Travel on the Fly: BC Parks camping reservations, Expanded Air Canada schedule + more

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What’s happening in the West Coast travel world this week? Here’s a look at some of the top stories in brief, and where to learn more!

Air Canada expands summer schedule

Air Canada has announced increases to its summer travel schedule ahead of the 2023 season, including:

Edmonton to Montreal – Increases to four times daily from twice daily
Vancouver to Montreal – Increases to six times daily from five daily
Calgary to Toronto – Increases to 13 times daily from 11 daily
Kelowna to Vancouver – Increases to eight times daily from seven daily
Kelowna to Toronto – Increases to two times daily from once daily
Quebec City to Vancouver – Increases to five times from three times weekly
Winnipeg to Toronto – Increases to seven times daily from five daily
Saint John to Toronto – Increases to three times daily from once daily

“We’ve built our Canadian summer schedule to synchronize with our recently announced summer international schedule, facilitating connectivity through our hubs for our customers, whether they’re traveling within Canada, across the border to the US, or to our many destinations worldwide,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President of Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada.

Learn more at aircanada.com

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Northern Escape Heli Skiing named World’s Best Heli-ski Operator

British Columbia’s Northern Escape Heli Skiing has won the World’s Best Heli-Ski Operator award at the 10th Annual World Ski Awards.

Launched in 2013, the World Ski Awards aims to raise the standards within the ski industry by rewarding organizations that are leaders in their field. Votes are cast by professionals working within the ski industry – senior executives, travel buyers, tour operators, travel agents and media – and by the public online via the World Ski Awards website.

“The World Ski Award for Best Heli Ski Operator is quite prestigious and we’re very pleased to win,” says NEH President, John Forrest. “People have started to recognize our tours, terrain and snowpack as the best in the world.”

Over the last 19 years, NEH has grown and evolved into an industry leader, with three luxury lodges, the lightning-fast Agusta Koala helicopter (aka the flying Ferrari), snowcat backup for storm days and a culinary team of Red Seal chefs serving local BC cuisine and award-winning wines. With its far north location, near the Alaskan Panhandle, NEH offers big-mountain, deep powder skiing and snowboarding in its 5,500 sq kms of exclusive terrain.

“In the last decade, Northern Escape has really come into its own,” says Forrest. “This award is a testament to our work and vision for where the industry should be.”

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BC Parks camping reservations open Jan. 3

Mark your calendar and set your alarm: Many of BC Parks’ campsites open for reservations on Jan. 3 at 7 a.m. PST.

This year, based on camper feedback, you can book your site up to four months ahead of your desired arrival date instead of the previous two-month booking window. Find a list of campground operating and reservable dates at bcparks.ca/operating-dates

More campgrounds are also being added to the new reservation service for the 2023 season, including Gwillim Lake Park near Chetwynd, Yahk Park near the Kingsgate border crossing and Allison Lake Park near Princeton. All these campgrounds will maintain a balance of reservable and first-come-first-served sites.