Press Release Source: AIR CANADA; AIR CANADA - ROUTE & NETWORK - FLEET


Air Canada boosts service to sun destinations this winter, offers unprecedented choice and convenience with more than 660 weekly flights
Friday September 12, 2:09 pm ET


MONTREAL, Sept. 12 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today announced wide ranging improvements in scheduled services to many of its sun destinations in time for planning vacations this coming winter. Overall, the airline is increasing the number of seats between Canada and the tropical destinations it serves by 19 per cent, or 148 more weekly flights, compared to last winter.
In addition to more flights and better connections than ever before, highlights of Air Canada's winter schedule include brand new services to San Jose, Costa Rica, Ixtapa and Cozumel, Mexico, Kona, Hawaii and Daytona Beach, Florida. In addition, the airline will now offer scheduled flights to Aruba and Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and La Romana, Dominican Republic, as well as new scheduled non-stop services to the Caribbean, Florida and Mexico from Halifax, Montr�al, London Ont., Moncton, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver, complementing Air Canada Vacations' package offerings.

"We're offering customers seeking warm, sunny destinations this winter unbeatable choice and convenience," said Montie Brewer, Executive Vice President, Commercial. "In response to strategic growth opportunities, particularly in the leisure winter travel market, we're enhancing our schedule to offer consumers coast to coast new destinations, more non-stop services as well as more convenient connecting flights."

The following are select highlights of new Air Canada services to sun destinations this winter:


Costa Rica
----------
- Toronto - San Jose: Brand new non-stop service three times weekly on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays operated with 120-seat Airbus A319
aircraft starting December 1, 2003.

Mexico
------
- 20 more non-stop flights per week this winter than last between
Canada and Mexico for a total of 68 weekly flights: 39 per cent more
seats than last winter.
- Halifax - Cancun: New scheduled service departing Sundays starting
February 8, 2004, operated with 120-seat A319 aircraft.
- Montr�al - Cancun: Increased to three flights weekly, with a new
Wednesday flight starting December 17, 2003 in addition to Saturday and
Sunday flights.
- Toronto - Cancun: Increased to twice daily non-stop service from
daily last winter with the introduction December 13, 2003 of a
convenient early afternoon flight operated with 140-seat Airbus A320
aircraft.
- Toronto - Cozumel: Brand new non-stop service departing Saturdays
starting November 1, 2003, operated with 120-seat A319 aircraft.
- Calgary - Cancun: New scheduled service departing twice weekly on
Thursdays and Sundays starting December 18, 2003 with 120-seat A319
aircraft.
- Calgary - Puerto Vallarta: Brand new non-stop service departing
Saturdays starting December 20, 2003, operated with 120-seat A319
aircraft.
- Calgary - Ixtapa: Brand new non-stop service departing Fridays
starting December 19, 2003, operated with 120-seat A319 aircraft.
- Vancouver - Cancun: New scheduled service departing starting
December 21, 2003, operated with 120-seat A319 aircraft.
- Vancouver - Puerto Vallarta: New scheduled service departing
Saturdays starting December 20, 2003, operated with 120-seat A319
aircraft.

Caribbean
---------
- 68 more non-stop flights per week this winter than last between
Canada and the Caribbean for a total of 224 weekly flights: 37 per cent
more seats than last winter.
- Montego Bay: New scheduled non-stop services from Montr�al, Winnipeg
and Calgary departing Saturdays starting December 20, 2003 and from
Halifax departing Mondays starting February 9, 2004, in addition to
daily service from Toronto.
- Halifax - Barbados: New scheduled non-stop service departing
Saturdays starting February 14, 2003, operated with 120-seat Airbus
A320 aircraft.
- Halifax - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic New scheduled weekly
service with departures Saturdays starting February 7, 2004.
- Moncton - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Brand new weekly non-stop
service with departures Thursdays starting February 12, 2004.
- Montr�al - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic: New scheduled service
twice weekly with departures Mondays and Saturdays starting
December 20, 2003.
- Montr�al - Nassau: Increased to twice weekly with a new Sunday
flight starting October 26, 2003, in addition to Saturdays.
- Montr�al - Barbados: Increased to twice weekly with a new Saturday
flight starting November 1, 2003, in addition to Sundays.
- Montr�al - Guadeloupe: Increased to twice weekly with a new Sunday
flight starting December 14, 2003, in addition to Saturdays.
- Montreal - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic New scheduled service
twice weekly with departures Sundays from November 1 to December 13,
2003 and Thursdays and Saturdays from December 18, 2003 to
April 2, 2004.
- Ottawa - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic New weekly scheduled service
with departures Saturdays starting December 20, 2003.
- Toronto - Aruba: New scheduled service departing Saturdays starting
November 1, 2003 with an additional second weekly flight effective
December 14, 2003.
- Toronto - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic: New non-stop scheduled
service departing Saturdays starting November 1, increasing to twice
weekly with additional Wednesday departures effective December 24,
2003.
- Toronto - Grand Cayman: Increased from 3 to 4 flights weekly
effective December 14, 2003.
- Toronto - Nassau: Increased to daily 140-seat Airbus A320 service
effective December 15, 2003, from five times weekly last winter, with
convenient connections to and from London, UK.
- Toronto - Barbados: Increased to two daily flights from one
effective December 12, 2003 timed, with convenient connections to and
from London, UK.
- Toronto - Antigua: Increased to twice weekly with a new Sunday
flight starting December 14, 2003, in addition to Saturdays.
- Toronto - Turks & Caicos: Increased to twice weekly service with a
new Saturday afternoon flight starting December 13, 2003, in addition
to Saturday mornings.
- Toronto - Port of Spain: Increased to three times weekly service
with a new Friday flight starting December 12, 2003, in addition to
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Toronto - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: New scheduled service
three times weekly with departures Sundays starting October 26, 2003
and Thursdays and Saturdays starting December 18, 2003.
- Toronto - La Romana, Dominican Republic: New weekly scheduled
service with departures Saturdays starting December 20, 2003
- London, Ont. - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: Brand new weekly non-
stop service with departures Tuesdays starting December 23, 2003.
- Winnipeg - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: Brand new weekly non-stop
service with departures Sundays starting December 21, 2003.

