Sign-up

• Passengers can enroll in the VIPorter program at www.flyporter.com or through the Porter Call Centre.
• All passengers who are registered with Porter, including those registered since the airline first began taking reservations, are members of the VIPorter program. Previously existing customer numbers are now VIPorter numbers.


• Earning VIPorter Points
  
  Registered passengers earn VIPorter Points based on each one-way flight flown. The number of points awarded per flight varies based on fare class purchased:

• Passengers must supply their VIPorter number at the time of booking. Points will be added to a passenger's account automatically once they board a flight.
• VIPorter numbers cannot be applied via the GDS and must be called in to the Porter Call Centre or presented at check-in.
• Passengers who fail to provide a VIPorter number at the time of booking or check-in have 6 months to request that points be retroactively credited to an account. If Porter is not notified before this 6-month period expires, the points will not be restored.
• No credit will be applied for segments flown prior to registering for VIPorter and obtaining a member number.
• Only the travelling passenger earns points. Travel agents or 3rd parties making bookings do not qualify for point accumulation.

• 7500 VIPorter Points are required to redeem a complimentary flight.
• Redeemed flights are subject to terms and conditions equivalent to Porter's Flexible Class, including complimentary seat selection and a $25 change/cancellation fee per segment.
• VIPorter Points can be used to pay for the cost of the fare only. Passengers booking with points must pay applicable taxes and fees.
• Flights booked with redeemed VIPorter Points are not eligible for additional points.
• To redeem VIPorter Points and make a booking, passengers must phone the Call Centre at 1 (888) 619-8622.
• Currently, passengers may not redeem points online.
• Passengers will receive a quarterly VIPorter statement via email. Point balances may be checked online at any time.

• A membership package will be mailed to passengers after points are first earned on a VIPorter account.
• The package will contain a VIPorter membership card and 2 personalized luggage tags.

For tickets issued effective June 18, 2008, change fees have been revised as follows:

• Tango Plus (S, A, L, Q, V, H, B ) : $50
• Tango (T, E, P, G, N, K, R ) : $75
• Sun markets: $75 for one way fares, $150 for round-trip fares
• Europe, Middle East, South America, Africa and South Pacific: $150

Air Canada is taking “the road” out of summertime travel with the return of its Ontario and Quebec summer passes, which provide unlimited intra-provincial flying during July and August for $1,099. Available for sale through June 26, the Ontario Pass and the Quebec Pass are valid for Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz flights between July 1 and Aug. 31. The passes provide for unlimited travel, within their respective provinces, between 12 destinations in Ontario and nine in Quebec, with certain exceptions in each province. The Ontario Pass is not valid for point-to-point travel between Toronto and Ottawa (connections involving these two cities are permitted). The Quebec Pass does not permit travel to or from Iles de la Madeleine. Pass prices include the fuel surcharge and all other fees and surcharges except G.S.T. and Q.S.T where applicable.

Air Canada is implementing changes to its checked baggage policy on flights within Canada, and between Canada and the U.S. including Hawaii. With the new policy, effective May 15, 2008 for travel on or after July 15, 2008, your clients who purchase Tango and Tango Plus tickets may check one bag at no charge and a second bag for a $25 service fee. Tango and Tango Plus customers will continue to have the choice of customizing their fare including obtaining a discount when travelling without checked luggage. There is no change in the checked bag policy for customers purchasing Latitude and Executive Class® tickets. As well, Air Canada Super Elite®, Air Canada Elite® and Air Canada Prestige® members, in addition to Star Alliance Gold and Silver members, maintain their current baggage allowance when purchasing Tango and Tango Plus fares. Baggage allowance for travel to and from countries other than Canada and the United States will remain unchanged. This includes North America flights as part of international travel. Review Air Canada's baggage policy at aircanada.com.

Continental Airlines is introducing a new checked bag policy to help defray rising fuel costs. Passengers who buy economy-class tickets with certain fare types, and who are not Elite members of Continental's OnePass frequent flier program, may check one bag at no charge and a second bag for a $25 service fee. CO's premium travellers in economy class -- Elite OnePass members, SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus members, Continental Airlines Presidential Plus credit card holders and non-Elite customers who purchase certain fare types -- may check two bags at no charge. The checked bags must meet weight and size restrictions or will be subject to additional fees.

The policy takes immediate effect for destinations within the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada for travel commencing on or after May 5, 2008.

There's no change in the checked bag policy for customers traveling in first class and BusinessFirst.
For more, go to www.continental.com .

Premium Security Clearance is now offered at select airports to eligible customers. A dedicated lane to expedite security screening is available at the following airports:
Canada: Montreal, Edmonton, Vancouver
USA: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Newark, New York JFK, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington DCA and Honolulu
Europe: London, Zurich, Paris
Pacific: Sydney

Eligible customers include:
~ Executive First and Executive Class travelling within North America, from London and Zurich, Paris and Sydney
~ Super Elite and Elite members travelling in Economy Class in Canada, Paris and Sydney
~ All customers using mobile@aircanada.com from Montreal

As these priority access lanes are manned by Airport Security Personal, hours of operation vary, look for the following signs at these airports:

• Montreal: Mobile Check-in/Special Assistance
• Edmonton: Fly Thru
• Vancouver: FasTrack Security
• U.S.A.: First and Business Class
• London Heathrow: Fastrack by invitation only
• Paris: Accès no. 1
• Zurich: First and Business Class
• Sydney: Express or E

Executive First, Executive Class and Maple Leaf™ Club members can enjoy a newly-expanded Maple Leaf Lounge in Ottawa.

