ACV thanks its 'dream makers'

“Tonight is about you, our dream makers,” Kristin Erz, area sales manager for Air Canada Vacations (ACV) told the crowd of agents, suppliers and partners at the Air Canada Vacations Sun Collection event last night.

More than 900 guests showed up to the vacation brand’s winter product launch at the Air Canada Hangar in Toronto’s Pearson Airport, which in addition to having food, beverages and entertainment from performance artists Creativiva on display, included booths and activities provided by ACV’s supplier partners.

Guests were also invited on guided tours of an Air Canada rouge aircraft, led through the cockpit and cabin by the pilots and flight crew who were all too willing to explain the plane’s features to those curious about the product.

The theme of the evening centered around partner appreciation while doubling as a product launch, and the night’s presentations were frequented with entertainment and prize giveaways, as well as speeches from Eamonn Ferrin, president and COO of ACV, Michael Friisdahl, president & CEO of Air Canada Leisure Group, Amr Younes, vice-president, sales at Air Canada Vacations and Duncan Bureau, vice-president, global sales.

“This is our biggest program ever,” Ferrin told the assembled. “We have more gateways, more destinations and more hotels than we’ve ever had before... and I’ve found myself reflecting on what partnership really means. It’s mutual trust, mutual respect, mutual shared goals, and mutual success. And really, the cause of our success is you guys.”

The company has experienced significant growth within the last year, which has included increasing access to new routes throughout Asia, Europe, Australia, the U.S. and Canada as well as the introduction of its new services to Delhi and Dubai.

“Rouge has been a tremendous success for Air Canada,” Friisdahl told PAX in a one-on-one interview. “With its competitive cost space, we can now effectively compete in markets where Air Canada had difficult competing in before.”

Air Canada rouge announced its first route to Casablanca, Morocco on September 9th, as well as new rouge flights connecting passengers from Toronto to areas of Europe, set to begin in 2016.

On the Air Canada side, the airline unveiled a new partnership with Chef David Hawksworth in September, as part of an effort to enhance its in-flight culinary experience.

In addition to Air Canada and Air Canada rouge's growth in service, ACV has been increasing its product offerings throughout the year to include cruises to Cuba, new packages to India, and its new Play Collection, created especially for families, all outlined in its new Sun Collection brochure.

“It’s been a team effort,” Friisdahl said of the developments, which are hinged largely on solid partnerships. “Growing from four airplanes to 33 requires teamwork… And agents have been big supporters of Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations, so with a lot more product available to sell, we also hope to give them the opportunity to earn more.”

The evening came to an end with the ACV sales team coming up on stage to shoot t-shirts into a cheering crowd, as more prizes were awarded to the company’s partners, along with promises of more destinations, products and services to come.