The Informed Traveler
The Informed Traveler
Westjet/Sunwing Integration & Exploring Tennessee
The WestJet Group officially completed its integration of Sunwing Airlines this past week, so what does that mean for you, the consumer? Better prices, more selection? Travel Expert Onanta Forbes will join me to sort it all out. Then we'll head to Tennessee and talk with the Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Mark Ezell to get some tips on the best ways to enjoy all the great things Tennessee has to offer visitors.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03:Well, hello and welcome to the Informed Traveller Podcast, a weekly travel podcast where our goal is to help you become a more informed traveller. And I'm your host, Randy Sharman. The WestJet Group officially completed its integration of Sunwing Airlines this past week. So what does that mean for you, the consumer? Better prices? More selection? In a few moments, travel expert Olanta Forbes will join me to sort it all out. And then we'll head to Tennessee to learn all about the summer events they have planned, the Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Mark Riesel, will join us to share all things Tennessee. But first, let's kick things off chatting with travel expert, Onanta Forbes, who joins us each week to discuss some of the travel news and travel trends. You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and X at Onanta Forbes. Onantaforbes.com is her website. Hi, Onanta.
SPEAKER_00:Hi, Randy. How are you?
SPEAKER_03:I'm very well, thank you. We're going to talk about the integration between WestJet and Sunwing. It kind of started at a couple of years ago. So give us the background and then give us, well, if it affects the average consumer or not.
SPEAKER_00:It does. And in ways that you may not expect. And you're right. It did have the integration of Sunwing by the Westrec Group. And they did... acquire Sunwing in May 2023. Now, they've integrated all their jet aircraft under one single air operator certificate. And this includes 16 former swoop aircraft, nine Lynx aircraft that went out of business, and then 18 more from Sunwing. So you kind of don't realize how many aircrafts that they've put together. So now, all customers who booked a package with Sunwing Vacations or WestJet vacations will now travel on all aircraft operated by WestJet Airlines. And as Sunwing and WestJet marry their systems, Sunwing vacations will remain the same, or will remain. And that includes connections to hoteliers like Ryu and Blue Diamond, which they have exclusivity on. And then all clients will now fly on WestJet aircraft, and we will be welcomed by Nexus. in destination. So WestJet's booking reference code will be required at check-in, and passengers will have three options to get this code. So five days before departure, it will be accessible in the My Booking portal of Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations. 72 hours prior to departure, WestJet will send a Get ready to travel email and this will contain the booking reference code to the the passenger or their travel advisor and then finally a check-in reminder again including the code will be set 24 hours prior to departure And now that the system is going to be recognizing all the flights as a scheduled airline rather than a charter, which Sunwing was. So it sounds confusing. And hopefully, you know, with all those three reminders, you'll kind of start thinking that way. Because a lot of people, as you were chatting previously, do their own bookings and don't have the travel advisor to help them navigate. Well, this is true. Right?
SPEAKER_03:Well, this is true, especially if you've traveled and you're comfortable with, I'm going to use Sunwing for an example. Then, yeah, you just book with Sunwing because you've done it with Sunwing for probably a few times. And so now you're comfortable with it. So that's all going to change.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Absolutely. Another change that's going to come is that the baggage allowance is also changing. So before, the purchase of a Sunwing package included one free check bag. while a carry-on baggage is chargeable. So now it's the other way around, where one personal item and one carry-on bag will be included free of charge, where the check bag will become chargeable. So it will depend on when the baggage is added to the booking. So$35 plus tax if the baggage is checked well in advance, like maybe at the time of booking.$45 if it's added 24 hours prior to the booking. Yes. Yes. a really cheap price when you get going, right?
