Winter Is Coming: Flair’s Len Corrado & Nicole Bursey bet big on sun & the travel trade

Winter Is Coming is a special PAX series that offers a glimpse into the war rooms of Canada’s leading travel companies as the winter booking season takes flight. Stay tuned for exclusive interviews with industry leaders as PAX unpacks what’s new and next this season.

This winter, Flair Airlines isn’t just chasing the sun. It’s chasing a whole new identity.

After more than two decades in business – and a turbulent stretch that put its operations under scrutiny – the Canadian carrier is entering the busy winter season with a broader proposition: a new tour operator, a seasoned team of industry pros and a significantly bigger commitment to travel advisors.

At the centre of the strategy is Flair Vacations, which will officially go live next month ahead of its first departures on Nov. 1.

First announced last year in a different form, the touring arm with yellow-sun branding has since been rebuilt, selling all-inclusive packages that combine Flair flights with resorts, in-destination transfers and destination representation.

For its inaugural winter, the operator is keeping things focused: five Canadian gateways and five sun destinations – Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Montego Bay and its newest addition, Puerto Plata.

READ MORE: Flair Vacations outlines winter sun program, trade-first strategy

But Nicole Bursey, president of Flair Vacations, says the ambitions extend well beyond simply packaging airfare with hotels.

“We’re now a true tour operator that travel agents would be used to,” Bursey told PAX via video link.

A powerhouse team

Flair has spent the past year stacking its bench with industry heavyweights to make it happen.

Bursey joined in May from Project Expedition, but brings extensive tour operator experience to the role, including 15 years at Transat, where she was commercial director until 2024.

She describes herself as “employee number one” of the new Flair Vacations and has since been joined by several bold-faced names.

In July, Lindsay Watkinson, formerly of Transat, was appointed director of commercial operations; Nadia Granata, whose background includes SellOffVacations and Sunwing Travel Group, joined as director of marketing; while Rares Dumitru (Goway, Rail Europe, Kensington and Trafalgar) was named director of business development and partnerships.

Dumitru will build a team of business development managers, with representation planned for Quebec, Ontario and either British Columbia or Alberta, along with agency support coordinators.

READ MORE: Flair launches B2B strategy, tour operator, “Express” option, more bundles & resale option

The common denominator, Bursey said, is experience working with the trade.

“We’re building a tour operator from the ground up,” she said. “And we’re building a team that's dedicated to Flair Vacations. It’s people who have a service mindset and respect the travel agency role in the ecosystem.”

That philosophy represents an important shift from how Flair Vacations was initially presented last year.

The original concept, a collab with HBX Group (parent company of Bedsonline), directed customers to a third-party platform that packaged hotels with flights.

That arrangement is no longer Flair Vacations said Bursey, who is now contracting directly with hoteliers and overseeing a product lineup.

“We want to be a good value proposition to Canadian travellers,” she said.

But value, Bursey stressed, doesn’t necessarily mean budget hotels.

“The first hotels that sent us contracts to sign, and the ones who welcomed us with open arms, were all five-star hotels,” she shared.

As for Flair Vacations’ first winter, it’s all about all-inclusive sun, served in a way Canadians know best.

Every vacation package will include the flight, in-destination transfers, access to in-destination representation, and the resort itself.

Packages will also include a carry-on bag, checked bag and credit card fees.

“We want to align with – and, wherever possible, outperform – what others in the market are offering,” Bursey said.

Advisors at the centre

Perhaps the biggest departure from Flair’s past is how aggressively the company is courting travel advisors.

Bursey expects the “vast majority” of Flair Vacations sales to come through the trade.

READ MORE: Flair expands travel trade reach with SIREV launch

“That's where we're spending our money,” she said. “Our focus is supporting travel advisors.”

Consumer marketing, like radio advertising, will still play a role. But Bursey says the messaging will encourage travellers to use a travel advisor.

Flair Vacations is bookable through SoftVoyage, while a planned “Flair Vacations Vault” will give advisors access to webinars, training materials and other resources.

The company has also launched a private Facebook group for advisors called the Flair Vacations Exchange.

B2B shift is “long overdue”

On the airline side, Flair is making a similar B2B push.

Flights are now available through SIREV, opening Flair inventory to thousands of Canadian travel advisors through a channel that historically wasn’t part of the distribution strategy.

To mark the launch, Flair is paying advisors seven per cent commission on eligible base fares booked through the platform until Dec. 31, 2026.

