airline

NOT all airlines are created equally. Which ones are worth splashing your hard earned cash on? That depends where you’re heading.

Last year Air Canada was named the best airline in North America by Skytrax, pipping mega rivals like Delta, United and JetBlue to the post.

Referred to by aviation geeks as ‘The Oscars of travel’, a Skytrax award is certainly an accolade to boast about.

And this carrier has several under its belt for 2025, including Best Cabin Crew in Canada & North America and Best Business Class Lounge Dining in not just this region but the entire world.

This is something I can attest to. 

The airline only has two of these luxury Signature Suite lounges: one in Vancouver and one in Toronto, which took home the golden title. 

While I haven’t dined in the award-winning Toronto lounge, I have been to its sister lounge – and my word, I ate (and drank) very well indeed.

So well, in fact, that I turned down my evening meal on the nine-hour flight home, even in business class where dinners are served with miniature dressings for your side salad, followed by fancy cheese platters.

I was still too full from my lobster tortellini, which had been so elegantly decorated with dill fronds and droplets of orange oil that it looked like it had been plated in a Michelin-star kitchen as opposed to a clinical airport.

The airline lounge’s head chef, David Hawksworth, certainly knows his game.

I washed dinner back with a Smoking Daisy, a deep purple cocktail made with mezcal, lime and hibiscus. And then another – this time a West Coast Trail, made with honeyed whisky, mezcal and rosemary – all while soaking up views of aircraft taxi’ing across the tarmac.

Generally speaking, you have to be travelling in business class to enjoy this luxurious lounge.

So, how does the on board experience compare?

The Signature Class seats may not have taken home a trophy at the travel Oscars – Best Business Class Seat went to Qatar Airways – but they do elevate the overall experience.

I’m very lucky to be able to say I’ve flown in business class with several airlines, including the aforementioned Qatar Airways.

And while Air Canada’s pods don’t have sliding doors for privacy, like some others, they do still feel cosy and comfortable.

Ample space was the first thing that stood out to me.

I’m above average height for a female Brit, at 5’7, and I still couldn’t reach the footstool with my tippy toes unless adjusting the seat into a more relaxed position. Big tick for leg room. 

There’s plenty of storage too, and charging ports in convenient places, as with most airlines.

Not every airline has massage tools integrated into the chair, though, and this is a big plus for Air Canada, in my opinion. 

When you’re stuck on a long haul journey, massage features offer light respite and the slow and gentle pressure on my lumbar spine was an extra touch I didn’t know I needed. 

The ultra-plump pillow helps with comfort, too.

If I were to be really analytical, Air Canada’s pillow is definitely larger and softer than others, offering a decent amount of support. Another big tick.

So what about the amenity kits?

Some travellers believe that this is the best part of flying in a fancier cabin class and those of that opinion won’t be disappointed with the Signature Class pod.

Kits come with luxury Acqua di Parma toiletries, including a heavily-scented hand cream and lip balm, plus the usual eyemask, ear plugs and tooth brush.

The food was of a good standard too. On my flight from London, I tucked into well-seasoned prawns, with a lemon wedge for drizzling, followed by fish with a wonderfully-crispy skin (don’t ask me how they manage that in a microwave-style oven at 38,000 ft!).

The star of the show was the Biscoff tart, though. Caramel-like and deliciously gooey.

I had an easy time kicking back and relaxing post meal.

Despite being a bit of a fusspot when it comes to plane TV, I was pleasantly surprised by the great and varied selection of genres, shows and blockbuster movies.

I fell asleep watching a Christmas classic on a rather comfy flat bed.

It may not have been the widest of business class seats, but the padded seat cover (that acts as a slim sort of mattress) was foamier than others and came with an elasticated edge, meaning it stayed securely on my seat, rather than move around each time you roll over. One final big tick.

So, what really makes Air Canada sing?

It’s lounges, for sure. I’m still dreaming of that lobster pasta.

A MAJOR airline has confirmed it is axing all long-haul flights from a UK airport – starting next month.

The airline will cancel its long-haul transatlantic routes to the US and the Caribbeans.

Aer Lingus will stop flying from Manchester to New York JFK from February 23.

The operator will then cease its flights to Orlando and Barbados from March 31.

In order to re-accommodate impacted passengers who were scheduled to travel to the Caribbean island from Manchester, the airline will run a service from Dublin to Barbados in April and May.

The affected customers have already been contacted and given options for a refund or rebooking.

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The airline said that the developments will not affect Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional services between Ireland and Manchester.