SPEAKER_03:Well, see, I wrote down a whole list of questions here because it seems to me that it affects travel agents more than the average consumer unless, of course, as we were saying, you're a do-it-yourself kind of a booking person. And I seem to recall back when this all first began, the whole premise was WestJet was going to get access to hotel bookings from Sunwing and Sunwing was going to get more aircraft, it seems that WestJet got the best of this deal because it got everything. Oh,
SPEAKER_00:yeah, absolutely. And it's interesting because, you know, this is a topic for another day. And then WestJet sold some of their shares to other airlines. So it's just going to get more and more complicated as time carries on. But while you're on board, you will be, as a traveler, will be entitled to complimentary non-alcoholic beverages like tea, coffee, soft drinks, and snacks such as pretzels and cookies. But additional food and beverage will be available for purchase a la carte. There will be no duty-free shop or onboard excursion sales offered on WestJet flights. And even though WestJet aircraft are configured like Sunring, the Elite Plus seating option will no longer be available. And that actually, one of my travelers have been affected by that because they used to really like that Elite Plus seating. So passengers will now only be able to choose between standard seats and seats located near the emergency exit until there's a redesign of all the planes. All travel, like air travel related issues like flight delays, cancellations, lost or damaged baggage will be handled by WestJet. Sunwing Vacations Group, customer service department will continue to handle travel related requests around accommodations, rooms and meals. So that's where your comment about it affects travel agents more. That's where we'll see it as well. And so, and then also Sunwing, their summer season runs from May 1 to October 31. So some customers may fly out on a Sunwing, Boeing 737 on the outbound leg, and some may come back on WestJet. So, you know, again, so there's, there's, there's little changes that you just might have to be looking at. And, and also you might be, cause they haven't painted every, all the aircraft yet. So you might be, you know, on an orange aircraft, but the WestJet personnel be wearing their WestJetter uniforms, really subtle, but you might notice it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. That was one of my other questions too. Will the sunwing colors be gone eventually? And sounds like they are. They will.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_03:And the in-flight experience, I seem to recall flying on Sunwing, if you didn't have, like, there's no Wi-Fi. So if you didn't have your entertainment downloaded into your device, you're not going to be watching very much stuff because they didn't offer any kind of entertainment. So the in-flight experience, I think, will get better because it'll be WestJet, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, yes, it will. And then, you know, I think they have an agreement with a certain provider that you get Wi-Fi free on board if you are a member of their frequent flyer program and such. So, yeah, so there will be benefits with that regard. It's a little bit more advanced with regards to entertainment systems and such. The seating options will include premium, economy, extended comfort, and ultra-basic across all the 737 aircraft. And so then you get the opportunity, you know, how you could bid on an upgrade if you wish. So that's there if you want to try it for premium. And also, yeah, it's good. I think in the end of the day, you know what, transition always has questions, right? So you just have to go through it. And as you start to book your, you know, even though we're in summer, the availability to book your winter holiday, is there. So it'll all work itself out and it'll be a great experience.
SPEAKER_03:Well, and to complicate matters too, there's WestJet Airlines and there's WestJet Vacations and then there's the Sunwing Vacations group and Sunwing Airlines. So what happens with Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations?
SPEAKER_00:So it will go right, it will, Sunwing Vacations will remain as Sunwing vacations and then there's WestJet vacations as well. Also, there's another entity in Quebec that also, so there is a third entity for our Quebec travelers.
SPEAKER_03:Yes. Well, now my biggest question is, will this cost more? And I know the answer you don't know yet because the proof is in the details, right? But we'll see, I guess would be the answer to that, right?
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. Like for sure, it'll cost more when you're flying WestJet now for your luggage, as we mentioned. But will it cost more on your base? Like, yeah, we'll have to figure out that because of the, you know, it depends on the destination, whether traveling to, the time of year you're going, for the duration of your flight, or if you're, you know, actual holiday package. So there's lots of factors involved. And just overall, you know, I guess the economics of the world right now, whether it's the gas prices, you know, oil and gas prices, if that affects you, if we're going to get affected by tariffs, who knows?
UNKNOWN:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Well, this is true. And I guess it's six and one half dozen the other, because on the one hand, if it's a larger corporation, you know, merging the two together, they have more options. So they can maybe save some costs, which will be handed down to you. But the on the other hand, it's less competition. So they can basically charge what they want.
SPEAKER_00:Right. And there was a recent article by the WestJet CEO telling the government that they think that, you know, airline costs are too high for the average travelers and they're lobbying to see that go down. So even the airline thinks it may be a bit, you know, on the high side, which is good. Good for the consumer that they're lobbying for us.
SPEAKER_03:Well, exactly. And that's a topic for another day. Yes, right. Which we may, maybe we should cover that in the near future. just the general costs of what goes into an average ticket. And you'd be surprised how much the government has their hand in the cookie jar. So I tend to agree with the WestJet CEO. Yes. Good stuff, Odanta. Some things to look, I'm not going to use the word look forward to because we're not sure, you know, if it's going to end up costing us more, but just some changes in the wind between WestJet and Sunway.
