Winter Is Coming: Joseph Adamo & Sebastian Ponce unpack Transat’s “bold & dynamic” season

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.

As the chill of winter nears, Transat is gearing up for one of its most ambitious seasons yet.

The company just released its 2025-26 winter program, revealing a range of packages and tours designed for every type of traveller—from sun seekers and culture lovers to those looking for longer stays abroad.

Joseph Adamo, Transat’s chief sales and marketing officer, describes the season as nothing short of transformative.

“I would describe our 2025-26 winter season as bold and dynamic,” said Adamo, participating in PAX’s annual Winter Is Coming series. “We're thrilled to offer more variety than ever, not only by expanding our flight network but by adding new products on the ground in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, North Africa, Florida and Europe.”

“The numbers speak for themselves – 14 new routes, 402 hotels in the South, 10 Canadian gateways to the South, five updated Sun Collections, including our new Long Stay Collection, as well as over 180 hotels across Europe, Peru, and Morocco.”

READ MORE: Transat launches winter 2025-26 packages & tours, debuts Long Stay Collection

“In other words, we're all about giving travelers across Eastern Canada – and beyond, thanks to our partnership with Porter Airlines – more ways to experience something truly new this winter.”

“And of course, every flight includes our famously welcoming crew and award-winning on-board experience, ensuring the perfect start and finish to any vacation.”

New routes, new Collections

Transat’s winter playbook is anchored by five updated Sun Collections featuring more than 158 hotels, each tailored to a different type of vacation:

• New Long Stay Collection for extended getaways
• Family Collection
• Luxury & Luxury Signature Collections
• Wellness Collection
• Solo Collection

Brazil and Türkiye will soon be added to Transat’s roster, while two new multi-city packages in Portugal invite visitors to experience both Lisbon and Porto over seven nights, with accommodations and meals included.

For those seeking cultural immersion, Transat is also offering 11 guided tours across Costa Rica, Morocco, Mexico, and Peru—each designed to help travellers discover destinations in depth.

Time to diversity 

This winter, Transat is introducing new flights to Medellín via Cartagena in Colombia, which will add a frequency to the flight schedule to Cartagena from Toronto, strengthening Air Transat's presence in the destination.

While there are no new ground products in Colombia for now, Adamo highlighted the ongoing popularity of Transat’s Duo package, which provides a “two-in-one” vacation.

“This all-inclusive eight-day getaway, with roundtrip flights, accommodation, meals, and all transfers, allows travellers to experience vibrant Cartagena before a relaxing escape to the beaches of Baru Island,” he said.

READ MORE: Air Transat to launch winter flights to Rio de Janeiro from Toronto & Montreal

Adamo pointed to a shift in traveller interest toward far-flung destinations.

“We are seeing a definite increase in interest for long-haul locations, but at the same time, demand for our core tour operator business remains incredibly strong. This is a clear signal that the travel market is not just expanding – it’s actually diversifying.”

The strategy has been to listen to clients and develop a portfolio that capitalizes on the full scope of traveller preferences.

“In other words, creating new opportunities for every kind of vacation,” Adamo said.

That diversification is reflected in new nonstop routes to culturally rich destinations like Rio de Janeiro and Istanbul, while traditional hotspots like Cancun remain staples.

Transat’s winter season has also kicked off with a strong increase in advance ITC bookings, driven by a successful EBB promotion and the work of travel advisors, Adamo said.

“We have observed that the booking window for both packages and flights has shortened a bit compared to last year, a trend we attribute to the current economic climate,” he said.

Trends driving the season

Looking ahead, Adamo identifies authenticity as the defining trend for winter 2025-26.

“The primary trend we're seeing this winter is a marked need for authenticity. With all that's been happening in the world, travellers are keen to find a deeper way to disconnect,” he said.

This is fuelling demand for longer stays—hence the creation of the Long Stay Collection—and a growing appetite for novelty and substance, with travellers looking beyond the familiar to discover fresh destinations like Panama and the Antilles.

Transat's non-stop Marrakesh, Morocco service from Montreal is also performing very well, said Karine Gagnon, general manager of Transat Distribution Canada (TDC), speaking to PAX recently. 

Supporting travel advisors

How can travel advisors best position themselves this winter?  

“By leveraging Transat's numerous resources to streamline their workflow and let their expertise shine,” Adamo said, noting that the company has invested “substantially” in creating a comprehensive support system, “because we truly believe in empowering advisors with the right tools so they spend less time on logistics and more time on what they do best – creating memorable travel experiences for their clients.”

