Airline launches same-plane service from Toronto to Dublin tonight
CALGARY, June 15, 2014 /CNW/ - WestJet marks a key milestone in its
18-year history tonight with the launch of its first scheduled
transatlantic service between Toronto and Dublin, Ireland, with a brief
stop in St. John's, Newfoundland. The flight arrives in Dublin tomorrow
at 7 a.m. local time.
"It's very exciting to think that we are about to take our guests across
the Atlantic Ocean for the very first time tonight," said Gregg
Saretsky, WestJet President and CEO. "This represents a very
significant strategic step in the growth of WestJet. As we've expanded
our reach, grown our fleet and added new products to broaden our appeal
to different travel segments, it's always been a dream of many
WestJetters to one day be able to fly our guests to Europe. Today, the
dream comes true."
Announced in November 2013, WestJet offered introductory fares between
Toronto and Dublin starting from $199 including taxes, fees and
surcharges on all flights in both directions from June 15 to October 5,
2014 - fares which sold out within the first 24 hours. Today, the
service is heavily booked and well ahead of projections, recently
prompting a three-week extension to October 25, 2014.
"The response on both sides of the Atlantic has been nothing short of
phenomenal," said Gregg Saretsky. "With one in five Newfoundlanders
able to trace their ancestry to Ireland, there is a great deal of
travel between the two coasts and we are very pleased to have made it
more affordable for so many families and friends to be together this
summer. This service is about bringing our low fares and remarkable,
people-driven guest experience to new routes and new markets including,
for the first time, Europe."
Gregg Saretsky also paid tribute to the hard work and dedication
responsible for this milestone. "This is also a very proud moment for
all of us," he said. "Over the past 18 years our WestJetters have
worked tirelessly to care for our guests, for one another and for our
company, and that's what makes this day so special. Our people have
powered this airline across North America, Mexico, the Caribbean and
Central America. Today, they'll bring us all the way to Europe."
Alison Metcalfe, Executive Vice President, United States and Canada
Tourism Ireland, said, "Tourism Ireland warmly welcomes the launch of
WestJet's service from Toronto, via St John's, Newfoundland, to Dublin.
The island of Ireland has a wealth of experiences for Canadians to
enjoy on a relaxing vacation - from cities bustling with vibrant
culture and rich history to spectacularly scenic coastlines and
mountain regions. Canada is one of our top 10 markets and is a market
that is set to develop further in the years ahead. We are working with
WestJet to maximize the promotion of this welcome new service."
"We are delighted with the overwhelming success of this new service to
Dublin that clearly demonstrates the significant demand that exists for
travel between our province and Ireland," said Keith Collins, President
and CEO, St. John's International Airport Authority. "This improved
accessibility between the two regions will strengthen both personal and
business relations, and will expose new opportunities for trade on both
sides of the Atlantic."
Details of WestJet's new daily Dublin service from St. John's are:
Flight
|
Departure
|
Arrival
|
Type
|
WS 16
|
St. John's at 11:15 p.m.
|
Dublin at 7:00 a.m. (+1)
|
Non-stop
|
WS 17
|
Dublin at 8:20 a.m.
|
St. John's at 9:55 a.m.
|
Non-stop
|
Details of WestJet's new daily Dublin service from Toronto are:
Flight
|
Departure
|
Arrival
|
Type
|
WS 16
|
Toronto at 5:15 p.m.
|
Dublin at 7:00 a.m. (+1)
|
One stop
|
WS 17
|
Dublin at 8:20 a.m.
|
Toronto at 1:21 p.m.
|
One stop
|
About WestJet
We are proud to be Canada's most-preferred airline, powered by an
award-winning culture of care and recognized as one of the country's
top employers. We offer scheduled service to more than 85 destinations
in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. Through
our regional airline, WestJet Encore, and with partnerships with
airlines representing every major region of the world, we offer our
guests more than 120 destinations in more than 20 countries.
Leveraging WestJet's extensive network, flight schedule and remarkable
guest experience, WestJet Vacations delivers affordable, flexible
travel experiences with a variety of accommodation options for every
guest. Members of our WestJet Rewards program earn WestJet dollars on
flights, vacation packages and more. Our members use WestJet dollars
towards the purchase of WestJet flights and vacations packages on any
day, at any time, to any WestJet destination with no blackout periods
̶ even on seat sales. For more information about everything WestJet,
please visit www.westjet.com.
Recent recognition includes:
2014 Interbrand Canada's Best Canadian Brands (Rank #20)
2014 Canada's Most Preferred Airline (Ipsos)
2014 Value Airline of the Year (Air Transport World magazine)
2014/2013/2012 Canada's Most Attractive Employer (Randstad)
2013 Highest equity score: airline, vacation package supplier brands
(Harris/Decima EquiTrend Study)
2013 Gold Stevie Award Best Transportation Company (American Business
Awards)
2013 Chairman's Circle Award: WestJet Vacations (CPSC)
2013 WestJet RBC MasterCard ranked #1 in Canada (Money Sense magazine)
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SOURCE WestJet