Air Canada said Wednesday it would start charging for bigger carry-on bags from passengers opting for its lowest-priced basic fare for North American routes starting on Jan. 3, drawing immediate condemnation from Ottawa. Passengers will now have to pay for larger items such as roller-boards or duffel bags, or large backpacks under the new terms. The carrier will charge C$35 for the first bag and C$50 for a second. United Airlines has implemented a similar policy, requiring basic economy passengers to pay at least $35 for carry-on bags. Canadian federal Transport Minister Anita Anand said she was "extremely concerned" by the announcement. "Canadians work hard and save up to travel. They rightly expect excellent service, not extra fees," she said in a social media post. All travelers can still bring a small personal item that fits under the seat, such as a purse or laptop bag. Airlines have increased checked baggage fees for North American flights, citing rising maintenance and labor contract costs. Air Canada will also charge basic fare passengers an additional charge if they wish to change their seat from the one assigned at check-in. The Montreal-based flag carrier added it will increase checked baggage allowance for customers traveling worldwide on its comfort economy fare, with passengers now entitled to check two complimentary bags.<br/>
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Portuguese Star Alliance carrier TAP is to open two new transatlantic services next year, operating to Los Angeles and Boston. It also intends to connect the Azores archipelago with San Francisco. TAP will serve Los Angeles from Lisbon using 298-seat Airbus A330-900s, initially flying the route three-times weekly from 16 May and adding a fourth service from 26 May. Its Boston route will be flown from Porto with Airbus A321LRs configured with 168 seats. This connection will operate four times per week. The flights to Los Angeles and Boston will run to 25 October. TAP states that it will also provide a Californian link to the Azores, with one of its Lisbon-San Francisco services stopping over at Terceira from 3 June. Its current US network from Lisbon features seven airports: New York, Newark, Miami, Washington DC, San Francisco, Boston and Chicago, while it also serves Newark from Porto.<br/>
LOT Polish Airlines will increase its operations between Warsaw and Sarajevo next summer season, which begins on March 30. The Star Alliance member will add an extra three weekly flights in April and two weekly rotations for the remainder of the summer for a total of seven weekly flights or one daily service. The carrier has so far scheduled the 82-seat Embraer E175 aircraft on all its Sarajevo flights next summer, however, this is likely to change. LOT is a beneficiary of subsidies provided by the Tourism Association of Sarajevo Canton aimed at improving the city’s air connectivity.<br/>
South African Airways is warning that it is not financially strong enough to support a salary demand from pilots, who have threatened to strike from 5 December. The carrier has been negotiating with the SAA Pilots Association, but claims the association’s initial request for a 30% wage increase – subsequently lowered to 15.7% – remains too high. SAA has offered a backdated 8.46% rise. Although the carrier recently posted a small full-year profit of R252m for 2022-23, interim CE John Lamola says the airline is not financially robust, and cannot depend on recapitalisation from the government. “SAA cannot return to the lucrative benefits that [its] pilots have historically enjoyed,” he states, adding that meeting the 15.7% wage demand will “trigger SAA’s decline into bankruptcy”. Lamola points out that pilots “ironically” have chosen to strike on the anniversary of the airline’s entering business rescue in 2019. The carrier emerged from business rescue in 2021. “SAA has only recently regained its operational viability,” says Lamola. “In order not to disrupt this momentum, we are committed to ongoing negotiations with [the pilot association] and to do everything possible to reach a fair settlement that is mutually beneficial to both the pilots and the company.”<br/>
Former partners Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand are back together again in a rebooted trans-Tasman partnership launching December 9, 2024. But Virgin and its Velocity frequent flyers are the winners here, as there are no reciprocal benefits – such as points-earning or lounge access – for Air New Zealand’s own frequent flyers when travelling with Virgin Australia. On the other hand, Virgin loyalists can book onto AirNZ flights on some 16 trans-Tasman routes under a VA flight number to earn Velocity Points and status credits, and will also be able to use Velocity points to book those Air New Zealand flights. In addition, Velocity Golds and Platinums – along with members of the invite-only Beyond program – will enjoy access to the Kiwi carrier’s lounges when travelling on VA-coded NZ flights; for flights from Adelaide and the Gold Coast, “access will be available at the Virgin Australia Lounge, subject to operating hours.” Those top-tier travellers will also enjoy priority check-in, baggage and boarding where available, plus additional checked bag (up to 23kg). <br/>
An aviation industry expert is predicting further cuts to Air New Zealand’s services in 2025. Six thousand customers will be rebooked on services between February and June next year as the airline cuts another 2% of seats in its domestic and regional schedule. The majority of customers impacted will have small changes to the time of their flight, the airline said. The affected routes will be announced on Monday, December 9, but an Air New Zealand spokesperson told Stuff Travel Wellington will see the largest changes to the flying schedule, which reflected the softened demand for flights in and out of the capital. Angie Forsyth, general manager of travel agency Corporate Traveller, said corporate travel bookings to and from Wellington for 2024 had remained fairly consistent with 2023. “In saying that, many of our customers are looking for ways to stretch their travel budgets and see value in their investments. Different industries that have reduced their travel budgets include government and public sector organisations. However, small to medium enterprises are continuing to invest in travel, recognising the importance of face-to-face meetings for building relationships with clients and suppliers—an investment that also supports the local economy."<br/>