New research reveals 71% of Canadian travellers’ fondest vacation memories are from adulthood, with travel inspiring wanderlust, fostering personal growth and creating shared moments with loved ones

TORONTO, April 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new Sunwing survey on Canadians’ travel preferences and most memorable vacation experiences has uncovered that seven-in-ten (71%) respondents’ fondest vacation or travel memory was from a past or recent vacation as an adult. This is compared to one-in-six (16%) who said their fondest memory is from a childhood trip and one-in-eight (13%) who said their favourite memory was from a trip as a teenager.

When it comes to the lasting impact that vacation had on them, half (51%) of respondents said it helped them get closer to and share experiences with friends or family members, while 55% said it made them more eager to explore more destinations or parts of the world. Nearly two-in-five (37%) respondents said it helped them learn about a new culture or language, with another third (34%) saying it helped them grow as a person. A similar proportion (36%) said it gave them a more positive outlook on life. The survey was conducted by Sunwing, in both English and French, between March 28-30, 2023 with a nationally representative sample of 1,509 Canadians.

“Our research highlights the growing importance Canadians place on travel for creating lasting memories and cultivating deeper bonds with their loved ones,” said Samantha Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer for Sunwing Travel Group. “Going on vacation also helps inspire a feeling of wanderlust, encouraging Canadians to travel more and explore more destinations in future. At Sunwing we’re all about making vacation dreams come true and, with an assortment of over 700 resorts offered across 30-plus destinations, there are no shortage of beach escapes to experience this summer. Whether looking to relax on the beach, indulge in a romantic retreat or plan action-packed excursions, when booking with Sunwing more Canadians can create feel-good experiences in destination and vacation memories to last a lifetime.”

Additional survey insights:

• Three-in-five (59%) Canadians say it’s likely they’ll travel internationally in the next year, rising to two-thirds (66%) in British Columbia.
• Among those looking to travel internationally, about three-in-ten (31%) plan on doing so within the next three months.
• Approximately two-thirds (63%) of prospective international travellers intend to plan an upcoming trip to a sun destination in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America or the U.S.
• Respondents aged 35-54 are most likely to travel to a sun destination (71%) followed closely by those aged 18-34 (65%).
• Among those who have travelled to a sun destination before, respondents made the most of their vacation by relaxing on the beach or by the pool (73%), trying out new activities or going on guided excursions (56%), taking in the local culture (55%) and trying out local dining experiences (52%).         

Canadians longing to make new vacation memories and feel-good moments in paradise can enjoy great rates on all inclusive packages during Sunwing’s Summer Starts Now promotion, including under $999 deals on vacation packages to Cuba. Customers can secure incredible prices on tropical escapes booked by April 30, 2023 for travel by August 31, 2023. Plus, with the Sunwing Guarantee*, customers receive more perks when they book an all inclusive vacation with Sunwing, including the first checked bag free (a value of $100+ roundtrip), hotel transfers included for a seamless experience, and the lowest price on change and cancellation protection with Sunwing’s Worry Free coverage options.

*Terms and conditions apply.

About the survey

These are the findings of a study conducted by Sunwing from March 28-30, 2023 among a nationally representative sample of n=1,509 Canadians who are members of the online Angus Reid Forum, balanced and weighted on age, gender, region and education. For comparison purposes only, a sample of this size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The survey was offered in both English and French.

About Sunwing

The largest integrated travel company in North America, Sunwing has more flights to the south than any other leisure carrier with convenient direct service from airports across Canada to popular sun destinations across the U.S.A., Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations as well as cruise packages and seasonal domestic flight service. Sunwing customers benefit from the assistance of the company’s own knowledgeable destination representatives, who greet them upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. The company supports the communities where it operates through the Sunwing Foundation, a charitable initiative focused on the support and development of youth and humanitarian aid.

Aviation expert breaks down approved WestJet-Sunwing deal: What’s next?

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Ottawa airport cuts ties with Sunwing, Flair ground crews

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With Sunwing acquisition approved, WestJet must ensure its plan will benefit workers, customers

TORONTO, March 10, 2023 /CNW/ – With the simultaneous decisions from the Competition Bureau and Transport Canada’s public interest review approving WestJet’s acquisition of Sunwing, Unifor remains steadfast that the acquisition must result in increased job quality for workers at Sunwing and WestJet.  

