Both Air Canada and United Airlines, joint sponsors of the lunch, delivered updates on their respective airlines to those in attendance.
Air Canada Update – Canada Open for Visitors
Bláithín O’Donnell – Sales Manager Ireland – Air Canada, with her infectious positivity, opened her speech to the crowd “It’s absolutely amazing to be up here on a stage and talking to you all… congratulations to you all for coming this year and for seeing through this year which has been really tough for you all.”
“So the great news about Canada is that it is now totally open. From 1 October, all of the restrictions on access to Canada with COVID our completely gone… so there’s no excuse now for any of your passengers, not to go to Canada and experience the wonderful outdoors that Canada has to offer”
Bláithín explained “this is really about you as heroes… you have given us support over the past – not just past year, but in the past number of years and we just wanted to say a really big, thank you from Air Canada … we couldn’t do it without your help and we really appreciate the team members and the team effort that all of you are putting in.”
A few weeks ago, the Air Canada team, helped by their London sales team, called into travel agencies all around Ireland. She added, “We had such a fabulous welcome from you all and our London sales team was really surprised and really gobsmacked by the welcome that the travel agents in Ireland give.”
While Irish travel agents will always give a big welcome, Bláithín O’Donnell sold herself short when she didn’t acknowledge she certainly would have something to do with such a warm reception. She has always been a ray of pure sunshine on a dreary day in the agency. By pure association, I have a utopian impression of Canada, a land of smiles and positivity.
United Airlines – Where Good Leads the Way
Aoife Gregg-Anderson from United Airlines shared the sizeable news that Shannon to Chicago is back. From next summer United Airlines will have a Shannon – Chicago service and a Shannon – Newark/New York service. From Dublin, the airline will have a double daily service to New York, and both Chicago and Washington services too. These 3 hubs allow for connectivity to 200 destinations.
United Airlines is running a competition – with online travel training, the airline is giving agents a chance to win two tickets to the US from Dublin or Shannon.
Aoife also explained, they are asking for agencies to complete a sustainability course in the coming months. This will give you a chance to win a luxury sustainable gift just in time for Christmas.
Aoife ended on a United Airlines video – “Where good leads the way”. This is where the airline is made up of 80,000 hero characters. Aoife continues “We’re on a mission to do good in the air and on the ground. We’re working to make the world a more happier, greener, more inclusive and more fascinating place.”