For Flair Airlines CEO Len Corrado, who joined the airline in February after previously serving as president of Sunwing Airlines, which is now merged into WestJet, the B2B shift is “long overdue.”

“When I broke into the industry in 1985, someone told me how travel agents were disappearing,” Corrado told PAX during a separate video call.

“In 2026, travel agents have gotten smarter and more professional. They have a bigger network. They're valued by consumers. For a customer who's paying with their own credit card, they're going to that expertise.”

The trade is key to being successful, Corrado said. “And it's the key to building loyalty.”

“You can talk about loyalty programs all you want, but if that trade group doesn't want to work with you, it doesn't matter what you do.”

Flying Forward

The strategy fits into “Flair FWD,” a customer-focused platform announced in spring 2025 to improve the overall Flair experience.

Changes announced under that banner have included redesigned fare bundles, in-seat ordering, a ticket resale program and Flair Express, which gives passengers who purchase a carry-on bag access to dedicated check-in lines and priority boarding.

Corrado also describes Flair not as an ultra-low-cost carrier, but as a “value carrier.”

“I don't believe in ultra-low-cost carriers working in Canada,” he said. “We’re trying to be Canada's leading value carrier. We’re always going to endeavour to offer the best price in the marketplace and the most options.”

The airline currently operates 20 aircraft – 18 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and two Boeing 737-800s, with acid-green detailing – with a 21st aircraft coming soon.

And Flair Vacations will increasingly influence how those aircraft are deployed.

Bursey says the expectation, in the long run, is that the majority of seats on Flair’s vacation routes will eventually be filled by Flair Vacations customers, while future aircraft additions will be positioned, in part, around the needs of the tour operator.

“There are a lot of synergies, but the growth is really on Flair Vacations,” she said.

For Corrado, vacations also solve a seasonal puzzle by allowing Flair to deploy its fleet differently during winter when domestic demand traditionally contracts.

“It gives us some seasonal balance [and] an equilibrium year-round,” he said.

Betting on the south

Flair isn’t exactly new to the sun market.

Corrado says the airline already carries roughly half a million passengers south annually, out of approximately 4.2 million to 4.3 million total passengers.

This winter, the idea is to leverage that existing flying and attach a more comprehensive vacation product to it.

READ MORE: Flair lands $76M federal lifeline as jet fuel costs soar

Puerto Plata in the northern Dominican Republic, for one, may be particularly important this season as Cuba, traditionally one of the strongest value destinations for Canadians, remains out of play due to jet fuel shortages brought on by U.S. sanctions.

Bursey sees Puerto Plata from Toronto and Montreal as an obvious alternative to Cuba, although she cautions that available hotel inventory is limited.

“There is no great replacement for Cuba. Quite honestly,” she said. “But with our overall structure, even destinations like Punta Cana and Cancun can still have a value element.”

Flair, by the way, has regulatory approval to fly to Cuba, and both executives say the airline intends to enter the market when conditions allow.

“We'll be ready for Cuba as soon as the island is ready,” Bursey said.

Is 21 aircraft enough?

Another question is likely to be top of mind for travel advisors this season: does Flair have enough aircraft to support a growing tour operator, particularly when Canadian winter weather wreaks havoc on schedules?

Bursey acknowledged that it isn’t a massive fleet, but argued that how Flair deploys those aircraft is important.

Flair takes advantage of its domestic and other overnight flying to position vacation departures in what she called a “beautiful sweet spot” between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Fleet commonality also helps, Bursey added. With Flair’s aircraft similarly sized, an equipment swap doesn’t carry the same risk of replacing a larger aircraft with one that cannot accommodate all booked passengers.

Corrado, meanwhile, said Flair has deliberately built flexibility into its network to help the airline recover when operations are disrupted.

“We have 20 airplanes now, 21 shortly, and we're growing that fleet,” he said. “We also have a network of subservice providers that we count on. We plan the network so there is some resilience in the day to recover from.”

But when a major Canadian snowstorm hits, Corrado believes fleet size only goes so far.

“In a major snowstorm, you could have 100 airplanes, or you could have 20 airplanes. When Canada shuts down, it shuts down,” he said.

The trust question

Trust is central to Flair’s winter strategy – a priority both executives acknowledged.

And the airline has some numbers to show it is making progress.

