Capes were optional, but superhero status was not.
Air Canada Vacations brought its 2026/27 product launch to Halifax Wednesday night, celebrating travel advisors and bringing them together for an evening of new products, big announcements, games, prizes and East Coast enthusiasm.
Area Sales Manager Atlantic Canada Air Canada Vacations, Marigold Frontuna, General Manager, Sales & ACV@Home.
Bottom L-R: Erminia Gallina, Director of Sales, Air Canada Vacations, Lorie Nearing, Memory Bank Travel, Jennifer Murphy, MACS Travel.
“The superhero theme came about because we wanted to salute the true heroes, the advisors that work 24/7, in many cases to fix problems,” said Erminia Gallina, Director of Sales at Air Canada Vacations.
“This was a heck of a year between the strike, hurricanes and Cuba. We have been through a lot together.”
With advisors travelling from across Atlantic Canada, including New Brunswick and PEI, the gathering had a distinctly East Coast feel. The evening provided an opportunity to learn, reconnect with industry colleagues and explore the offerings of Air Canada Vacations’ supplier partners.
For PEI-based advisor Jenn Gaiger of Travel Best Bets, attending the launch for the second time was about more than product knowledge. She called it a “a gift to travel agents" to connect with people in an industry that increasingly operates online, and particularly the chance to meet suppliers face-to-face and build relationships.
Advisors Learn of Six New Destinations
At the heart of the launch were six new destinations being added to the Air Canada Vacations portfolio: Mazatlán, Roatán, Mérida, Quito, Santo Domingo and Tenerife.
Air Canada Vacations is also continuing to invest in Air Canada's leisure network, including modernizing the Air Canada Rouge fleet and introducing the Airbus A321XLR.
The company also teased what's next, with new Europe and Asia routes that were officially announced 03SEP, including routes to Guangzhou, Oslo, Shannon, Nice, Basel, and Dubrovnik. Air Canada is also bringin back its Toronto-London Heathrow day-tripper, increasing flights to Shanghai to daily, and says its new Toronto to Guatemala City flights will run year-round.
They also announced the extention of Montreal to Tenerife and Guateala City flights to year-round.
Experiential and Luxury Travel
Experiential travel was another major focus, with Air Canada Vacations announcing a new partnership with Intrepid Travel, adding guided tour experiences to its portfolio. The partnership includes eight tours across Canada and expands advisors' opportunities to offer immersive travel.
Cruising is also expanding, with Avalon Waterways joining the portfolio, the upcoming launch of Explora Journeys, and the introduction of the Air Canada Vacations Academy onboard Norwegian Encore, which will host 160 advisors.
“In a world of AI, online booking tools and endless options, the value of a trusted travel advisor has never been greater,” said Sandra Joaquim, General Manager, Eastern Canada.
"Travel advisors are increasingly in demand, especially for luxury travel. They want expert advice, personalized recommendations and someone they trust to guide them every step of the way.”
More Tools, Earning Opportunities for Advisors
A new advisor portal is also currently in development, adding to the company's investment in technology and advisor support. Advisors at the event even had the opportunity to help name the new portal by scanning a QR code, with a chance to win a $500 future travel voucher.
Also announced was an increase to 12% commission on the land portion of ePackages, along with expanded transfer options and new tools designed to help them maximize revenue.
Air Canada Vacations is also enhancing its Groups Quoting Tool (GQT) capabilities and introducing new self-service options and group booking resources. Groups Workshops will also be coming soon to help advisors grow their business through sales and marketing strategies, as well as group prospecting techniques.
Tradeshow Digital Passport
One of the more innovative elements of this year's launch was an interactive digital experience designed to put advisors directly into the action.
Using AI, attendees could create their own personalized avatar, embracing the superhero theme while adding a fun, individual element to the evening. The avatar then became part of a digital “passport” that advisors used to interact with participating partners.
Each booth featured a QR code for advisors to scan, complete quiz questions, and collect points through the platform, and also later participate in a fun trivia game where attendees earn points not by giving the right answer, but by predicting what the majority of the group would choose.
Celebrating the People Behind the Journey
The message running through the Halifax launch was clear: Air Canada Vacations sees travel advisors as an essential part of the travel journey.
“We’ve created our own internal mantra - ‘Customer service is the new marketing,’” Judy Munden, Area Sales Manager, Atlantic Canada, told the audience. “Our people are the superheroes and it reminds us that every interaction matters.”
Halifax marked the beginning of this year’s Canada-wide launch, with two new cities joining the lineup for 2026: Calgary on 08SEP and Quebec City on 15SEP. The remaining stops include Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.
