Tags: Air Canada Vacations, People Travelweek Group Tuesday, December 13, 2016 Share Posted by
TORONTO — Air Canada Vacations has welcomed Bryan Klompas, a former senior executive at TravelBrands, as its new Senior Director, Payload and Planning, effective immediately.Klompas has more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry, most recently holding the position of Executive Vice President, Revenue Management at TravelBrands, and prior to that Senior Executive Vice President at Sunquest. He has also held various senior roles at Thomas Cook North America, including Director of Business Analysis and Senior Director of Revenue Management and Analysis.In his new role at ACV, Klompas will be responsible for optimizing revenue across all lines of the business, and developing a long-term strategy for future capabilities in work processes, technology and automation. [PEOPLE] Industry veteran Bryan Klompas added to ACV executive team << Previous PostNext Post >>
Share Delays inevitable: new security measures for U.S.-bound pax start today TORONTO — Delta Air Lines is telling passengers travelling to the U.S. to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their flight and allow extra time to get through security. The warning comes as new security screenings for all passengers on U.S.-bound flights begin today, with airlines worldwide questioning flyers about their trip and their luggage in the latest Trump administration decision affecting global travel.Confusion still remains about the new regulations, which come at the end of a 120-day period following the U.S. lifting a ban on laptops in airplane cabins affecting 10 Midde Eastern cities. The new regulations cover all the 2,100 flights from around the world entering the U.S. on any given day.Some airlines said they had received permission to delay implementing the new rules until January.Other carriers who announced the new regulations on Oct. 25 included Air France, Cathay Pacific, the Lufthansa Group airlines and EgyptAir.Both Air Canada and WestJet warned of delays back in the summer. The warnings came soon after the U.S. Homeland Security Department demanded that airlines around the world step up security measures for international flights bound for the U.S. or face the possibility of a total electronics ban for planes, or worse, a ban against flying into the U.S. altogether. The new security rules will apply to roughly 180 foreign and U.S.-based airlines, flying from 280 cities in 105 countries.At Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, long-haul carrier Emirates began questioning passengers about their luggage, liquids they were carrying and where they were coming from. Passengers also had to have their carry-on bags searched, along with their electronics.More news: Le Boat has EBBs along with its new 2020 brochureOn Wednesday Emirates said it would conduct “passenger pre-screening interviews” for those travelling on U.S.-bound flights in concert with other checks on electronics.Elsewhere, things did not appear to be going so smoothly. In China, an official in the Xiamen Airlines press office, who would only give his surname as Qiu, said that the airlines received a “demand” about the new U.S. regulations and planned “to take some security measures, including security safety interviews from today on.”“We’re not going to interview all passengers, but focus on those with a certain degree of risk when checking the passengers’ documents on the ground,” he said.An official with the Eastern Airlines publicity department said that she saw media reports about security safety interviews but didn’t have immediate details on what her company was doing. An official at the Beijing Airport press centre would only say: “We always strictly follow relevant regulations of the Civil Aviation Administration when conducting security checks.” Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations.At Air China, the country’s flag carrier, said it would comply. “We will meet the demands from the U.S. side, but as for the detailed measures (we will take), it is inconvenient for us to release,” he said.South Korea’s Transport Ministry said that the U.S. agreed to delay implementing the new screening for the country’s two biggest carriers, Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc., until next year on condition they deploy staff at boarding gates to monitor travellers.Royal Jordanian, based in Amman, also has said it would introduce the new procedures in mid-January.Other airlines with U.S.-bound flights at Seoul’s Incheon International Airport brought in as many as seven extra staff Thursday to question passengers under the new rules but there were no major delays, airport spokesman Lee Jung-hoon said.More news: Flights cancelled as British Airways hit by computer problemSingapore Airlines passengers may be required to “undergo enhanced security measures” including inspection of personal electronic devices “as well as security questioning during check-in and boarding,” the carrier said on its website.In Hong Kong, passengers described some of the questions they were asked. “They asked me if I packed my own bag, where I packed it from, where I came from, they looked at my itinerary, verify where I was, who I was, from where I came from,” said Fran Young, who was travelling to Los Angeles.Some showed displeasure. “It’s a little inconvenient, I kind of just want to get my printed ticket and then just go inside,” passenger Gavin Lai said. “I don’t want to wait on people to interview me like that. So it’s a little annoying.”In March, U.S. officials introduced the laptop ban in the cabins of some Mideast airlines over concerns Islamic State fighters and other extremists could hide bombs inside of them. The ban was lifted after those airlines began using devices like CT scanners to examine electronics before passengers boarded planes heading to the U.S. Some also increasingly swab passengers’ hands to check for explosive residue.The laptop ban as well as travel bans affecting predominantly Muslim countries have hurt Mideast airlines. Emirates, the region’s biggest, said it slashed 20% of its flights to the U.S. in the wake of the restrictions. Travelweek Group With files from The Associated Press << Previous PostNext Post >> Thursday, October 26, 2017 Tags: Airports, America, Donald Trump, Travel Alert Posted by