The lounge offers a striking 180-degree panoramic view, a cool and airy atmosphere, sculptural wood walls and screens.

Amenities include:

• a bar and bistro area
• a Hewlett-Packard Business Centre
• an in-house theatre space
• a cyber-café and custom-design seating for 120 customers

• Bell Access Zone (WI-FI) offering the freedom to stay connected to the Internet
• Lenovo ThinkCentre personal computing systems, including leading-edge ThinkCentre M52 desktops, to allow business travellers to stay connected
• Sony High Definition Television
• Hewlett-Packard Business Centre, enabling travellers to maximize their productivity with 10 workstations and with an array of Hewlett-Packard business equipment including faxes, colour printers and copiers

United Airlines has introduced a new checked bag policy for travellers purchasing non-refundable domestic economy tickets, including flights to and from Canada. Effective May 5, customers who purchase non-refundable domestic economy tickets and do not have status in Mileage Plus or Star Alliance may check one bag for free and a second bag for a US$25 (all figures in US dollars) service fee. For all customers, the cost to check up to four additional bags will be $100 per bag. Previous charges ranged from $85-$125 per bag. The cost to check items that require special handling because they are large, overweight or fragile will now be either $100 or $200, depending on the item.

United estimates the change will generate more than $100 million annually for the company in cost savings and new revenue. This new checked bag policy applies for travel beginning on May 5 within the US and to/from Canada, San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. The service fee to check a second bag only applies to tickets purchased on or after Feb. 4. Customers may pay this service fee at an airport Easy Check-In kiosk with a credit card or at the check-in counter with a credit card, cheque or cash.

Air Canada has expanded its Ottawa service, adding four new markets with non-stop flights to and from the capital region and increasing the number of available seats by 19 per cent over last summer.

Air Canada, through its regional affiliate Jazz, now offers non-stop flights between Ottawa and four new markets -- Ottawa-Washington (National Airport), twice daily, year-round service; Ottawa-Saskatoon, daily, year-round non-stop service using a 75-seat, Bombardier CRJ-705 regional aircraft; Ottawa-Thunder Bay, daily, year-round non-stop service using a 50-seat Bombardier regional jet; and Ottawa-Charlottetown, year-round service using a Bombardier, 50-seat regional jet.

All air travellers from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda, are required to present a passport to enter or re-enter the United States. This includes children of all ages.

Canadians can continue to use such documents as their birth certificates and drivers' licences to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land and sea for now.

Starting June 1, 2009, Canadian citizens will be required to present a valid passport, a NEXUS card, or other acceptable document when seeking to enter the United States. Canadian citizens 15 years of age and under will only require proof of citizenship. Canadian citizens 18 years of age and under, who are travelling in approved adult-supervised groups, may also present proof of citizenship alone.

Passport Canada

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Air Canada has introduced the only daily non-stop flights between Ottawa and Frankfurt, Lufthansa's main hub and Star Alliance's major European hub for connecting flights to points throughout its comprehensive international network. Connections in Frankfurt are simple and fast through special in-transit facilities that enable passengers to proceed directly to their flight without the need to collect baggage.

Air Canada will operate the new year-round service using 211-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft featuring the carrier's new Executive First Suites with lie flat beds, as well as personal seat back entertainment for all passengers throughout the aircraft. In Ottawa, eligible customers will enjoy Air Canada's new Maple Leaf Lounge to work or relax before the flight. Flights depart Ottawa at 7:35 p.m., arriving in Frankfurt at 8:55 a.m. the following day. Flights depart Frankfurt at 2:15 p.m., arriving in Ottawa at 4:45 p.m.

Business travel itineraries booked on public Internet sites (such as Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, and the airlines' direct sites), have been found to average $75 more per itinerary than those booked by a corporate travel agency, according to a study conducted by Topaz International.

The independent research firm serving the corporate travel industry has provided comparative studies since 2001, and in each year, found that agency fares were equal to or lower than those offered through online sites in over 91 per cent of itineraries.

"The five years of comparative airline purchasing patterns indicates that the online alternatives are not always cheaper, but in fact have been higher over the past few years," said Bradley Seitz, President and CEO of Topaz International. There are two primary drivers in the purchase of business travel today: price and service. And, in both differentials, corporations that use a travel management company are coming out on top.

Effective November 23rd, 2007, anyone over the age of 16 entering Japan, excluding Japanese passport holders, is required to have their fingerprints and facial photo taken by Japan immigration.

All foreign nationals entering Japan will be subject to the new provisions, apart from the following:

• 1. Special permanent residents
• 2. Persons under 16 years of age
• 3. Those persons performing activities which fall under the status of residence for 'Diplomat' or 'Official'
• 4. Those persons who have been invited by the head of any national administrative organization
• 5. Those persons who are prescribed by the Ministry of Justice ordinance as equivalent to either 3 or 4.

