digital transformation strategy at Air Canada. Key areas of focus will include enhancing the customer experience and driving efficiency and innovation, as well as improving operational processes and performance.

"I am thrilled to welcome Firas to Air Canada and look forward to working with him on the exciting projects already underway at the airline to improve the customer experience and efficiency initiatives in our operations. As we continue to evolve in an increasingly digital world, Firas's extensive experience in digital strategy, technology, and innovation will be accelerate our team's efforts to deliver a superior customer experience and achieve our strategic goals", said Mark Nasr, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Digital and President, Aeroplan.

Mr. Al Osman joins Air Canada from a leading professional services organization, bringing with him a wealth of experience leading the development and execution of large-scale digital transformation programs for major organizations across several industries including airlines, financial services, insurance, and healthcare.

Air Canada is committed to enhancing its digital capabilities and providing a seamless and engaging experience across all customer and employee touchpoints. Mr. Al Osman's appointment marks a key step forward in the airline's ongoing efforts to be a leader in digital innovation within the travel and loyalty industries.

.

Arajet partners with CellPoint Digital for payment orchestration

CellPoint Digital, a provider of payment solutions to the global airline, hospitality and travel industries has announced a new partnership with Arajet, the fast-growing low cost carrier operating in the Caribbean and the Americas.

Launched in 2022 and headquartered at Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo, Arajet is the national flag carrier of the Dominican Republic, serving 23 destinations across 16 countries. Arajet is positioned as a national Dominican project aimed at supporting the country's tourism and travel industry, and is the only airline set to connect Santo Domingo with Toronto and Montreal via direct flights. With 10 737 Max 8 aircraft in its fleet, Arajet aims to extend the reach of its network across North America.

Arajet's business model is based on operating cost-effective flights between North and South America, with a layover in Santo Domingo. The carrier's long-term objective is to lower airfares across the Americas, leveraging its fleet of fuel-efficient Boeing 737 Max 8s (the 10th and most recent delivery of which occurred in June 2024) and planning to double its route network over the next few years.

Bringing Affordable Air Travel to the Americas

To achieve its growth ambitions across the North and Latin American regions, Arajet needed a sophisticated payments network and a payment infrastructure provider capable of powering a wide range of alternative payment methods (APMs) while minimising transaction costs and facilitating expansion into new markets. This made a partnership with CellPoint Digital – which offers a comprehensive payment solution with a long track record of success in the LATAM region – a natural next step in Arajet's growth journey. Among other benefits, the partnership will allow Arajet to quickly introduce support for critical new APMs on its flights across Mexico, Brazil and Colombia using CellPoint Digital's single API connection. 

"Just as innovative new low-price carriers like Arajet play a crucial role in facilitating affordable travel and connecting populations, innovative payment technology is central to helping these airlines remain competitive and thrive," said Kristian Gjerding, CEO at CellPoint Digital. "Our Payment Orchestration solution, developed to support global airlines in scaling organically, eliminates the need for Arajet to hold separate commercial agreements with APM providers. Our platform also enables Arajet to activate new payment value-added services as new markets come online, generating additional revenue."

The first stage of the partnership will see CellPoint Digital enable instalment card payments on Arajet flights, responding to the demand for this feature in the Brazilian market. This will offer travellers greater flexibility and minimise the number of abandoned bookings, boosting customer retention.

Victor Miguel Pacheco Mendez, Arajet's Founder and CEO, added: "As a start-up airline growing across several regions, we needed a payment partner that could both support our expansion ambitions and create efficiencies that enable us to continue offering attractive fares to our passengers. In this way, CellPoint Digital is our ideal partner – their ecosystem of APMs matches payment preferences in our target markets, and its Payment Orchestration solution will create future efficiencies as we expand our route network into new geographies."

.

Polaris Dawn mission blasts off

There were more than a few storm clouds early this morning which could have caused a postponement of the launch of the Polaris Dawn mission.  However,  the clouds cleared and the launch went ahead, with everything seeming to go rather smoothly and with little cause for concern. 

Rather than crewed by professional astronauts with thousands of hours of training, this mission is staffed by a billionaire entrepreneur, a retired military pilot and two SpaceX employees in stylish spacesuits that seemed more like the ones seen in 70s sci-fi shows than reality. 

The risky mission will see two of those onboard doing at least one spacewalk,  an activity that's been fraught with danger, in fact, it is so risky, it is a wonder they ever got insurance for it.  Although, it is not 100% clear that SpaceX actually has full coverage for the whole mission and not just the launch and landing phases of the mission. 

.

KLM Cityhopper flies to Valencia for The Aviation Challenge...... making flying efficiently and economically as possible

KLM recognizes its impact on the environment and climate and understands that there are limits to what our planet can handle, necessitating action if we want to continue operating within these boundaries. By testing various innovations during flight operations and onboard, KLM examines their outcomes with the goal of scaling them up and implementing them as standard practices. 

The KLM Cityhopper flight for The Aviation Challenge has landed in Valencia, the city designated as the European Green Capital for 2024 by the European Commission. 

Before and during the flight, KLM tests various initiatives. For instance, the implementation of a new climb procedure, OptiClimb, can save 1% fuel on KLM Cityhopper flights. This procedure advises pilots on the most efficient climb speeds based on weight, weather conditions, aircraft type, and route. This procedure is implemented on all KLM Cityhopper flights next week. Additionally, efforts are made to conduct ground processes at the airport—both at Schiphol and Valencia—using as much electric equipment as possible. 