As a follow up to a piece I wrote a while back, I spoke to “Jay”, a Captain with a major commercial airline, to get his perspective about his passengers’ fears of flying and if there are things they can do about it. I also wanted to discover a bit more about what you need to do to become a pilot in the first place. Lots of training seemed to be the answer…Q. What academic qualifications do pilots have?Jay: A few pilots have an aeronautical degree and most have a science or engineering degree, but a university degree is not required; there’s a Captain flying about with just 4 CSE passes.Q. You fly with a highly respected international airline – how much initial training did you do?Jay: It takes thirteen months to get your Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL) and this is the flying licence that allows you to be a First Officer. Then you have to complete a one month course on how to be part of a multi-crew environment (how to be and act as a First Officer) and a further three months to train on the type of plane that you’ll finally fly.Q. Isn’t that quite a short training period given the responsibility pilots have? Jay: It sounds a short time, but it’s compressed. There are no university-style holidays or early finishes. During my thirteen month stint at flight school, I managed 4 days off (which was over Christmas) and I was expected to fly on many weekends. Overall it was a total of 18 months during which time I took 46 ground exams and 14 flying tests.Q. How many hours would you log before being allowed to fly a commercial 747 for example?Jay: Generally, when you come out of training with around 200 logged hours, you would fly a ‘narrowbody’ aircraft: something like a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320. Once you have enough flying hours, you can then apply for a Captain’s licence which takes about 2 years and 1500 logged hours. Then, if you wish, you can move on to a long-haul aircraft as a First Officer – but that move would normally take 4 to 5 years.Q. In what is a hugely responsible job, what is the toughest part of being an airline captain? Jay: The hardest thing is pulling things together to enable the aircraft to depart on time: this routinely involves issues surrounding passengers, engineering, loading and the crew – all of which always happen minutes before departure. The other fun bit is when a really tough call has to be made – a decision that centres on legality or practicality and safety pops its ugly head out and everyone just turns and looks at me. When it’s one of those, you have to do the right thing and follow the safe path which isn’t necessarily the same direction as the company’s operations department would want me to go. When the chips are down, I look after my passengers, my crew and my plane, preferring to be late at destination rather than being early into a risky situation. Q. You are highly trained and work in most closely regulated and monitored sector of the transport industry, why are people scared of flying?Jay: The media as well as friends and family have, I believe, a sense of responsibility even before Mr Never-Flown-Before steps foot on an aeroplane. ‘Mega-jet in near death crash’ on the front page of a tabloid, ‘Air crash investigation’ on Discovery and his friend Arthur down the road who recalls his one bad flight in five thousand – all this relish of crashes, near misses and so on just perpetuates the unnecessary angst.Q. What kind of percentage of people are scared of flying do you think?Jay: I’m not entirely sure, but during a delay in Croatia one day I spent a long time talking to our passengers. I took a straw poll and of the 77 we had on board, 12 were nervous! Think of those 16% the next time that you look at your fellow passengers in the departure lounge.Q. Any thoughts on what people can do?Jay: From meeting passengers quite regularly who have, shall we say, ‘issues’ with flying I have found that most of it comes from a basic fear of the unknown. I believe that understanding what is happening is the key.The best example that I can point to is before 9/11, we used to allow passengers visit us in the flight deck. That sparked an interest and a lucky few may have been allowed to stay on the flight deck to see the landing. I used to take some time talking to these people, explaining what was about to happen and why. They then had some understanding and the breakthrough was when they saw it all come together. Watching them shortly before landing, their anxiety levels would always be sky high; afterwards there would always be a relaxed and happy passenger knowing that flying is safe, controlled and well thought through.Q. This isn’t an option any longer I suppose…?Unfortunately not. In this modern day and age post 9/11, passengers can’t be allowed access to the flight deck any more. If I allow someone in (without extremely good reason), I lose my job, and face going to court so I am afraid that in-flight therapy is no longer available.Q. Any other bright ideas as to what the fearful flyer might do?If you’re nervous then there are two other ideas that you may want to try. Firstly, go and fly in a small aircraft. No, forget that, go and actually fly the small aircraft. This is the way it works: all flying clubs all over the UK offer ‘trial lessons’ so pick up your yellow pages and look one up. Book a trial lesson and explain to the flying instructor that you are afraid of flying and want to use the lesson to gain some understanding of aeroplanes and flying. It really will help. And before you ask, your little Cessna/Piper flies exactly the same way as my Boeing – just a bit slower. The cost is about £100 for around 40 mins though prices can vary.The second plan is to book a ‘fear of flying’ course. Professional people run these and they’re excellent since they help you understand what goes on through plain and simple explanations. Cost is about £2-300 depending on who you book through.You may also like to read: Fear of Flying: how to beat the jetset jitters ReturnOne wayMulti-cityFromAdd nearby airports ToAdd nearby airportsDepart14/08/2019Return21/08/2019Cabin Class & Travellers1 adult, EconomyDirect flights onlySearch flights Map RelatedOnboard Interview 2: a pilot on armed air marshals, sea landings & KylieThe second part of our insight into a Airline Pilot’s life onboard, Skyscanner’s travel man interrogates Captain Jay12 confessions of a private jet pilotOur secret pilot reveals the inside story of life jetting A-list celebs around the world. From getting amorous at altitude, to the nitty gritty of pilot training and what their salary looks like, find out what it’s like to be a private pilot.Cabin Crew Interview: life of a flight attendantCabin Crew Interview: life of a flight attendant