Stay off the dunes, Parks Canada reminds visitors to P.E.I. beaches
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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Expedia shares soar on upbeat forecast, U.S. travel rebound
A traveller walks through the domestic departures level at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, which remained unaffected, on Thursday, July 3, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Shares of Expedia surged more than 17 per cent in premarket trading on Friday, after the online travel agent raised its full-year gross bookings forecast and struck an optimistic tone on the recovery in U.S. travel demand. Expedia is the latest travel company to hint at a rebound in demand, following weakness earlier this year when consumers fretted over the economic impact of President Donald Trump's tariff policies. 'Since the beginning of July, we've seen an uptick in overall travel demand, particularly in the U.S.,' CEO Ariane Gorin said on the earnings call on Thursday. The company expects 2025 gross bookings to grow between 3 per cent to 5 per cent, up 1 percentage point from its earlier forecast. Morningstar analyst Dan Wasiolek expects bookings growth to accelerate further to 7 per cent in 2026 as demand improves alongside policy visibility. Tariffs had disrupted travel spending, 'but it appears prospective U.S. travelers are prepared to book again,' said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell. Expedia has also been focusing on simplifying its organizational structure by eliminating roles, streamlining operations and deploying generative AI technology. Its second-quarter margin grew by 190 basis points, surpassing the company's May guidance of a 75- to 100-basis-point increase. The biggest fundamental takeaway is that Expedia's continued strategic focus and tighter expense controls are driving more consistent results, said Baird analyst Michael Bellisario. Expedia also joined industry peers Marriott MAR.O and Airbnb ABNB.O in noting strong bookings from higher-income consumers while lower-income consumers were more cautious with discretionary spending. Expedia's shares trade at about 12.01 times their forward profit estimates, below the industry median of 14.19. Reporting by Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath, Reuters
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
How changes to Aeroplan's point system will affect you
Air Canada's loyalty program which allows members to earn and redeem points for travel, is changing how its points are earned next year. Aeroplan, Air Canada's loyalty program that allows members to earn and redeem points for travel, is changing how its points are earned next year, making it easier for the higher paying customers to now earn more. Air Canada said the new changes will let all members earn points on their flights based on the dollars they spend, instead of the distance travelled. 'Our new design aims to provide more for members who are most engaged – regardless of where they fly,' Air Canada's website read. Barry Choi, a personal finance and loyalty points expert says three types of people will benefit the most from this change – those with an existing status, frequent short-haul business travellers and the retired individuals who spend heavily on their travels. The new system aims to encourage higher spending and simplify status levels, according to Choi. 'Instead of earning points or miles or segment hints under the old system based on distance, it's now going to be based on spending,' he told on Thursday. 'So, some people will come out ahead, some people will come out below.' Status Qualifying Credits: What are they? Currently, Aeroplan members earn points based on a combination of elements – all of which can vary due to routes, class and cost, Choi explains. Status qualifying segments, which are the number of flights flown. Status qualifying miles, which is the distance flown. Status qualifying dollars, which is the amount of money spent. From Jan. 1, 2026, Aeroplan members will earn one point on each dollar spent on an Air Canada flight , excluding taxes and third-party fees. Elite members will be awarded more points based on their status tier. In the coming year, Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) will replacement all older requirements. To earn status from next year, travellers will require 25,000 SQC for 25K status, 35,000 SQC for 35K status, and so forth. 'While each member's activity will determine their new status level, we expect many of our current Elite Members will benefit from the expanded ways to accumulate Status Qualifying Credits,' Air Canada said. However, the basic economy ticket fares will not be eligible for SQC. 'If you want higher status with Air Canada, you're going to have to spend a lot more, also because the status qualifying credits are now capped on spending on the premium credit cards,' Choi said. 'It's not necessarily beneficial for you to keep spending on those cards.' 'Reward the people who spend the most' It all comes down to revenue, Choi explains. The new system is designed aiming to encourage more spending from high-value customers using different kinds of incentives. 'People who have figured out this the old system and gamed it, those tricks have been eliminated,' Choi said. 'People will have to kind of figure out new ways (to get benefits), and it's going to be a lot harder when it's mostly based on spending.' According to him, all major airline loyalty programs are using this kind of a revenue-based system to increase their profits and reduce the number of people with status, so those who have the benefits get an opportunity to use them. 'One argument may be made that there's too many people with status, which kind of dilutes the product,' Choi stated. 'They want to reward the people who spend the most, give them the most. And strictly from a loyalty standpoint, it makes sense.' Meanwhile, Canadians are not just collecting loyalty points, they want to use them, said Amra Durakovic, head of communications, Flight Centre Travel Group. 'From seamless upgrades to straightforward redemption, they're looking for loyalty programs that make travel feel simple, rewarding and worthwhile,' Durakovic told