The brand is rolling out a range of tools and events, including:

• Transat Academies this November in Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, London, Halifax, and Moncton
• Weekly webinars for timely updates inspiration. These are held on Wednesdays in Quebec and Fridays in Ontario.
• Intuitive self-serve booking tools and a refreshed library of marketing resources

“Combining these resources with a strong understanding of today's traveller allows advisors to set themselves up for success, provide exceptional value to their clients, and ultimately grow their business,” Adamo said.

High-potential, underserved markets

Transat enters the winter season with strong momentum.

As previously reported, Transat A.T. swung to a net profit of $399.8 million in its third quarter, reversing a $39.9 million loss a year earlier, as revenue climbed 4.1 per cent.

Sebastian Ponce, Transat’s chief revenue officer, also unpacked Transat’s upcoming winter program, underscoring the airline’s growing footprint in South America.

The expansion to places like Rio de Janeiro and Medellín, for example, reflects a commitment to “growing in high-potential, underserved markets and reinforcing Toronto’s role as a key hub in our network,” Ponce said.

“Ultimately, though, the overarching reason we chose these two specific new routes is that we are actively meeting the increasing demand from Canadians, including both leisure travellers looking for a new kind of vacation and the VFR diaspora across the country,” Ponce said.

He cites Transat’s dual-destination itinerary to Medellín via Cartagena as one example.

“By combining the two in a single journey, we improve aircraft utilization while simplifying access to Medellín – a city currently underserved by non-stop flights from Canada. This route also strengthens our presence in Cartagena, a long-standing favourite among Canadian travellers and a key Air Transat destination, with an additional frequency from Toronto,” he said.

Gaps in the marketplace

Air Transat, ultimately, is trying to fill gaps in the marketplace.

This February, the airline will be the only carrier offering non-stop flights to Rio de Janeiro from Montreal, and by adding a new option from Toronto, it optimizes its long-haul fleet to a destination with year-round appeal, Ponce said.

“Plus, we’ll soon add all-inclusive packages to Rio, offering leisure travellers a fully seamless experience in Brazil,” he said.

Air Transat’s new, non-stop service from Toronto to Istanbul, Türkiye, launches December 6. It’s another culturally rich destination that aligns with the strategy.

“We’re directly tapping into the growing demand for more diverse travel experiences from travellers seeking something more than a traditional sun getaway,” said Ponce.  “We’re also excited to soon offer all-inclusive packages to Türkiye, including multi-city and à la carte options, giving visitors the freedom to explore on their own terms.”

The Toronto-Istanbul service, combined with Air Transat’s partnership with Turkish Airlines, also form “a powerful gateway, unlocking connectivity to the Middle East, Asia, and Africa,” Ponce said.

Identifying gaps in the market has been central to Air Transat’s growth since its beginning in the 1980s, Ponce went on to say.

“Air Transat has always been somewhat of a trailblazer for opening bold, exclusive new routes,” he said. “Throughout the years, we’ve developed an expertise in targeting destinations with high potential for leisure travel and also family reunions, fueled by the various diasporas across Canada. Cities like Rio de Janeiro, Medellín, Georgetown, and Istanbul are great examples of both types of travel, and some of them weren’t easily accessible by non-stop flights from either Toronto or Montreal until now.”

This winter alone, Air Transat is launching a whopping 14 new routes, “many of which target previously underserved or altogether unserved destinations,” he added.

“This strategy allows us to meet real demand while offering Canadians more direct access to the places they really want to go,” he said.

New tech

New technologies, including artificial intelligence, are also reshaping the travel experience this winter. 

Transat has embraced new tech to improve operations across all areas, including on the ground, in terminals, contact centres, and in-flight.

A key example is the launch of Assaia ApronAI on Air Transat’s new Toronto-Berlin route, which uses real-time data to boost efficiency, prevent delays, optimize resources, and deliver a smoother, more reliable experience for passengers, crew, and staff.

Joint venture with Porter

Additionally, through Transat’s joint venture with Porter, it’s able to offer connections from cities like Ottawa, Quebec City, as well as from Western Canada and the Maritimes, into its international gateways, Toronto and Montreal.

“This partnership is key in allowing us to enhance connectivity across our network in order make our growing list of destinations more accessible to Canadians coast to coast,” Ponce said.

“It’s also a great match in terms of service quality since Porter was named Skytrax’s 2025 Best Regional Airline in North America, while Air Transat was recognized as the World’s Best Leisure Airline for the seventh time.”

“Together, we offer an award-winning travel experience from start to finish, whatever the destination.”

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