Hawaii
------
- Vancouver - Kona: Starting December 14 2003, brand new non-stop
flights departing Sundays, operated with 226-seat Boeing 767 aircraft.
- Vancouver - Honolulu: New afternoon departures starting in December
at 2:30 p.m. daily and at 5:00 p.m. three times weekly, for a total of
24 flights per week.
- Vancouver - Maui: Increased to daily service effective December 9,
2003 operated with 198-seat Boeing 767 aircraft, from five times weekly
last winter, offering convenient connections within North America.

Florida
-------
- 52 more non-stop flights per week this winter than last between
Canada and Florida for a total of 300 weekly flights: more than any
other carrier.
- Halifax - Orlando: New weekly scheduled non-stop service on
Saturdays, operated with 120-seat Airbus A319 aircraft, starting
February 7, 2004.
- London, Ont. - Orlando: Brand new weekly non-stop service on Mondays
operated with 159-seat Airbus A320, starting December 22, 2003.
- Toronto - Fort Lauderdale: New afternoon daily departure operated
with 159-seat Airbus A320 aircraft starting December 13, 2003, for a
total of three daily non-stop flights.
- Toronto - Daytona Beach: Brand new non-stop service on Saturdays and
Sundays, operated with 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet aircraft, starting
December 13, 2003.
- Toronto - Fort Myers: New evening services on Friday and Saturday
nights starting December 12, 2003, for a total of 9 weekly flights.
- Toronto - West Palm Beach: New evening services on Friday and
Saturday nights starting December 12, 2003, for a total of 9 weekly
flights.
- Montr�al - Tampa: Increased from one to two weekly flights with a
new Sunday departure starting October 26, 2003.
- Toronto - Miami: Starting December 12, 2003, a new evening
departure, for a total of four daily non-stop flights, especially
convenient for Florida homeowners and connecting passengers from
Western Canada.


Air Canada offers two classes of service on most of its flights to sun destinations. In addition to its Hospitality Service that offers industry- leading legroom and entertainment amenities, Air Canada has recently re- designed its premium Executive Class service offered on long haul routes in North America to offer restaurant style meals in first class comfort at business class prices.
Air Canada operates up to 662 scheduled non-stop flights per week between Canada and 37 destinations in Florida, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Mexico including: Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach, Honolulu, Kona, Mauii, Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Grand Cayman, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Kingston, Montego Bay, Nassau, Puerto Plata, San Juan, St-Lucia, Trinidad, Turks & Caicos, Havana, Cayo Coco, Holguin, La Romana, Punta Cana, Varadero, Cancun, Cozumel, Ixtapa, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and San Jose, Costa Rica. In addition, Air Canada Vacations, one of Canada's leading tour operators, offers vacation packages including air transportation, hotel accommodation, car rentals and cruises, to more than 90 destinations.

Calgary to Cancun Thursday and Sundays

Might have to cash in some Starwood points as well and surprise Mrs Cattle this winter with a mini Sunday to Thursday vacation

[This message has been edited by cattle (edited 09-12-2003).]

No service from YEG = $0 from me.

More routes that they can black-out for reward seats.

------------------
Saturday nights should be spent with family.

Unbelievable! I am surprised that these are sked services instead of just AC Vacations. A major change in plans for Winter 2003. Where are all these aircraft being moved from?

Is there not a direct non-stop Vancouver to Miami flight this winter, for the cruise traffic?

Yes, there is but it's weekend service only in the current schedule. It's a LONG flight on an A319 from MIA-YVR...bring something to read.

Forget reading material. Bring your portable DVD player instead.

A betting man would say that the Tango aircraft are being repositioned to the Sun destinations??? Fits with the market type.

I was surprised to see they increased from one to two daily flights to Barbados, until I read they are trying to connect travelers from the UK. When we were in Barbados, I would guess 70% of the people we met were from the UK, 20% from Canada and 10% Americans.

Again, nothing from Saskatchewan, when we lived there, I hated that overnight in Toronto both going and returning from the Caribbean.

[This message has been edited by princessmom (edited 09-14-2003).]

Yes, weekend only A319 (departs YVR FrSa/departs MIA SaSu) from November through the first weekend of April. The above list is not complete. South Florida also has non-stop connections to Ottawa and Quebec City this winter. Both flights are single-class A320s to/from FLL and operated Saturday/Sunday.


[This message has been edited by MAH4546 (edited 09-14-2003).]