Archive for the ‘Airports & getting there’ Category

Toronto's Pearson International Airport has been named worst in Canada. Ernest Doroszuk/QMI AGENCY

Toronto’s Pearson International Airport has been named the worst airport in Canada, according to a new survey from online travel agent FlightNetwork.com.

Of Canadians surveyed in FlightNetwork’s online poll, 37% of respondents said Pearson was the worst airport in Canada. This is up from 28% of votes received during FlightNetwork’s 2010 version of the survey.

Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport was named second worst by 18% of Canadians, while Edmonton International placed third with 10% of votes.

Fifty-seven per cent of Canadians said slow security was what made Pearson worst in their eyes. The airport also received poor marks from Canadian travellers for bad service and a lack of good dining options. 

Vancouver International was named the best airport in Canada, with 35% of votes.

Internationally, London Heathrow was named worst in the world with 26% of travellers’ votes. Toronto Pearson ranked third in the international rankings with 13% of global votes, while Paris’ Charles de Gaulle was second.

(Image: Shutterstock)

Is travelling in an eco-friendly way important to Canadians? According to a new TD Friends of the Environment poll, it’s not.

TD’s survey of 1,002 Canadians revealed that 83% of us have never taken a green vacation – a trip where tourism is sustainable and there is a low environmental impact through eco-friendly transport, accommodation and tours.

Of Canadians who haven’t taken a green vacation, 25% say they haven’t because it just isn’t a priority, 9% haven’t because it’s too expensive to travel green and another 20% admit they really don’t know why they haven’t been on an eco trip.

“While we often think about our impact to the environment at home, our research shows that the majority of Canadians aren’t as concerned about the environment when they’re away,” Mary Desjardins, executive director of TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, said in a press release. “There are a number of easy and inexpensive ways to make travel a little greener, from using e-tickets to taking public transit while sightseeing.”

Canadians are open to the idea of taking a green vacation — if the price is right. Fifty-nine per cent of Canadians said they’d take an eco trip if it was priced the same as a regular vacation, while 39% said they would consider it if the amenities were the same as on a regular trip.

Eleven per cent of respondents say they would never book an eco-friendly vacation.

(Image: Shutterstock)

A recent article from VirtualTourist.com on the craziest passenger flight experiences certainly stirred some conversation amongst online Sun Media readers. Our users from across the country weighed in with their own crazy flight experiences. Here are the top 10…

1. “Toronto to Fort Mac in July, passenger in front of me reclined his seat all the way back for the entire flight.  Had to be told twice at meal time to move ahead so that I could access my meal tray.  But what ruined my trip was having the video monitor not six inches from my face for the whole trip, and being unable to even cross my legs.  Flight attendant felt bad, but said he was within his ‘rights’.”
- Beverley Bell

2. “On an old Canadian Pacific DC-10 out of Calgary back in the 80′s. Completely empty aircraft except for myself, six RCMP officers, and Clifford Olson. He was in the back of the aircraft and they stuck me five rows in front of him. CP in those days was offering free booze to all on board regardless of what class you were in. If ever I needed a drink it was then but I was refused because it was before 11 in the morning. They would not even let me change seats. I was a lot younger then and CP is out of business.”
- Anderson Davies

3. “On my first WestJet flight from Ottawa to Calgary, years ago, the pilot announced that one of the male flight attendants had danced with Riverdance, and if we behaved ourselves and played the games the other attendants proposed as entertainment, he would dance for us. Wouldn’t you know it, 45 minutes before landing in Calgary, the captain came back on the intercom, congratulated us on our sporting behaviour and introduced the dancing flight attendant. Wow, he did a complete Riverdance up and down the aisle of the plane.  I didn’t know the floor could shake that much. Although none of my other WestJet flights featured dancers, they’re still the only company that greets me (correct pronunciation) by my first name. It’s a riot.”
- MyOpion

4. “Flying into Dominican we are told one wing flap won’t close so we will be having a “hot” landing, trust me when I say the refreshments were aplenty when we landed, same Captain took us home a week later…right through an electrical storm, needed another vacation after.”
- c1ndy

5. “A woman with long hair in front of me kept throwing it up in the air and scratching her scalp…she would then make a pony tail, sit for a minute, take it apart and repeat the whole thing in a cloud of dandruff….later I was eating pasta when she threw all of her hair over the back of her seat and I was picking hair out of my food…the lady across was horrified… what did I do?  I pick up the pasta which I now couldn’t eat…gently took her hair in my hand and soaked it in the tomato sauce…then I threw it back over the seat splatting all over her…I thought the woman across was going to die trying to suppress laughing out loud. Funny how people don’t realize there are others in back and in front…. ”
- Tim Devlin