A spokesperson told The Sun:

An airline spokesperson told The Sun: “Aer Lingus informed staff and their representatives at its Manchester base today that the airline’s Manchester transatlantic operations will fully cease as of and from 31st March 2026.

“Manchester-New York operations will cease from 23rd February 2026 and Aer Lingus plans to operate a service from Dublin to Barbados (subject to receipt of necessary approvals) during the months of April and May to reaccommodate affected customers.

“There is no impact to Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional (Emerald Airlines) flights between Manchester and Ireland. Customers are being informed directly of the cancellation of flights and provided with reaccommodation and refund options.

“Aer Lingus will continue to engage with staff representative groups to discuss the phased reduction in operations, redeployment opportunities and the terms of a severance package at the Manchester Base.

“Aer Lingus acknowledges that this is a very difficult time for colleagues based in Manchester and will seek to ensure that colleagues are kept informed and supported as discussions evolve during the next phase of the consultation.”

In the past, the airline has said that its long-haul routes from Manchester had an operating margin that “significantly lags behind” that of Ireland.

About 200 employees at the base, which Aer Lingus launched in 2021, could be impacted if the closure goes ahead.

The airline – known for its no frills, low-budget style – has cited higher taxes and airport fees as the reason behind some of its schedule and route changes

Ryanair is making some big changes to its European network of routes in 2026 by exiting some airports entirely – including closing all flights to the ‘Hawaii of Europe’.

The budget-friendly airline, established in 1985, is reportedly going to close bases at various airports and quietly axe some routes at others, meaning travellers might not know which destinations are no longer available until they try to book.

Its biggest withdrawals are happening in the Azores region of Portugal – known as the ‘Hawaii of Europe’ – and the Asturias region of Spain, where all flights are being stopped completely.

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The Azores closure is effective from 29 March 2026 and will affect approximately 400,000 passengers a year, leaving fewer non-stop options and creating higher average prices. The airline has cited higher airport fees and air traffic control (ATC) charges for the change.

Speaking about the removal of the Azores route, Jason McGuinness, Ryanair’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are disappointed that the French airport monopoly ANA continues to raise Portuguese airport fees to line its pockets at the expense of Portuguese tourism and jobs, particularly on the Portuguese islands. As a direct result of these rising costs, we have been left with no alternative other than to cancel all Azores flights from March 29, 2026, onwards and relocate this capacity to lower cost airports elsewhere in the extensive Ryanair Group network across Europe.”

In addition to the full removal of services in some places, Ryanair routes will also remain closed at Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig/Halle airports in Germany and Maastricht Aachen in the Netherlands. The German market will see a reduction of almost 800,000 Ryanair seats – for the Winter 2025/2026 schedule. Other airports have already seen reductions including Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Memmingen and Frankfurt-Hahn. Ryanair has blamed air traffic control and security fees, as well as aviation taxes.

Such taxes are, partially, in place to account for the devastating climate impact of flying, which is much more polluting than travel via train.

Further changes in Ryanair services have been billed by the company as ‘capacity changes’ and have been confirmed by airport operators, regional governments and media instead of being announced by the airline itself.

These include a number of changes to various Spanish regions such as Vigo – where services with end at the start of 2026 – Santiago de Compostela – where Ryanair has closed its base ad sharply reduced its routes – Tenerife North – where services were halted in winter 25/26 and have yet to be reinstated – and Jerez and Valladolid – where operations ended in earlier cuts to Spanish regional routes that will continue into 2026.

France will also be affected, as Ryanair suspended all flights to Brive and Strasbourg in winter 25/26 and is expected to continue suspending them into 2026. A partial comeback is expected at Bergerac in summer 2026.

Even airports where Ryanair will remain will not be exempt from some route cuts. From Cork Airport in Ireland, Ryanair plans to end routes to Poznań, Gdańsk, and Rome in March 2026. In Belgium, the airline will cut around 20 routes and one million seats from Brussels and Charleroi in winter 26/27, but has warned that the reductions could start in April 2026 if higher taxes are brought in.

Passengers should also expect multiple route cuts across Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia, which will affect airports including Banja Luka, Niš, Zadar, and Rijeka.

Ryanair claims it is not giving up on popular European destinations but is simply trying to find areas where government policy and airport charges are compatible with its low-cost model.

Passenges may not be too badly impacted by the route cuts. Rival airlines such as Vueling, Binter, Iberia and Wizz Air have all stepped into the gaps left by Ryanair.