Inflation, flight delays impacting summer holiday plans for Canadians: poll – National
A third of Canadians have changed or canceled their vacation plans due to inflation, according to a new Leger survey.
A July survey of 1,526 Canadians found that 46% of those who changed their vacation plans also ate out less.
Inflation slowed to 2.8% in June, but food prices continued to rise, rising 9.1% last month, according to Statistics Canada. The agency reported that lower gasoline prices compared to last year contributed to lower inflation.
In addition to worrying about inflation, Canadians are also feeling the pain of flight delays and cancellations when it comes to vacation planning.
Delays, cancellations and lost baggage have been the hallmarks of air travel as COVID-19 restrictions ease and the airline industry ramps up efforts to meet demand.
Nearly half of Canadians surveyed by Léger said they thought airlines were unreliable when it came to departures and arrivals.
Six in 10 Canadians who have flown at least one flight in the past year have experienced flight delays, and two in 10 have experienced flight cancellations. Nearly 2 out of 10 of them experienced baggage delays, and 10% of them experienced baggage loss.
Due to the disruption, more than half of Canadians said they would only consider booking direct flights.
According to a Léger poll, 35% of Canadians said they plan to go on vacation this summer.
Of those who said they had changed their vacation plans due to inflation, 43% said they were choosing cheaper accommodation, 41% cut back on activities and attractions, and 39% said they were going for a short period of time. answered that they are traveling to
Deborah Flint, president and CEO of the University of Toronto Airport Authority, said in May that Pearson Airport had hired 10,000 new employees since the summer of last year to meet increased demand, and reduced part of its system. Said it was updated.
Flint said Tuesday that the new hires have helped improve the reliability of the baggage system, reduce wait times at security checks and reduce holds on aircraft.
But this summer hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Over the Canada Day long weekend, Air Canada delayed or canceled about 2,000 flights, with passengers posting photos online of long lines and crowded terminals that reminded them of last year’s chaos.
At the time, the airline said recovery from system issues could take longer if networks were operating at full capacity, and thunderstorms in the Montreal area and the United States contributed to the disruption. rice field.
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