Summer travellers extend their holidays
The Air Canada strike has left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded around the world.
If you’ve been following the news you’re likely well aware that there are hundreds of thousands of passengers who’ve had their summer travel disrupted by the ongoing Air Canada strike. The tone on social media went from “Stranded in Europe? ☀️ I’ll take it 🍷” to “Ok but seriously, how do I get home?” fast, with economy flights from many major European travel hubs to Canada topping $10,000 by yesterday afternoon.
There are legitimate questions that have come up over these last few days that will be the subject of Opinion pieces from the foreseeable future: like why one airline has the power to choke up the whole travel system, or why flight attendants are paid so little to begin with (could the answers be connected?), but what’s catching my attention is how quickly this situation has turned into survival of the fittest. Industry experts tell me Air Canada has taken a top-down approach to rebooking passengers: those with status were swiftly issued new itineraries while those without were, in some cases just hours before their scheduled flight, were left with a version of this message: “After looking at options on more than 120 carriers for up to three days after your cancelled flight, unfortunately we have not found any options.” Hope it works out, though!
I’ve spoken to people who re-booked flights at a steep mark-up and heard of others who are chartering private jets. Obviously that’s not an option for most people, and many commercial flights linking Canada with the rest of the world are still priced at more than $5,000 for tomorrow. My next Air Canada flight is in a month, so if anyone needs me this afternoon I’ll be busy reading the fine print of my travel insurance plan.
The co-owner of Danny’s Pizza has a film premiering at this year’s TIFF.
Soho House has lost nearly half of its value since going public in 2021. The members club is going private in a $2.7 billion deal, a move will let the company to keep its financials under wraps as it continues to expand with new locations. The company has struggled to grow while keeping its promise of exclusivity but by all other accounts is still a massive success story, effectively paving the way for a new wave of members clubs in seemingly every major city but Toronto.
A group of local Youtubers hosted a “person of clout” party over weekend. Unclear how many people actually submitted their social handles to get into this.
CNE food gets weirder by the year. Glitter tea, lobster ice cream, butter soda?
Simons opened its first Toronto location at Yorkdale mall. Hudson’s Bay and Nordstrom (in Canada) are no more, but the iconic Québec City-based chain of department stores has injected new energy into the retail landscape with its bold plans for Canada-wide expansion, which I hope includes a revamp of its website.
wrote a great piece in the Globe highlighting international chains that prove department stores aren’t dead, like Selfridges, Printemps, and De Bijenkorf.Melinda Farina charges $750 to connect patients with plastic surgeons.
A gym that “doesn’t accept everyone” opened in Yorkville. The monthly prices for Altea Active’s new ultra-luxury concept are eye-watering but they sure know how to build a nice gym. Avant is being positioned as a “private members club” with an emphasis on wellness, where members are accepted based on their commitment to excellence among other criteria. When I spoke to CEO Jeffrey York last year, he told me his ultimate goal is to replace the two-martini lunch.
Powered vehicles are taking over city bike lanes and becoming difficult to regulate. New, low-cost scooters and e-bikes can reach speeds of 90 km/h.
Writers and publishers are earning up to $100,000 to write memoirs for wealthy retirees to leave to their families. Companies like Storyworth and StoryKeeper have popped up over recent years to offer self-made memoirs.
I tried the new Italian steakhouse by Rob Rossi and David Minicucci. The experience reminded me of a piece I read in the Wall Street Journal about how steakhouses are evolving to become less about the steak (which was obviously still very good) and focus on what else is on offer. I recommend the seafood tower, radicchio salad, and profiteroles for your next expense-account dinner.