SPEAKER_00:Right. So, yeah, and that's it. You know what? Information is power because then it helps you make the right travel decision for you. And that's where, you know, the value for travel agent comes in because they're looking at the big picture overall to see where the best fit is for your travel budget.
SPEAKER_03:Good stuff. Onanta Forbes is a travel expert. You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and X at Onanta Forbes. Onantaforbes.com is her website. Great chatting with you, Onanta. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you. Take care.
SPEAKER_03:This is the Informed Traveller podcast. I'm Randy Sharman. Just want to remind you of our website, theinformedtraveller.org. That's where you can find our contact page if you have any questions or comments about the podcast. You can also email me too with any questions you might have or any show segment ideas. My email address is randy at theinformedtraveller.org. And if you want to get up-to-date travel info through the week or just see a few amusing travel stories and links, you can like us on Facebook at facebook.com on Instagram at informedtraveller or on X at informedtraveller. Plus, you can now sign up for our monthly newsletter. It's released at the beginning of every month. Our June issue is available now. Just go to our website, theinformedtraveller.org, click on the newsletter button, and it'll take you right there. Or better yet, just subscribe to it and have it arrive in your inbox each month. Well, one thing I learned when I was visiting the U.S. a while back is that the state of Tennessee has a lot to offer visitors, from festivals and music to Dolly Parton's Dollywood and a lot more. So joining us now to share all the great things there is to see and do in Tennessee is Mark Ezell. He is the commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. Their website is tnvacation.com. Hi, Mark. Hello, Randy. How are you? I'm very well, thank you. Thank you for taking the time to tell us some about all the great things that are happening in Tennessee. There's so many of them. Let's start here. The 40th anniversary of Dolly Parton's Dollywood. Everyone loves Dolly Parton. Well, I hope they do because I do. That's pretty exciting.
SPEAKER_01:It really is. I got to be there. You know, all of us scrambled to be at Dollywood when we know Dolly is going to be there. And the queen was there. But she shared about how this all started 40 years ago. She had wanted to do this for her hometown. And there had been a theme park there. And they quickly said, you know, we're going to change this theme park's name to Dollywood and partnered with her and to see the really the way they keep on spinning. They've now got a new Heart Song Lodge. It's just incredible. She got to help design it and dream more to go along with the theme park that's got so many roller coasters and kids rides with Wildwood Grove. And then coming up soon, you can also Splash Country is about to open. It's truly a great place that had well over 3 million visitors last year. And we just find people continue to, it's a great value park. But it also has wonderful music and entertainment and rides.
SPEAKER_03:Well, lasting 40 years, it's got to have something going on for it. And I'm pretty sure it probably evolves over the years. It's a lot different than it was 40 years ago.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. Well, and she had a video from her, you know, in that what you envision Dolly coming out for those Porter Wagner days. She was just so enthusiastic. But to see the way that she has committed to her home, her home county and even her imagination library and how she uses the profits to help do books, hundreds of millions of books for folks all across the United States. So it's really special, and it's a great family experience.
SPEAKER_03:Well, that's one. There's got to be a lot more things going on this summer and fall in Tennessee. Give me some of the highlights.
SPEAKER_01:Well, again, let's do some of the anniversaries in the old. First, you've got B.B. B.B. King's turned 100, and you've got B.B. King's in Memphis there off Beale Street, and then you've got the Grand Ole Opry really celebrating its 100th year with a whole slate of extra shows. I think they've got over 200 shows that are going to be available this year with all the Opry stars coming back, and in fact, Dolly came and was at the Country Music Hall of Fame the other night and just reminding people about her original involvement. In 1969, she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and to see the longevity of what they do and yet how popular it still is today really is an exciting thing for Nashville and for us. So we got those on the on what we might call the celebration of some of the things that have been around. And then we got a lot of new things. We've got a racetrack in Bristol. It's called the Coliseum. It seats over 150,000 for NASCAR racing, where they partnered with baseball, Major League Baseball. And in August, the Reds are going to play the Braves in what will likely become the largest attended Major League Baseball game in history. And they're building a ball field and a racetrack.
