Southwest Airlines has been shopping for an international partner for some time now, a search that was likely accelerated earlier this year after ATA collapsed. Now the search is over: The low cost carrier just announced that it will initiate a code sharing agreement with WestJet by the end of 2009.
Though WestJet flies to a few destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean, a press release from the two airlines emphasizes the US-Canada link as the big part of this tie-up. The Canadian carrier also goes to Hawaii via Vancouver.
All that said, no specifics on routes or schedules have been released just yet, and the airlines also remind us that some of the details are subject to government approval. No wonder the deal with take 18 months to finalize.
...in which we gently remind you (and ourselves) what airlines are taking you where these days.
Some of the most interesting new services popping up are between the U.S. East Coast and Canada. Interesting because they involve airlines that could be quite unfamiliar to travelers. WestJet is already established in the States, but mostly in the West and Florida. Porter Airlines, on the other hand, is just now adding its first U.S. destination.
Both WestJet and Porter are about to invade Newark--WestJet to/from Calgary, and Porter to/from Toronto-YTZ (City Centre Airport). Porter is especially welcome for the extra competition between NYC and Toronto--those fares have a history of getting pretty crazy.
So what can you Americans expect from Porter Airlines? For one, sexy snack boxes (see above), sexy service, and a free, sexy-ass lounge at the Toronto airport. The reviews for Porter on Airline Quality are glowing. We love it already!
This has not been the year for airlines. From day-long delays to canceled flights, 2007 has been the ultimate disaster. But things keep getting worse: It seems two planes missed colliding on the runway at LAX by less than 40 feet. Forty feet! Sure, no one was hurt--and that's good--but we thought the only planes that dared to get that close were the Rockin' Blue Angels.
WestJet and Northwest must have been auditioning for the part as they passed within 37 feet of each other. As an NWA Airbus accelerated for takeoff, the pilot of a WestJet Boeing switched radio frequencies and got instructions to cross the active runway. Believe it or not, stuff like this happens pretty frequently: this is the seventh so-called runway incursion at LAX in less than a year.
Money can't buy you love. Money can't buy you a sense of humor. Free television can't buy you a sense of humor, but a little known fact is that it can buy you love. We know because of the mistakes we've made in the throes of cable deprivation. The flirtatious wave of a Time Warner remote can lure more cable-less tail than you'd think.
Canada's second airline, WestJet, continues to struggle to turn on the charm despite a record profit this quarter and all the onboard entertainment it offers. Simply put, WestJet tries to be funny. Problem is, WestJet isn't funny. The lame jokes flight attendants tell over the intercom system are the bane of some passengers' patronage. Every WestJet plane carries a joke book filled to the gills with this cheese. Example: "Q: What kind of car does Luke Skywalker drive? A: A Toy-Yoda." Oh, and the book is called--get ready, now--Just Plane Fun.
The good news is that WestJet is always looking to expand its repertoire. We encourage all interested comedians to call 1-877-WJCARES and suggest a joke, as it's impossible to locate a customer service email address on WestJet's site. We wouldn't object if you, say, petitioned them to hire Bob Saget to perform on select routes, but that's up to you.
This film (above is part one of six) was produced by a WestJet employee, though we're not sure what sort of official distribution it got, if any, outside of YouTube. It's a parody of the Blair Witch Project, but instead of the "Blair" Witch, it's the "Air" Witch being hunted...and she works for "Scare" Canada (WestJet, an LCC, competes with Air Canada). Ha ha! Get it?
The Air Witch lives in the woods and apparently terrorizes Scare Canada passengers by slapping their hands when they reach for more pretzels. Have you flown with both WestJet and Air Canada? Which airline do you prefer? Let us know that, plus whether or not you managed to finish all six segments of the film, in the comments. (Embedding was disabled by the video poster; click here to view).
0 Comments - Add Yours
by pbb