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Forget Vegas and Florida. Canadians are skipping the U.S. for other international spots
Social Sharing As an avid traveller, Kelly Bergquist used to visit the United States at least once a year. The Edmonton woman was last south of the border in August 2024 when she went to a concert in Las Vegas. She considered another U.S. trip this year, but the ongoing trade war made her think again. "I just don't really want to support them right now. If they're going to do that to us, I don't want to give any money to them," Bergquist said. Bergquist said she may instead go to Mexico in the future, and she is already planning a big trip to the Balkan countries in southeastern Europe for next year. "I could have easily done a Mississippi River cruise or done any kind of cruise that basically goes out of the States or things like that. But as of right now, I'm just putting all that aside until we kind of see where things are going," she said. Since the start of the recent trade war, some Canadians have been shunning travel to the United States. Many are opting for trips within Canada instead, but there is new data showing Canadians are turning to international destinations other than the United States. Data provided by Flight Centre Canada to CBC News shows that travel spending for many countries booked between May 1 to July 30 is up compared to last year. Travel spending jumped 148 per cent in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 137 per cent in Osaka, Japan, 112 per cent in Copenhagen, Denmark and 101 per cent in Curaçao in the Caribbean, according to Flight Centre Canada data. Aruba, also in the Caribbean, also saw a 71 per cent jump in travel spending, along with Lisbon, Portugal at 61 per cent. Meanwhile, Prague, Czech Republic saw an increase of 38 per cent, Barcelona, Spain saw 35 per cent, Dublin, Ireland jumped 29 per cent and spending in Cape Town, South Africa went up 27 per cent. WATCH | Where will Canadians head instead of the U.S.? Where Canadians are travelling instead of the U.S. 1 day ago Tourism organizations from several countries are also showing similar trends. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, between January and June, Japan saw 335,400 Canadian visitors, compared to 272,264 during the same period in 2024 — an increase of 23 per cent. Turismo de Portugal told CBC News that, from January to May, the number of Canadian visitors grew 6.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. Data from Visit Brasil provided to CBC News reveals there were 57,065 Canadian tourists in Brazil between January and June, a 12.9 per cent jump from the same period last year when there were 50,556 Canadian tourists. Flight options, promotional materials and the exchange rate can all influence how a trip is planned. Andrew Stafford, a manager with Flight Centre in Vancouver, said tensions with the United States are top of mind for clients. "In the scenario that people are choosing not to do those four or five-day trips south of the border, we're seeing them compile that time and put it into one longer trip to see further-flung destinations," he said. "People are still travelling at the same rate they were. They're just choosing different destinations." Targeted campaigns Marival Group, a Canadian-owned hotel chain in Mexico, has also seen more Canadians at its three all-inclusive resorts since the start of the trade war, according to Salvador Ramos, vice president of sales and marketing. Ramos pegs the increase at between five and six per cent, which he said translates to about 15,000 more Canadians at Marival Group's hotels. He expects those numbers will grow closer to the high season, which starts in November, and he said the company is doubling down on attracting even more Canadian travellers. Ramos said the company has digital campaigns, in both French and English, in 20 different cities across Canada, including Calgary, Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as Google ads, magazine collaborations and participation in sporting events. "[They] give us the opportunity to show our brand and let them know that we are super welcoming Canadians." "It's a market that we love, that we care for," said Ramos when asked how coveted Canadian travelers are right now, adding Canadians make up a sizable chunk of the company's business year-round. Feeling safe and welcome Every year, Joan Allison of Windsor, Ont., would spend four months in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., and a couple other weeks in the U.S. campaign. After U.S. President Donald Trump took power in January, Allison said she lost her "mojo" to be in the United States. Allison cites a combination of Trump's pardons for Jan. 6 insurrectionists, border security concerns and the trade war for her changing travel attitudes. "The threats to our economy are massive.… And so for that reason alone, I have no desire to spend any money in the United States," she said. An ardent traveller, she is now proactively choosing international travel that does not involve the United States. Allison said she has booked a trip to Portugal for next year and is mulling another sunny destination as well. Wayne Smith, the director of the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research at Toronto Metropolitan University, said Canadians want to go to places where they will feel safe. "Canadians do like to travel in general. But we're also seeing that Canadians are changing their travel patterns to go to places where they feel comfortable and welcome," he said. Smith also said that Canadians like good value and with rates in cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles being seen as expensive and aggressive, he argues that there could be a long-term chill on travel to the U.S. "You add in the social political stuff … and then you add in things like the immigration permits and the potential of dealing with border security and ICE, this is probably not going to be a short-term pattern for the U.S.," he said.
