Lufthansa Group spotlights premium cabins, expanded Europe network at Toronto Travel Forum

New premium cabins, expanded networks and freshly prepared Swiss raclette were all part of Lufthansa Group’s second annual Toronto Travel Forum, where advisors sampled Business Class cuisine and explored the latest onboard innovations against the backdrop of Toronto’s skyline.

Held Tuesday (Sept. 22) at the Globe and Mail Centre, the event brought together approximately 100 attendees, including Canadian travel advisors, airline executives and European tourism representatives. 

Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Edelweiss and Discover Airlines joined transatlantic partners Air Canada and United Airlines to showcase their latest products and opportunities for 2027.

Christina Meakin, director of sales, Canada, for Lufthansa Group, said the forum was designed to go beyond traditional industry receptions, giving advisors direct access to airline representatives and product information, as well as opportunities to share feedback. 

Similar events are being held in Montreal and Vancouver.

“The biggest thing is growing our premium product in the market,” Meakin said, pointing to strong Canadian demand for premium travel.

Beyond the seat: A more personalized journey

As airlines introduce increasingly differentiated premium cabins, the question for advisors is no longer simply whether clients want Business Class, but which experience best suits them.

Lufthansa’s Allegris illustrates that shift, offering five Business Class seating options, from extra-long beds and private suites to adjoining seating for couples or families. 

Its Future Onboard Experience (FOX) extends personalization beyond the seat through refreshed dining, greater flexibility and more individualized service.

SWISS is taking a similar approach with SWISS Senses, its redesigned long-haul experience spanning all four travel classes. 

Five Business Class seating categories, private First Class suites and upgrades to Premium Economy and Economy give advisors more ways to match products to individual travellers. 

Swiss-inspired materials, enhanced dining and a signature fragrance complete the experience.

The investment extends to Lufthansa Group’s leisure airlines. 

Edelweiss highlighted its redesigned Airbus A350 cabin, scheduled to debut on selected long-haul flights, including its Halifax service, in June 2027. 

The new cabin features Business Suites, 4K entertainment and complimentary high-speed internet.

Discover Airlines presented Ocean Blue, its upcoming long-haul redesign, with its first refurbished aircraft expected in spring 2027. 

The new product will introduce Business Suites alongside upgraded entertainment and connectivity.

With multiple seating categories and redesigned cabins being introduced progressively, advisors will need to pay closer attention to aircraft assignments and individual seat products when making recommendations.

Connecting Europe: More routes, more possibilities

Choosing the right seat is only part of the equation. 

Lufthansa Group’s transatlantic partnerships also create opportunities to combine airlines and reach destinations beyond their primary European gateways.

Meakin highlighted the longstanding Atlantic Joint Venture (AJV), established in 2010 between Lufthansa Group, Air Canada and United Airlines. 

Its coordinated networks give advisors greater flexibility when building transatlantic itineraries.

For winter 2026-27, Lufthansa Group offers up to 38 weekly nonstop flights from Canada to Europe, connecting Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver with its European hubs. 

The schedule includes daily Lufthansa service between Toronto and Frankfurt, daily SWISS flights between Montreal and Zurich and Discover Airlines service between Calgary and Frankfurt.

Air Canada is expanding the network with new aircraft capable of opening European routes that previously presented challenges for larger jets.

“I think XLR is a game changer for Canada,” said Ana Paula De Souza, director of Canada sales for Air Canada.

The airline’s summer 2027 expansion includes new service from Toronto to Oslo, Shannon and Nice, and from Montreal to Basel and Dubrovnik. 

The Airbus A321XLR is scheduled to operate the Oslo, Shannon and Basel routes, offering lie-flat Signature Class seating.

Air Canada also highlighted its next-generation Glowing Hearted cabins, featuring upgraded entertainment, Bluetooth connectivity and refreshed amenities, including reusable kits featuring Canadian skincare brand Sahajan.

United Airlines, meanwhile, offers Canadian travellers additional ways to reach Europe through its U.S. hubs. 

The journey begins before landing

Lufthansa gave advisors a taste of its premium cabins without leaving Toronto. 

Business Class samples included muhammara with feta and walnut and crab cakes with lemon aioli, while mozzarella and tomato offered a preview of Premium Economy dining.

Nearby, melted Swiss raclette was scraped straight from the wheel, bringing a little Alpine theatre to the trade show floor.

As airlines invest in increasingly distinctive onboard experiences, regional cuisine and hospitality are becoming another way to introduce travellers to their destinations before they land.

Meakin explained how the group’s airlines incorporate national identity into the onboard experience, from Lufthansa’s German bread culture to SWISS’s regional cheeses and chocolates and Austrian Airlines’ coffeehouse traditions.

European tourism partners extended that experience beyond the aircraft, highlighting opportunities in culture, gastronomy and year-round Alpine travel.

Anja Brokjans, director of marketing and sales for the German National Tourist Office in Canada, highlighted the organization’s return to Toronto with the reopening of its local office. 

She also reported a six per cent increase in Canadian travel to Germany in 2025.

Austria Tourism showcased Vienna, Salzburg, Kitzbühel and Lech Zürs, while Switzerland’s Valais Matterhorn Region encouraged advisors to look beyond the Matterhorn, highlighting Leukerbad’s thermal baths, Saas-Fee’s high-altitude skiing and Aletsch Arena’s glacier excursions.

The destination presentations opened up possibilities beyond traditional European city breaks, from Christmas markets and ski holidays to summer hiking and Alpine wellness escapes. 

For Marilyn Mirabelli of Expedia Cruises in Toronto, meeting regional tourism representatives was particularly valuable as she explores developing group hiking itineraries.

“I was very interested in the various regional booths,” Mirabelli said, noting that connections with local representatives and suppliers could help her develop new group travel opportunities. 

She also praised the airline panel and shared positive feedback from clients who have travelled with Discover Airlines.

Turning connections into opportunities

Meakin encouraged advisors to think of Lufthansa Group as an integrated network of approximately 300 destinations rather than focusing on individual airlines, highlighting opportunities to connect Canadian travellers with secondary European destinations.

The group’s eXperts platform provides product training, updates and operational resources. 

Meakin also pointed to NDC-enabled distribution, Green Fares and optional services, including paid seat selection, as ways to tailor bookings to individual client needs.

For Mirabelli, the forum’s value was in discovering new products, exchanging ideas and making connections that could help shape future itineraries.

“If I don’t learn something new, I leave,” she said.

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