Air Canada Vacations (ACV) has unveiled a series of new initiatives and fleet improvements during its fall product launch events, concluding with a Toronto gathering on Sept. 22 attended by up to 1,000 travel advisors. This final stop completes a nationwide tour that began in Halifax and included presentations in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal, and Quebec City. Each session combined product announcements with supplier demonstrations and performances, such as the dance troupe that opened the Vancouver event last week, where nearly 500 advisors participated.
The most significant update involves a full fleet refresh for Air Canada Rouge’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, bringing the budget airline’s service standards in line with Air Canada’s mainline operations. The redesign features a reconfigured cabin with 12 business-class seats offering extra legroom, 18 economy preferred seats with additional space, and 147 standard economy seats. Passengers will also benefit from larger overhead bins, combined accessible lavatories, seat-back touchscreen entertainment, complimentary Wi-Fi for business-class travelers and Aeroplan members, and expanded power outlets.
These upgraded aircraft will launch on new winter routes from Western Canada, including 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. The rollout begins at Rouge’s newly established Vancouver crew base, positioning the airline to meet rising leisure travel demand from Western regions.
Meanwhile, Air Canada’s mainline division is expanding its international network with an emphasis on off-peak travel. Starting in May 2027, Vancouver will introduce year-round flights to Guangzhou, China, with four weekly departures. A seasonal route to Sapporo, Japan from YVR will launch in December and operate through March 2027. In summer 2027, Toronto will add flights to Oslo, Nice, and Shannon, while Montreal will begin services to Dubrovnik and Basel.
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The airline has also extended its Glowing Hearted cabin design, first revealed in spring, to new aircraft. Signature business class now includes lie-flat seats, along with 27-inch screens, sliding privacy panels, and guest seating. Premium economy passengers will have extended privacy wings, while economy seats gain adjustable headrests, onboard Wi-Fi, and wireless charging.
Key Speakers and Supplier Representatives at the Vancouver Event
Erminia Gallina, ACV’s director of sales, and Marigold Frontuna, GM of sales for western Canada and ACV@Home, took the stage. They maintained high energy with rapid-fire announcements and descriptions of ACV’s product highlights. The two also co-directed the new product presentation for the event. Their coordinated delivery set the pace for the remainder of the session.
Supplier participants included CJ Smith and Winston Chang of Unique Vacations Canada. Rose Siu, ACV key account manager for BC, Yukon and NWT, welcomed travel advisors. Edna Ray, senior manager of regional and global sales for Air Canada in Vancouver, also greeted the group. Facinet Yansane, MSC Cruises business development manager for Western and Central Canada, attended the trade show. Ian Patterson, country manager for MSC Cruises Canada, was also present at the event.