New AC routes, Rouge upgrades lead Air Canada Vacations fall product launches
Those Toronto-area travel advisors who plan on attending the Air Canada Vacations fall product launch at the Universal Event Space in Vaughan on Sept. 22 should be ready to receive a lot of information about new ACV programs, new Air Canada mainline routes in 2026 and 2027, and big changes at Air Canada Rouge.
The tour operator and airline combined resources to stage a successful fall product launch event in Vancouver last week. It took place at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre hotel, where nearly 500 area advisors were treated to a wave of new product announcements and plans. The Vancouver event was the fourth launch, after stops in Halifax, Calgary and Edmonton. The Toronto ACV event will wrap up the national road show, following visits to Montreal and Quebec City. Up to 1,000 advisors are expected at this final stop in Toronto.
Some of the suppliers that provide product for the ACV programs took part in the Vancouver event, with display tables in a bustling trade show that kept advisors busy for about 90 minutes. Then the proceedings were shifted to a theatre at the Sheraton Wall Centre, where a rousing, up-tempo performance by a dance troupe kicked off the presentation portion of the evening.
Erminia Gallina, director of sales at ACV, and Marigold Frontuna, the GM of sales for ACV in western Canada and ACV@Home, then took to the stage. They maintained the high energy with a rapid-fire announcements and descriptions about ACV’s product highlights.
One of the most significant is the fleet-wide modernization program for all the B737 MAX 8 aircraft that fly under the Air Canada Rouge banner, upgrading the Rouge experience to align with Air Canada standards.
These improvements focus on an upgraded cabin, improved tech and other details to ease the air journey, says Rouge. Plus, it is offering more leisure flying from Western Canada with a new Rouge crew base now open in Vancouver.
Upgrades to the aircraft include a refreshed and reconfigured cabin interior, with 12 business class seats that have more legroom; 18 economy class preferred seats with extra space; and 147 economy standard seats.
Passenger amenities include larger overhead bins, offering the most storage space on a narrow body aircraft; two rear lavatories that can combine into one larger accessible space; in-flight entertainment on personal, seat-back touch-screen TVs; free Wi-Fi for business class customers and Aeroplan members; USB charging ports plus 110V power ports and more.
The newly refitted Rouge aircraft are being added into service in western Canada first – “it’s all on the new Rouge from Winnipeg west,” said one Air Canada executive.
These newly refitted Rouge aircraft will be put to work on a busy schedule of flights south to the sun from Canada for this winter. New routes include Edmonton to Montego Bay, Winnipeg to Punta Cana and Montego Bay, Calgary to Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, and Vancouver to Monterey, Liberia and Puerto Escondido.
New flights on the Air Canada mainline were announced earlier in September, and these were also reviewed for advisors during the product launch.
For example, starting in May of 2027, Air Canada will launch a schedule of year-round flights – four per week – to Guangzhou, China from Vancouver, opening a new non-stop connection to one of China’s most dynamic cities from the Canadian west coast. Also, starting in December of this year and running until March 2027, will be a new schedule of flights to Sapporo, Japan from YVR.
The summer of 2027 will see the launch of new flights from Toronto that will operate to Norway’s capital Oslo; to Nice on the French Riviera; and to Shannon in southern Ireland. And, also upcoming in 2027 will be new services from Montreal to Dubrovnik, Croatia and to Basel, Switzerland.
A common theme to these new route announcements is the willingness of Air Canada to operate the new flights outside of peak seasons, indicating some fundamental shifts in customer preferences.
Some will be doing so in newly appointed cabins in the Air Canada main line fleet, in a program that is bringing “the beauty of Canada to the sky,” says a promotional video. The interior design of the new Glowing Hearted cabins debuted in the spring this year, but more detailed descriptions were delivered during the ACV fall launch.
This design brings new amenities to the Signature business class cabins, including new ergonomic two-metre lie-flat seats, 27-inch screens and guest seating, sliding privacy panels, drop-down cocktail trays, more personal storage spaces, extended privacy wings for the seats in the premium economy cabin, adjustable headrests in the economy class seats, plus onboard Wi-Fi, wireless charging, blue tooth connectivity and built-in tablet docks at each seat.
The glowing hearted cabin theme is debuting on the airline’s new Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft. The lie-flat seats on the Airbus A321XLR are the first ever in Canada on a single-aisle narrow body aircraft.
During the presentation, ACV offered advisors ways to expedite the sale of their programs. For example, a Made for Two program offers up to 50% off for the second traveller booking an ACV package to select destinations on specified dates.
The deal is applicable on select vacation packages to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, Cartagena and Tenerife, plus select flight and hotel packages to Orlando, Hawaii and California. Bookings have to be completed by Sept. 27, for departures between Jan. 2 and April 30, 2027.
In the Photos
TOP
Marigold Frontuna, the GM of sales for ACV in western Canada (l.), and Erminia Gallina, director of sales at ACV, co-directed the ACV new product presentation.
SECOND
Two of the supplier participants at the ACV trade show in Vancouver were CJ Smith (l.) and Winston Chang of Unique Vacations Canada.
THIRD
Rose Siu, ACV key account mgr. for BC, Yukon and NWT (l.), with Edna Ray, senior manager of regional sales/global sales for Air Canada in Vancouver, welcomed travel advisors to the ACV fall product launch.
FOURTH
Facinet Yansane, the MSC Cruises business development manager for Western and Central Canada (l.), with Ian Patterson, country manager, MSC Cruises Canada, during the ACV trade show.
FIFTH
A dance troupe kicked off the ACV fall product presentation with an energetic, up-tempo performance.
SIXTH
The ACV trade show floor was busy, and friendly.
SEVENTH
Some of the 500 agents in attendance took in the busy ACV trade show.