SPEAKER_02:And
SPEAKER_01:then over in Chattanooga, if you come down a little ways toward Middle Tennessee, in Chattanooga, still East Tennessee, the IBM World of Bluegrass is moving to Tennessee, and they start in Chattanooga this fall. So we've just got a lot of old and new things that One more, I was in Sevier County about two weeks ago. And Sevier County's got all the great things in Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, and Gatlinburg. But someone bought 900 acres in the middle of Pigeon Forge, which was wilderness, and has put in the world's longest zipline. So I got to ride the mega zip. doing 55 miles an hour. It's over one mile long. Oh, wow. And the experience is over two minutes. So it's called Wildside, and they've got biking trails and all kinds of pieces to go along with this mega zip. So, Randy, really, it's a fortunate time in Tennessee to come because you can do some new things like Wildside and like that ball game. or hit the Bluegrass Association, or you can come and do some of the favorites. CMA Fest is about to kick off, or the Grand Ole Opry, or B.B. King's. So it's really, or head on out to Dollywood. Really a fun time for Tennessee, and while we've had such growth.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. A lot of it is music-centered. I think when you think of Nashville and Memphis, and you mentioned the CMAs and those types of things that are going on. But I think, like, Do people do this? Do they go to Nashville, they go to Memphis, and they kind of just hang out there because there is so much to do and they miss out by not going and exploring some of the smaller towns and some of the other things away from the urban centers that would be exciting to see as well?
SPEAKER_01:Well, so true. There is so much to do in Tennessee. And that's what we're so proud of a lot of our smaller towns who have learned how to make sure they're being known. So when you've got those, you know, towns that like a Jonesboro that, has won a lot of awards about how unique it is. It's our oldest town, but it also is the storytelling capital in the world. Or then you can go to one of my favorites is Granville, Tennessee. And it's east outside of Nashville. But they've got the 100th anniversary of their Sutton General Store. But they run a live bluegrass show every Saturday night forever and then they've got a lot of different museums like the world's largest whiskey decanter museum and the lucille ball museum and just a lot of those and then they're combined right by a lake there that has got a wonderful wildwood marina that that is there that that people can enjoy so we got a lot of these small towns or brushy mountain state penitentiary some Mm-hmm. Trail Tour, where you can go to Jack Daniels and Uncle Nearest. But literally, there's 30 distilleries across the state
SPEAKER_02:that
SPEAKER_01:people can go and have whiskey tastings and tours. So lots of ability for people to get what we call off the path and enjoy the And people are doing storytelling and music and some of those pieces besides the obvious places like Beale Street and Broadway and the bigger events in our major cities.
SPEAKER_03:Well, obviously, you'd need a car if you're going to do all that kind of stuff. That's probably the easiest way to do it and explore on your own. If you go on your website, tnvacation.com, there's all kinds of ideas that you can do and you can use that as a kind of a guide, right?
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. Um, and you know, if, if people are going to bring their cars, we say, well, bring your bike too, uh, because we've created a new bike, Tennessee, uh, it's, it's bike TN.com. Uh, and it's in our website, but, uh, We found that really not many states, especially east of the Mississippi, were offering these chances to get out in a scenic route and get on a bike and experience. So our team came up with 53, 52 or 53 routes that are all 25 to 50 miles. And it's done in partnership with Ride with GPS, which is an app off your phone. So it can, you know, at mile marker 10, it can say, If you scoot off right here, two miles from now is a great little meat and tree restaurant, or here's a cool little museum that's been created. It's quickly becoming one of the most popular state-run biking trails. This fall, it's been so popular that we're going to introduce gravel bike routes so people can bring their bikes, or you can find places to rent them, but Also, just take a couple of days out in the country and really get to experience that. So that's been a new program that we've done. And then one more, if people want to bring their car, bring your fishing rod, because we've got truly some of the greatest bass fishing in the nation. And we've created what's called a Bill Dance Signature Lakes. He's arguably the greatest bass fisherman. I think he won 23 world championships. He's 81 and still wears his UT hat and has done a fishing show for 50 years. So Bill has picked out his favorite 14 lakes. And we've spent more money above the water and below the water and turned those into a place that if somebody wants to come and spend several days with the best bass fishing ever, they can come to Tennessee and do that. So those are a couple of ways to get off that beaten path and enjoy Tennessee's great outdoors.
SPEAKER_03:Well, okay, and then food is obviously a big part of any place, but Tennessee especially. If you took me to lunch, what kind of local dish would you recommend me to try?