Onboard, several changes are made, both noticeable and unnoticeable to passengers. Calculations ensure the aircraft is loaded with the minimum possible weight, and food waste is collected separately. Wine is carried in 'Wine Tubes' instead of small bottles, reducing both weight and waste. The trolleys are also updated to separately collect and process all waste. Porcelain is replaced onboard, and the Business Class cup is made from recycled agricultural waste. KLM's inflight magazine, Holland Herald, is available digitally via onboard WiFi. Lastly, the crew received uniforms made from a new, more sustainable fabric and wears the previously introduced KLM sneakers by Filling Pieces. 

As an airline, KLM aims to involve its passengers in the transition as well. Passengers who purchase alternative fuel (SAF) are given priority boarding, right after SkyPriority passengers. Tap water is made more accessible at Schiphol with water points, allowing passengers to fill reusable bottles provided by Dopper, reducing the need for plastic water bottles. Passengers are also encouraged to pack light before the flight. 

The idea for The Aviation Challenge originated from a group of enthusiastic KLM colleagues. They were inspired by the historic London-Melbourne race in 1934, which aimed to connect the world and bring people together. Today's aviation challenges are not about bridging distances but about sustainability. Hence, SkyTeam's concrete challenge in the form of The Aviation Challenge is to conduct a regular commercial flight with as little impact on the planet as possible.

.

Airlines for Europe is calling on the European Commission, the European Parliament and member states to be bold and implement the future of European competitiveness recommendations

Airlines for Europe (A4E) is calling on the European Commission, the European Parliament and member states to be bold and ensure the aviation recommendations in the report on The future of European competitiveness by Mario Draghi are implemented without delay.

There has been much anticipation for the report written by the man credited with saving the euro. It is critical that the EU’s institutions and member states follow through and implement the recommendations rather than let this become yet another report gathering dust in the Berlaymont archives.

Recognising the importance of air transport for driving Europe’s economic prosperity, A4E supports the Draghi recommendations for Europe’s aviation industry to ensure this continues, namely:

Supporting the green transition and stimulating the supply of low carbon fuels

Unlocking investment in decarbonising aviation

Reforming Europe’s inefficient Airspace

Addressing so-called asymmetric decarbonisation and business leakage

 

In particular, the report confirms that air transport is a hard-to-decarbonise sector which has a critical need for low-carbon fuels, recognising that the cost of energy is a significant driver of the competitiveness gap that is emerging between Europe and the rest of the world.

Reacting the release of the report, Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of Airlines for Europe said:    

“The next Commission must be bold and implement policies that will address the aviation issues in the Draghi report: support low carbon fuels, tackle business leakage and complete our single market. The EU excels in producing reports but that alone will not ensure Europe remains a global industrial and economic powerhouse. With this new mandate, Europe now needs to excel in implementing policies that keep us competitive.”

“Many people dubbed Mario Draghi Super Mario for saving the euro. This time he has been asked help save Europe’s industrial future and competitiveness. European policymakers and national governments must embrace the report recommendations and do whatever it takes to level-up Europe’s prosperity for generations to come,” she continued.

. /

The Draghi report looks at the challenges faced by European industry and companies in the Single Market. The findings of the report will contribute to the Commission’s work and for the development of the new Clean Industrial Deal which will be presented in the first 100 days of the new Commission mandate. The report is available here and the detailed analysis and recommendations are available here.

FLYONE announces new flight destinations and opens summer bookings!

FLYONE airline continues to expand its international flight network with new destinations starting in spring 2025. Passengers will be able to travel directly from Chisinau to four new destinations.

The first launch is Bremen, Germany. Flights will begin on April 17, 2025, offering a great opportunity for both business travellers and tourists.

The summer season will kick off with a special destination – Alicante, Spain. On June 7, 2025, passengers will be able to discover the stunning beaches, cuisine, and the joy of relaxing in a city rich in history.

Just 10 days later, on June 17, 2025, FLYONE will connect Moldova with Denmark. Copenhagen will be just one flight away from Chisinau with this new launch, fulfilling passengers’ desire for simpler and faster travel.

Lyon, France, will be added to the flight network starting on June 19, 2025. It is a city that successfully blends tradition with modernity, offering unique experiences for all visitors.

flydubai and SriLankan Airlines announce new interline agreement

The new agreement will provide passengers with more convenient options for travel between the UAE, Sri Lanka and beyond

flydubai, the Dubai-based budget carrier and SriLankan Airlines confirmed the start of their new interline agreement which will offer more travel opportunities between the UAE, Sri Lanka and beyond. 

This interline agreement will offer flydubai passengers access to 16 destinations on SriLankan’s robust network spanning Southern and East Asia, the Middle East and Australia – including Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo.

In addition, the interline will enable passengers travelling with SriLankan Airlines to seamlessly connect via Dubai’s aviation hub to more than 30 destinations that flydubai operates to in Africa, Central Asia, Central and Southeast Europe as well as the Middle East. This includes unique holiday destinations such as Bucharest, Krakow, Mombasa, Naples, Tashkent and Zanzibar.

Commenting on the interline agreement, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we’re excited about our new interline agreement with SriLankan Airlines that will further strengthen trade and tourism relations between the UAE and Sri Lanka. Since the start of operations to Sri Lanka in 2010, we have seen consistent demand for travel between our two countries over the years. Dubai remains an important thriving aviation hub and through these interline agreements, this will open up new horizons for our passengers, giving them more options to explore the world with ease.”

SriLankan Airlines and flydubai are committed to delivering convenient and reliable travel options for their valued customers. Passengers can expect the signature hospitality and onboard services that both airlines are renowned for when travelling with SriLankan and flydubai.