TakeOffeh.com Survey - 08/NOV/2011
The Travel Brochure: Use It or Lose It!
The travel industry was built on a mountain of glossy paper. Expensive brochures featuring tanned flesh, blue skies, swaying palms and shining beaches have been an indispensable sales tool for decades. People planning holidays came home from the corner agency with armloads while travel agents staggered...

Cruising For Savings? Now's The Time - 18/OCT/2011

If you're considering taking a cruise vacation in the next year, this week is a great time to do your shopping. October 17th to 23rd has been designated 'The World's Largest Cruise Sale' by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), whose member companies represent over 95% of the North American...

Dreaming Of A Sunny Xmas? - 29/SEP/2011
Take advantage of the shift in school year deals
In Christmases' past, the mere thought of a family holiday could wither your wallet. This year, many Canadian school boards have shifted the timing of the holiday break by one week, which means vacations can be purchased at off-season rates. With Christmas falling on a Sunday, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary...

Why Are Air Canada Flight Attendants Furious? - 20/SEP/2011
Promises, Pension Funds & Other Baggage
Air Canada flight attendants are set to walk out as of midnight tonight barring a last minute negotiated agreement. They'll hit the bricks knowing that their strike will be a short one, as the federal government has taken the unusual step of announcing that it is already preparing back-to-work legislation. Mad...

Aeroplan's New Game Plan - 19/JUL/2011
Welcome To The Club
Are you an Aeroplan member? Aeroplan is not only betting you are, but also that it's the only reward program you want to belong to. Whether you're a road warrior or a hockey mom, we all want something for free. According to the folks who run this 27 year old program, that's part of the problem. Too...

Will You Still Serve Me? - 14/JUN/2011
When I'm 64....
Will you still need me. Will you still feed me. When I'm sixty-four? Lennon & McCartney were visionaries. Arguably, some of these visions were a tad hazy as a result of the odd pharmaceutical mixed in with the afternoon tea. Nonetheless, despite some historians suggesting When I'm Sixty-Four being...

High Loonie, Hungry Hotels Serve Up A Travel Double Double For Canadians - 07/JUN/2011

The combination of a rising Canadian dollar and aggressively priced hotels are spurring Canucks to travel more than ever, according to online retailer itravel2000. The company explains that because Americans are not travelling like they did before the financial crisis, it has led...

The Canadian Triangle: A Fierce Airline Battleground - 10/MAY/2011
Fighting For Your Business
For Canadian carriers, ferrying passengers between Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa is a lucrative business. And the fight to dominate the so-called ‘eastern triangle' has historically led to fierce competition. The three centres are the daily commuter route for thousands of business travellers –...

Musings On Vacation Deals - 14/APR/2011
By A Travel Curmudgeon
Like most - I love a bargain. Offer me a vintage '57 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst for $5000 and I'm all over it. En route to divorce court perhaps, but the proud owner of a true bargain. A '91 Chevy Cavalier for only $500? Cheap - but not my idea of any kind of good deal other than for possibly the vendor.  When...

You Go Girls! - 07/APR/2011
Solo Travel Safety Tips For Your Next Trip
Women who choose to travel on their own should be able to set off with a sense of joy and anticipation, unburdened by fear. And many do. But the truth is women face different travel concerns than men. From issues of personal safety to cultural mores, women travellers can run into a variety of challenges...

Shifting Air Power - 17/MAR/2011
Jumbo Sized Asian Carriers Dominating Globe
For decades the U.S. was the seat of global air power. Pan Am, United, American and others were household names. But pretty soon the best-known names in aviation may well consist of unfamiliar words like Shenzhen and Kunpeng Airlines. A couple of telling facts: the United States can no longer boast...

Beware The Time Share Scam -- It's Baack... - 15/MAR/2011

If you've travelled to sunny destinations like Florida, the Caribbean or Hawaii, it's likely that at some point you've been arm-wrestled into attending a timeshare presentation. Come to think of it, you don't have to leave home for the pleasure – my father couldn't resist the lure of the prizes...

Smart Money: Tips For Handling Cash & Credit On The Road - 08/MAR/2011

Worrying about your wallet while you travel can really take the fun out of things. You can also let your guard down sometimes when you're caught up with having fun, and that can lead to unhappy experiences.   With tours to over 120 countries, adventure specialist Intrepid Travel knows a lot...