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, I'm a bar Right. of big barbecue groups that have several of those barbecue places will have music. They're close to Broadway. And so they've got their own music. So I truly enjoy those culinary places. But, you know, there's just places all over that people can come and enjoy, you know, a great meal. You've got, you know, folks that take such pride. And then, We're so excited that Tennessee has joined in a group called the American South. We got to announce this a couple of months ago. You might have even been with us when we did this, but we're going to get to be part of the Michelin program now for the first time ever. And in November, Michelin will announce the Michelin winners that are in Tennessee that are these fine men We've always had James Beard winners. We've always had people that do such an amazing culinary experience, whether it's at Blackberry Farms or South Hall or others. And now they're going to get to be a part of likely being named to be part of the Michelin. So we love some great hot chicken in Nashville and some barbecue in Memphis. But then we've also got some of the best dining for even international travelers to come. And we're excited about Michelin that we'll get to be recognized with those. So lots of fun things in culinary. And for me, my palate's a little bit simpler. So I like those good hot meat and three kind of places. But then we've got fine dining too.
SPEAKER_03:something for everybody as
SPEAKER_01:they say my wife likes
SPEAKER_03:well i do like a good barbecue so you had me at barbecue and of course you want to wash it down with some tennessee whiskey i suppose too right
SPEAKER_01:absolutely we got you know we got winery tours and whiskey tours and brewery tours uh but lots of great spirits to go uh and then you can always get that old uh sweet tea and with lemonade and doctor it up a little bit with, you know, a little bit of spirits.
SPEAKER_03:So like for first time visitors that have never been to Tennessee, maybe it's not a huge state, but it's not like you could travel it in one day. You want to take your time kind of thing and really immerse yourself, right? Yes,
SPEAKER_01:absolutely. And, you know, what's What's fun, and we have three stars in our flag, and that's kind of for West, Middle, and East Tennessee because it's a very long state. It's not a very tall state, if you will. But what I love as a... longtime brander and a consumer-oriented thinker that you can start in West Tennessee, whether you want to do family entertainment with the Discovery Museum. It's a$100 million museum that's been put together with lots of family options and opportunities for kids to explore, whether it's a large dinosaur or antique cars or rides, all kinds of things. And Or come down into Memphis and experience music like Memphis music. I mean, the blues and the soul and rock and roll kind of piece that Memphis was the home of. Or... Come on through, and on your way, you can head down through some whiskey trail kinds of opportunities. But when you get to Music City, you just have a plethora of music options for people, whether it's the Country Music Hall of Fame. More than a million people visit that every year, or the Grand Ole Opry, or all the music of Broadway or culinary. And then as you head east, you've got Knoxville and Chattanooga that take advantage of their outdoors in a really cool way and some new cultural things. And then you head up to Sevier County and hit Dollywood as you then roll into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. And over 12 million people, it's the largest attended national park in America by more than double. And it's just so beautiful, those mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina. And then head on up to Bristol and experience the birthplace of Country Music Museum up in Bristol. So there's just lots for people to do around outdoors, our scenic beauty, around all the different genres of music, whether it's, you know, rock and roll or bluegrass or country or gospel. Then you've clearly got our culinary or our cultural museums that can be so fascinating for people. You can tell we really think there's a lot to do. We're the second fastest growing state the last five years in America. It's because there's just a lot of ways for people to create memories that sound perfect. That's why we use Tennessee sounds perfect because we think we can help them with an experience that will really be memorable.
SPEAKER_03:Well, I always think that it's an overused phrase, something for everyone. But really, when you go on your website, tnvacation.com, you can spend a few hours on there trying to figure out all the things you want to see and do visiting Tennessee.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. And, you know, I tell people we don't have sand, so we're not going to have a beach and we don't have casinos. But after that, we've got more things for a family or for adults to go do in a diverse way than maybe anybody in the country. You know, we've got topography. We've got, you know, just the leaves turn. We've got, you know, big crowds at concerts and festivals. So, you know, we've got a lot of things. Kind of there's a Bonnaroo's about to kick off again this year and CMA Fest, like I mentioned. So there's just a lot for people to come and experience if they want to and do something kind of for everybody.
SPEAKER_03:Mark Ezell is the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. TNVacation.com is your source for all things Tennessee. I appreciate chatting with you, Mark. Thanks for taking the time.
SPEAKER_01:Randy, thank you. And Godspeed to you, my friend.
SPEAKER_03:And that is our show for this week. If you have comments or questions, we'd love to hear from you. If you have a show idea, send that along as well. My email is randy at theinformedtraveller.org. And if you like what you heard, tell a friend. You can check out our website too at theinformedtraveller.org. In the meantime, thanks for listening. Travel safe and be an informed traveller.