6. “Got on the plane in Hong Kong.  Someone’s in my seat.  Canadian Airlines had double-assigned it.  No other seats available.  So they sat me in a spare jump seat (where the crew sit for takeoff and landing).  Not very comfy.  The crew thought I was a mechanic or something.  When they found out, they brought me the best food and booze and kept chatting with me.  Heard a lot of good insider stories.  When I transferred planes in Japan they bumped me up into 1st class.”
- Al_Dente

7. “Had one women on flight back from Bahamas who decided to do her nails….yep you guessed it nail polish remover and all… that was before they banned such stuff but imagine the stink in a closed-in space… no class.”
- Randolph Demone

8. “Just as we were leaving the gate in Toronto, the passenger directly in front of me freaked out.  He started yelling “Help, I’m going to die”, then got on his cell phone (which was supposed to be turned off) to call his mother and tell her he loved her. Naturally our flight was delayed while they offloaded the young man.”
- alpage48

9. “All hell broke lose on a flight I was on from Brussels to Dakar, Senegal. Soldiers entered the plan and forcibly removed some very angry passengers.  Seems a fellow passenger was crying as he was being extradited back to his home country of Gambia.”
- Teach1984

10. “Was on a flight and I think it must have been a [toupee] convention, all the men had on hair pieces of some sort. One guy went into the can and did not lock the door. Was he surprised when a lady opened the door and there he was changing his wig. I laughed so hard when he came came out he asked what I was laughing about and told him you.”
- torontoron

Flying can be an irritating experience. It’s not uncommon to find yourself on a plane with zero leg room, being squished between two fellow passengers in a too small seat, while discovering the person next to you possesses an incredibly strange odour or is a heavy talker.

Despite the most annoying of situations, though, Canadians remain remarkably polite while flying, according to survey results from a North America-wide Travelocity.ca poll.

“While line-ups, small seats and crammed quarters can be trying, our recent poll suggests that North Americans pack their manners with a carry-on of tolerance,” said Travelocity.ca’s Brian Simpson in a release. “This is great news for Canadians preparing to jet-set this March break. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. Just don’t forget your jetiquette.”

The Travelocity survey revealed 66% of North Americans polled wouldn’t mind chatting with their seat neighbour if he or she struck up a conversation. Sitting next to a pair of overly affectionate flyers? Nearly 75% of North Americans quietly ignore lovebirds on planes, while 20% admit they’d ask the other passengers to stop or have a flight attendant request they tone down their flirtatious behaviour.

There is some good news for travellers who wind up in that dreaded middle seat. Twenty-five per cent of passengers feel this person is entitled to both armrests.

Also on board, 93% of North Americans surveyed said they’d have no problem assisting someone with getting luggage up into the overhead compartments. Roughly 50% of travellers said they’d also switch seats with someone if he or she wanted to be closer to a travel companion, as long as a comparable or better seat is part of the trade-off.

The politeness of Canadians knows no limits. An amazing 64% of travellers surveyed said they’d climb over or maneuver around a sleeping passenger so as not to disturb him or her when they must make a bathroom trip. And, as long as your fellow travellers’ feet aren’t smelly, 50% of North Americans have no problem with a passenger slipping off his or her shoes mid-flight.

There’s no question air travel has changed since commercial airlines first left the runway.

What was once a glamorous journey through the skies, complete with cocktails and ashtrays in armrests, is now a humourless experience where travellers are made to hurry-up-and-wait at airports, pay extra fees for checked luggage, and fight for personal space on board like the littlest sardine in the tin.

Even the most seasoned flier can find air travel stressful and trying at the best of times. While many unexpected problems are out of the passenger’s control, it pays to be prepared. Consumer Reports’ April ShopSmart magazine has listed several tips travellers can employ in their own journeys to ensure the way is as smooth as possible.

1. Book your ticket for the first flight of the day. Early flights are more likely to be on time and less likely to experience delays or mechanical problems.

2. If possible, book a direct flight to avoid connection problems, lost luggage, and missed flights.

3. Choose an airline with multiple flights through the day to increase your chances of getting to your destination if your original flight is delayed or cancelled.

4. Don’t drink tap water on the airplane. The Environmental Protection Agency has reported that water from one in six planes tested positive for E.Coli. Instead, opt for purified water to keep your tummy happy through the flight.

5. Master the art of packing the carry-on bag and skip checking any luggage to avoid extra fees and lost suitcases.

6. Never pack valuables – whether your jewelry or new digital camera – in checked bags. These items could easily go missing with your luggage and it is often an uphill battle versus the airline to be reimbursed for property.

7. Know what your travel insurance covers – from trip cancellation to rental car insurance to lost luggage – before you book, rent a car, or try your hand at parasailing. Many travellers are already covered through work, homeowner’s insurance, or through their credit card, and it pays to know what you’re owed if the worst happens.

- Nicole Feenstra