Over the past year, Flair’s net promoter score has climbed, Corrado said, while on-time performance has also improved – two metrics the executives pointed to as signs of a more reliable experience for travellers.

“People forget we’re 21 years old. For all the bumps and bruises, we're still here with a 99.37 per cent completion factor and a 78 per cent on-time. There's a reason to trust the product and we're going to stand behind it,” he said.

The Flair being pitched to advisors today is a company trying to put distance between itself and the negative headlines that surrounded the airline during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Canadian Transportation Agency’s 2022 review of its ownership structure and the seizure of four aircraft by lessors over unpaid lease payments in 2023.

Asked whether this is a “new” Flair, Bursey didn’t hesitate.

“It is. Under Len’s leadership, 100 per cent,” she said. “Around here, we say ‘Flair forward’ [stylized as FWD]. It’s about bringing Flair into a new age.”

Corrado is equally direct about the work ahead.

“We keep hearing trust, trust, trust, and so we're focused on improving our product selection, making it easier to use with technology, increasing our call centre bench strength, and making sure we’re bringing value to the consumer,” he said.

For Bursey, winning over advisors will require more than marketing.

Flair Vacations has already appeared at ACTA’s Summits, with more industry events planned.

Its BDMs will be tasked with staying visible in the marketplace, while the company says its support structure will emphasize human interaction rather than relying solely on technology.

“We’re not planning on using technology to replace human interaction,” Bursey said. “The least we can do is pick up the phone or answer an email when people reach out to us.”

Ultimately, trust will depend on delivery, she said.

“We're building pillars around it, but ultimately we need to deliver on what we promise.”

“Are you creating Sunwing 2.0?”

The expansion comes at a challenging time for Canadian aviation and tour operators.

As it has been widely publicized, rising jet fuel prices have increased costs across the sector.

The federal government, as previously reported, recently approved $76 million in emergency financial aid for Flair as soaring fuel prices, driven by conflict in the Middle East, apply industry-wide pressure.

Flair, like many, has introduced fuel surcharges and is looking throughout its operation for efficiencies.

“[Fuel prices] increased 73 per cent in what amounts to 35 per cent of our operating costs,” Corrado shared.

On that $76 million-dollar lifeline Flair received: “We applaud the government for wanting to keep the industry competitive,” he said.

“Competition is good for Canada. It keeps prices realistic. It gives consumers options.”

Not all Canadian airlines support government loans, mind you, but Corrado argues that a 73 per cent increase in costs, overnight, is “hard to swallow.”

“Margins are not that high in this business, so it's a challenge,” he said. “It’s not much different than some of the tariff protections the government had to put in for various industries.”

“We've been drawn into a challenging environment that we didn't pick, and [the government] is trying to make sure Canadians still have options when they travel. So, I applaud them for that.”

At the same time, Flair is pushing forward with its biggest trade investment yet.

For Corrado, that means taking lessons from his decades in aviation without attempting to recreate his previous companies.

“People ask me, ‘Are you creating Sunwing 2.0?’ No, I'm not,” he said.

Instead, he points to British leisure carrier Jet2 as a model worth watching – particularly its combination of airline and vacation operations and its emphasis on the emotional side of travel.

For Flair, the next test will be proving that strategy in the Canadian market.

Bursey believes her team’s industry experience can open doors with advisors, agency leaders and hotel partners (the brands will be unveiled soon).

Meanwhile, Corrado believes Flair’s value proposition, expanded trade relationships and vacation business can give the airline a more balanced foundation.

But both agree that advisors won’t be won over by promises alone.

“The proof will be in the pudding,” Corrado said. “I can promise a million things, but unless we deliver them and they see it firsthand, it's going to be hard to establish that trust.”

Don’t assume & stay engaged

Both Bursey and Corrado have sales advice for travel advisors navigating a season that will bring new products, shifting demand and another competitor into Canada’s vacation-package scene.

For Bursey, it starts with resisting the temptation to assume what a client wants based solely on price.

“My top tip is to not make assumptions. Don't assume that you know what your customer is looking for until you have that in-depth conversation with them. Listen to the hidden cues,” she said.

Corrado’s advice is similarly straightforward.

“Stay informed, stay aware, engage directly, and ask for what you need,” he said.

Winter is coming, and for Flair, that engagement will have to work both ways.

After years spent largely outside the traditional travel agency ecosystem, the airline is now asking advisors to take another look: this time, with a tour operator, a seasoned team, and a promise of greater support behind it.

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.