Westjet and Sunwing planes. (CNW Group/Unifor)

“The conditions placed on this sale do not address our very serious concerns or the worries of our members. There is just no meat on the bones here. There aren’t any specifics on how the company will execute these conditions or how government will enforce the conditions to ensure they are met,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

“In order to guarantee consistent high-quality service for customers, WestJet and Sunwing must ensure the existing collective agreements are respected, end their practice of contract flipping to reduce labour costs and start paying a living wage. Without these actions, the acquisition will not solve the underlying problems of the industry.”

WestJet and Sunwing announced the deal, subject to regulatory approval, on March 2, 2022, with the promise of lower prices for consumers and crew optimization for workers.

Unifor filed a public interest submission to Transport Canada in July 2022, outlining its concerns, recommending the Canadian government ought to block the acquisition unless WestJet can guarantee job creation, investment in workers across the company to improve job quality and customer experience, and respect and accept existing collective agreements.

The union is calling on government to create a tri-partite committee including labour, government and the company to oversee the implementation of these conditions, ensuring accountability and follow-through.

“Given the chaos at Sunwing during the holiday travel season, this approval was almost inevitable. It’s unfortunate to see government hasn’t used the opportunity presented to flex its muscle and require conditions that will improve industry dynamics,” added Payne.

The aviation sector is struggling to attract and keep workers right now. Low wages, unpredictable hours, on-the-job harassment and contract flipping are all challenges workers in the industry are facing.

WestJet will have more work to do to improve job quality and attract more desperately needed workers to the industry.

“We’ve seen what happens when there’s no long-term plan to attract and retain workers in the industry,” said Leslie Dias, Unifor’s Director of Airlines. “We need the government to leverage the power it has, including through these conditions, to increase job quality and set the industry on a more resilient and sustainable course.”

Unifor represents 16,000 members across Canada in the aviation sector, including nearly 2,000 directly affected by the potential acquisition of Sunwing by WestJet, including 450 Sunwing pilots, 1,000 WestJet customer service representatives in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

It also has 550 members who work for Swissport, a contract company doing work for Sunwing in Vancouver and Toronto and 41 members at ATS, who perform work contracted by WestJet.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

WestJet Cabin Crew Union Responds to Cabin Crew Announcement

March 10, 2023 06:04 PM Eastern Standard Time

CALGARY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Alia Hussain, President of CUPE Local 4070 (WestJet Cabin Crew) issued the following statement about the approval of the Sunwing acquisition by WestJet.

On behalf of the 4,000 Flight Attendants and Cabin Crew Members working for the WestJet group of companies, we are pleased that there is now certainty about the purchase of Sunwing by WestJet.

While we are cautiously optimistic about the growth of WestJet, there remains a number of important unanswered questions. We need to know more about WestJet’s ability to finance this project, and we want to better understand how this will impact the working lives of our members. We will continue to push WestJet for answers on these questions.

Our members work for, and even celebrate, the successes of the company. But employees need more information to fully understand what the impacts will be.

WestJet Group provides update about Sunwing transaction

Canadian Government issues order finding that the transaction is in the public interest

CALGARY, AB, March 10, 2023 /CNW/ – The WestJet Group today issued a statement following the Government of Canada’s issuance of an order finding that the proposed acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines is in the public interest, taking into account certain measures.

“We are pleased that the regulatory review of the transaction is now complete,” said Angela Avery, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief People, Corporate & Sustainability Officer. “We thank the Minister of Transport and the Commissioner of Competition, and the staff of Transport Canada, the Competition Bureau, and the Canadian Transportation Agency, for their efforts to review the transaction.”

The issuance of the order is an important milestone in the process toward closing the transaction.

About the WestJet Group of Companies

In 27 years of serving Canadians, WestJet has cut airfares in half and increased the flying population in Canada to more than 50 per cent. WestJet launched in 1996 with three aircraft, 250 employees and five destinations, growing over the years to more than 180 aircraft, 14,000 employees and more than 100 destinations in 23 countries, pre-pandemic.

Since the start of the pandemic the WestJet Group of Companies has built a layered framework of safety measures to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly through the airline’s Safety Above All hygiene program. During this time, WestJet has maintained its status as one of the top-10 on-time airlines in North America as named by Cirium.

For more information about everything WestJet, please visit www.westjet.com.

Government of Canada approves acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines by WestJet Airlines Ltd. with strict terms and conditions

OTTAWA, ON , March 10, 2023 /CNW/ – The Government of Canada’s priority is to ensure a safe and competitive air sector for travellers, workers and communities. It is also committed to supporting Canada’s aviation industry, while creating good, middle-class jobs for Canadians and building an economy that works for everyone.

Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced that following Transport Canada’s assessment of the public interest, which incorporated the findings of the Commissioner of Competition, and consultations with Canadians, consumer protection groups, unions and industry, the Government of Canada has approved the acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines by WestJet Airlines Ltd., subject to strict terms and conditions that are in the interest of Canadians.

The decision to approve this acquisition was not taken lightly, especially considering the delays and bottlenecks experienced by travellers last summer, as well as the customer service and communications challenges by Sunwing during the recent holiday season. In determining the proposed purchase is in the public interest, the government considered a broad range of factors, such as levels of service, social and economic implications, the financial health of the air transportation sector, and competition.  

Given the current air sector landscape, it was important to ensure that the final agreement offered the best possible outcome for Canadians. The acquisition will help maintain the stability of the sector as Sunwing will continue to provide more affordable vacation packages to Canadians, while being financially supported by WestJet.

The acquisition will also result in enforceable terms and conditions intended to protect the interests of travellers. These strict terms and conditions include:

• Extending Sunwing vacation package offerings to five new Canadian cities;
• Maintaining capacity on routes most affected by the merger;
• Increasing regional connectivity;
• Improving baggage handling for better passenger experience;
• Maintaining a vacations business head office in the Toronto area and a regional office in the Montreal area for a minimum of five years;
• Increasing net employment by 20 per cent over three years in the Toronto office;
• Ensuring better passenger experience by investing in IT technology solutions to improve Sunwing’s communications;
• Supplying airfare data on vacation packages for monitoring of post-acquisition price trends; and
• Gradually ending Sunwing’s seasonal leasing practice to protect Canadian jobs.

The Government of Canada is also working on significant reforms to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations to ensure passenger rights are even more protected. These changes will place Canada at the forefront of passenger protections globally and, together with other steps to be taken, will help prevent the frustrating experiences of passengers last summer and over the holiday season.

Quote

“Today’s decision was not taken lightly, especially in light of everything that happened over the holidays for those who flew with Sunwing. After considering the pros and cons, we have made the decision that will allow Sunwing to continue to provide affordable vacation packages to Canadians, create more good jobs, and protect current jobs as well as Canadians who have already purchased tickets. The agreement will also be accompanied by strict terms and conditions to ensure the public interest, including with regard to competition, connectivity and baggage handling.”

The Honourable Omar Alghabra                                      
Minister of Transport

Quick Facts

• The assessment of the public interest involved rigorous analysis and consultations with Canadians and stakeholder groups. Online public consultations ran from May to July 2022.
• In the absence of this acquisition, Canada’s air transport sector could have faced greater instability, including job losses, a significant reduction of affordable vacation offerings, negative impacts on passengers, and the Government not being repaid sizable loans.
• Sunwing is a privately owned travel company founded in 2002 with headquarters in Toronto and a regional office in the Montreal area. Sunwing currently employs approximately 2,200 people.

Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca.

Updated – Three Sunwing flights with all-female crews take to the sky in honour of International Women’s Day

Updated by Sunwing Vacations Inc. March 09, 2023 14:45 ET

Toronto

TORONTO, March 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In honour of International Women’s Day, Sunwing celebrated the departure of three Sunwing Airlines flights that took off for sunny destinations from Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg on March 8, 2023, each with an all-female flight deck and cabin crew. Operated and organized by a primarily female-led team across multiple functions, including airport staff, dispatch, scheduling and more, the events were driven by the epic women of Sunwing who were also on site to capture every memorable moment.

Leading the charge above the clouds were Captain Michelle Chiasson and First Officer Jessalyn Teed who flew from Toronto to Holguin, Captain Jessica Kessler and First Officer Siobhan O’Hanlon who flew from Montreal to Holguin, and Captain Kelly Koprajda and First Officer Cara Kirkwood who flew from Winnipeg to Cancun. A huge thanks to the support of our sales and reservations agents, flight operations, maintenance, ramp agents, in-destination support services and more, who were there every step of way.

Winnipeg

An advocate for women’s empowerment and a driving force in the airline’s recruitment strategy, First Officer Jessalyn Teed, who was a leading voice and participant in these events alongside First Officer Siobhan O’Hanlon, commented on the occasion: “I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many amazing women to bring this day together, and the support we’ve received has been nothing short of inspiring. I believe this day and these events are about celebrating representation, the representation of women in roles that we traditionally know to be male-dominated, and it could not be done without the continued support of our leadership and colleagues embracing equity alongside us. May this day be one where we celebrate the women who lead us, walk beside us, cheer us on in our success and sit with us through our challenges.”

