The Executive Edge

VIPorter Program Overview

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:

Fare class flown:	VIPorter Points earned per one-way flight:	One-way flights required to earn free flights:
Firm Class or Porter Pass Firm	375	20
Flexible Class, Porter Pass Flexible or Group Booking	750	10
Freedom Class or Porter Pass Freedom	1500	5

• 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.

Redeeming VIPorter Points

• 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.

VIPorter Membership Package

• 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.

Passports required for USA flights

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

Other Travel Tools

Study says cost of business travel can be higher when booked online

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.

Japan's Entry Requirements

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.

Visit the Embassy of Japan in Canada web site for more information.

 

Canadian passport guarantor policy in effect

Most Canadian adult passport holders residing in Canada or the U.S. may act as guarantors for passport applications.

Under the 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.

Any family member as well as any individual residing at the applicant's address may act as guarantor, provided he or she meets the requirements noted above. To simplify the verification of guarantor eligibility, Passport Canada will use its own database, thereby increasing the security and efficiency of the process.

 

Bearskin Airlines' Nonstop Service Between Ottawa and Kitchener/Waterloo

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 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.

PASSENGER PROTECT INITIATIVE

 

Identity Screening Regulation

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

Current requirements for international travel will remain in place.

For more information, visit the Canada Gazette.