“A tremendous opportunity”: Nicole Bursey named president of Flair Vacations

Nicole Bursey has been named president of Flair Vacations, the company announced Thursday (May 7).  

The move marks a “a significant step” in the expansion of Flair’s vacation business and its long-term vision for growth in the leisure travel space, reads a press release.

Bursey brings more than three decades of expertise spanning vacation retail, distribution, commercial strategy, sales leadership, and partner development to the role.

Beyond her leadership experience, she has also contributed to industry advocacy and governance through her involvement with the Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) and as a Board Director for the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO).

She joins Flair from Project Expedition, where she was head of Canada agency sales. 

Bursey also previously worked at Transat for 15 years. She was the company’s commercial director until October 2024, at which point Transat consolidated its tour operator activities.

“Nicole brings exceptional depth of experience and credibility across the travel industry,” said Len Corrado, CEO of Flair Airlines, in a release. “She understands this business deeply, from commercial strategy to the relationships and experiences that build trust with travellers. Bringing someone of Nicole’s calibre into the organization reflects both the momentum behind Flair Vacations and the future we’re building.”

“I’m incredibly excited"

As president of Flair Vacations, Bursey will lead the next phase of growth for the business as Flair continues expanding its vacation offerings, strengthening industry partnerships, and creating more seamless travel experiences for Canadians.

“I’m incredibly excited to join Flair at this stage in its evolution,” said Bursey. “Travel is about experiences that stay with people for years to come, and there’s a tremendous opportunity to build vacation experiences that are connected to what travellers value most today.”

“Flair has built strong momentum, and I’m looking forward to helping shape the next chapter of Flair Vacations alongside a passionate team and valued industry partners who will play an important role in our development.”

“Travel is personal, and the best vacation experiences are built around what matters the most to people,” Corrado added. “Nicole brings a strong understanding of both the commercial side of the business and the traveller experience itself.”

Enter Flair Vacations

“Flair Vacations” is a new vacation packages platform, developed by Flair Airlines, that officially launched in January of this year.

It allows customers to book flights and hotels together in one seamless booking experience.

Flair Vacations, which was first announced at the airline’s “Flair FWD” launch in Toronto last fall, is delivered through a partnership with HBX Group (parent company of Bedsonline), a B2B travel technology marketplace, and Onlinetravel.

As previously reported, Flair now has a travel agency portal, which went live in October, as part of a newly-launched B2B strategy.

The platform offers travel advisors some flexibility when booking Flair flights. Agents can, for example, change a client’s name up to 48 hours before take-off and modify a reservation up to seven days from the departure date.

In a statement to PAX earlier this year, the airline said Flair Vacations will be a consumer product to start, but looks forward to adding it to their agent portfolio in 2027.

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