Montreal

“I am so proud to lead a team of passionate and customer-centric people devoted to making vacation dreams come true, and I’m thrilled to celebrate our incredible teams who have made our female-led flights to the tropics a moment to remember,” adds Len Corrado, President of Sunwing Airlines. “Sunwing women challenge the status quo, break down barriers and are taking the travel industry by storm in all facets, and as we continue to grow to support the increasing demand for travel, ensuring we’re building a team that champions gender equality and embraces equity at every step is very important.”

Sunwing Travel Group continues to honour International Women’s Day by engaging in honest and thought-provoking conversations with employees through its Brave Space Conversation series, and highlighting inspiring women from across its businesses who are a voice for change.

For more information or to book an upcoming getaway with Sunwing, visit http://www.sunwing.ca or contact a travel agent for the latest travel deals in destination.

About Sunwing

The largest integrated travel company in North America, Sunwing has more flights to the south than any other leisure carrier with convenient direct service from airports across Canada to popular sun destinations across the U.S.A., Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations as well as cruise packages and seasonal domestic flight service. Sunwing customers benefit from the assistance of the company’s own knowledgeable destination representatives, who greet them upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. The company supports the communities where it operates through the Sunwing Foundation, a charitable initiative focused on the support and development of youth and humanitarian aid.

True love takes flight as Sunwing helps make a couple’s proposal dreams come true

TORONTO, March 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On their highly anticipated flight from Toronto to sunny Cancun, Golnar Adhami was getting a head start on some rest and relaxation while her future husband-to-be, Behfar Sanjari, who she met 17 years prior, prepared for the speech of a lifetime. In front of a captivated audience with the cabin crew at his side, Behfar took over the intercom to deliver a loving and heartfelt message that would eventually bring Golnar, family and friends and a full Sunwing flight to happy tears.

Nearly two decades ago, Behfar and Golnar met as many do – at a party. Golnar was hosting, doing what she does best, and her powerful presence left an impression on Behfar that would last for years to come. After time spent taking their own paths, Behfar and Golnar reconnected in 2021, and what followed would be a journey of deep friendship, partnership and a love that would lead to planning an epic proposal above the clouds.

To Behfar, the proposal needed to include three important components: Golnar’s family must be present and involved, she had to be surprised and it needed to be the grand gesture she deserved. It was then in January 2023 that Behfar reached out to Sunwing’s Group Sales team to share his story and fill them in on his plan: to propose to his girlfriend on a Sunwing flight on their way to enjoy a week-long stay at Riu Palace Peninsula with her family and friends. This was indeed a grand gesture and one that Sunwing was determined to make happen. In the weeks that followed, Sunwing worked hand-in-hand with Behfar to make his proposal dreams come true and ensure every piece fell into place for this couple’s special moment.

Fast forward to the big day, while friends, family and fellow travellers looked on, Behfar succeeded in giving his bride-to-be the surprise of a lifetime: “It all happened so fast. I kept dozing in and out of sleep, up until the moment I heard Behfar’s voice echoing on the intercom,” recalls Golnar. “My heart was racing and I had a thousand thoughts going through my head. I don’t have words to express my thoughts at that moment, but I do know I was grateful that despite the adversities thrown our way, we stuck together through all of life’s turbulence and came out above it all, on top of the clouds. If you ask me, I didn’t want that flight to end and I still find myself rewatching our proposal video every day, shedding tears of happiness.”   

Behfar adds, “The entire vacation came out more beautiful than we could have imagined, and our engagement ended up becoming the highlight and theme of the trip.”

To share in their celebrations, click the link to watch Behfar and Golnar’s memorable inflight proposal with Sunwing unfold: Proposal Video. As they soak up every second of their magical moment in the sky, Behfar and Golnar are already looking ahead to planning their dream wedding, even considering paradise as their chosen destination with Sunwing to make history once again!

About Sunwing

The largest integrated travel company in North America, Sunwing has more flights to the south than any other leisure carrier with convenient direct service from airports across Canada to popular sun destinations across the U.S.A., Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations as well as cruise packages and seasonal domestic flight service. Sunwing customers benefit from the assistance of the company’s own knowledgeable destination representatives, who greet them upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. The company supports the communities where it operates through the Sunwing Foundation, a charitable initiative focused on the support and development of youth and humanitarian aid.

Winter storms bring travel alerts from Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Porter

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