Emirates Airline has officially opened the first and only non-stop connection between Canada and Dubai. The inaugural flight for Emirates' new three-times-weekly service between Toronto and Dubai landed at Toronto's Pearson International Airport October 29, 2007. Toronto is Emirates' 97th destination on its network, now, including Canada, spanning 61 countries.

Air Canada has announced that it will commence non-stop flights to Spain with daily service between Toronto and Madrid.

The service to Madrid began June 15, 2008, with daily, non-stop flights between Toronto and Madrid using a Boeing 767-300. It is the only non-stop service between Toronto and Madrid. Timed for convenient connections, AC836 will depart at 9:30 p.m. and arrive in Madrid at 10:55 a.m. local time. AC837 will depart Madrid at 12:30 p.m. and arrive in Toronto at 3:05 p.m. local time. The flight is timed for convenient connections through Air Canada’s domestic, US and Mexico network.

Service will operate year-round and continue through the winter with reduced frequency.

The new policy, effective October 1, 2007, allows most Canadian adult passport holders residing in Canada or the U.S. to act as guarantors for passport applications.

Under the new policy, an eligible guarantor must:

• Be a Canadian citizen 18 years of age or older;
• Hold a five-year Canadian passport that is valid or has been expired for no more than one year;
• Have been 16 years of age or older when they applied for their own passport; and
• Have known the applicant personally for at least two years.

Effective October 1, 2007, Bearskin Airlines offers scheduled air service to the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF).

Three round trip flights are offered each business day as well as Sunday service between the Region of Waterloo International Airport and Ottawa International Airport (YOW). Up to four hours can be saved on a round trip flight by using this new nonstop service as compared to the use of Toronto's Pearson terminal and the associated drive to and from Waterloo Region.

Bearskin Airlines utilizes the 19 passenger Fairchild Metroliner, designed specifically to serve the regional airline market, to provide this new service.

Regular one way business fares range between $149 and $339 plus taxes and surcharges. Introductory fares, Senior Discounts, Meeting & Convention fares as well as periodic sale fares are also offered. Participation in the Aeroplan Frequent Flyer Program and primetime morning and evening service are geared to serving the business community who commute regularly. It is expected that the convenience of the Region of Waterloo International Airport will be embraced by the frequent business traveller. This service is expected to be particularly convenient for those in the high tech and financial industry with offices in Ottawa and Waterloo Region.

Air Canada is offering Ottawa and Eastern Canadian residents more choice, including non-stop service to six new Canadian and leisure sun destinations from Canada’s capital. Ottawa highlights: Air Canada added new, year-round, non-stop service to Fredericton using a 37-seat Dash 8-100 aircraft. Flights operate every business day, departing Ottawa at 6:45 p.m., arriving in Fredericton at 9:42 p.m. Return flights from Fredericton depart at 6:40 a.m., arriving in Ottawa at 7:55 p.m. New daily non-stop services have also launched to Moncton. Air Canada has also introduced daily non-stop service between Ottawa and St. John’s, Nfld. These new flights will provide same plane, through-service between St. John’s and Calgary.

Two new winter non-stop sun flights from Ottawa have been added to Cancun and Montego Bay through Air Canada Vacations, each with Saturday service aboard Embraer E190 aircraft. Twice weekly Ottawa to Las Vegas service will continue through the winter, and frequencies will be added between Ottawa and Vancouver (three daily non-stop flights), Calgary (three daily non-stop flights), Edmonton (two daily non-stop flights), London, Ont. (two daily non-stop flights) and Boston (four daily non-stop flights) for the winter period.

From Montreal, Air Canada has added two new sun destinations through ACV, with Thursday non-stop service to the Turks and Caicos and Sunday non-stops to Santa Clara, Cuba. In addition, the carrier will continue daily Boeing 777 service to Paris. Air Canada also increased frequencies at peak periods between Montreal and Montego Bay (two non-stop, weekly flights), Orlando (10 non-stop, weekly flights), and Quebec City (17 daily flights).

Air Canada has expanded its service to Las Vegas by adding year-round, non-stop twice-weekly flights from Ottawa.
Air Canada flight AC533 will depart Ottawa Thursdays and Sundays at 20:00 and arrive in Las Vegas at 22:00. The return, leaves Las Vegas at 23:30 and arrives in Ottawa at 07:00.
Flights will be operated using a 120-seat Airbus A319 which features both Executive and Economy class service. Air Canada new nonstop flights shorten local trip time by approximately two hours in each direction versus existing connection opportunities

Effective June 18, 2007, a new Identity Screening Regulation is in effect.
To board an aircraft, all air passengers within Canada who appear to be 12 years of age or older must present one piece of government-issued photo ID that shows name, date of birth and gender or two pieces of government-issued ID - one of which shows name, date of birth and gender. The boarding pass provided by the air carrier must match the name on the ID.

Acceptable forms of ID include:

• Passport
• Health Card
• Birth Certificate
• Driver's Licence
• Social Insurance Card
• Military ID