TORONTO — Flair says it’s always been receptive to travel advisors, especially for charters.

It just didn’t actively pursue the business. As Canadian travel advisors well know, it’s not the first time a low-cost carrier went all-in with B2C, in keeping with the low-cost carrier business model.

Now, part of the ‘Flair FWD’ strategy rolling out with the airline over the past several months, the company is diversifying its offerings to better serve travel agents and group bookings, Flair’s Director of Communications, Kim Bowie, tells Travelweek.

It’s part of Flair’s goal to “serving more customers and meeting them where they are – which is often through travel agents.”

As Bowie puts it, “this is part of our ongoing commitment to serving our customers better, and working more cohesively and strategically with travel agents is in line with that Flair FWD commitment.”

And Flair’s Sales Manager, Ryan Anderson, shared this with Travelweek: “As a value-carrier, we strive to maximize every cent to pass on savings to our customers. Traditionally, distributing through travel agents requires systems and commissions that add costs. Flair Partners was introduced to address this issue and create a mutually beneficial arrangement. While the benefits are distinct from those of other providers, Flair offers a unique value proposition that we hope will unlock new business for agents.”

That would ideally include GDS access. The last time Flair made headlines for its GDS initiatives was in 2023, with a partnership with GO7.

As for the new Flair Partners program, Anderson added: “Flair recognized the need to connect with customers who require more than just a seat. As part of Flair FWD, we have developed a sales program that meets the needs of businesses and travel agencies. We are now going live and expanding the program to meet our customers where they work.

For more information, travel advisors can email agency@flyflair.com, or check out Flair’s new agent-friendly portal.

NEW AND COMING INITIATIVES

The airline has unveiled a raft of initiatives. Six months after announcing Flair FWD, Flair has announced a series of enhancements to its customer experience, ‘from booking to the baggage claim.’

“Since launching Flair FWD, our teams have been hard at work, listening to our customers, reviewing our policies, and investing in delivering a better travel experience,” said CEO, Maciej Wilk. “The work is not over with today’s announcement. If anything, the work is just beginning.”

A new site has already been introduced, at FlyFlair.com. The airline now sends digital boarding passes to every customer upon completing check-in, in an effort to speed up boarding. Flair also has a dedicated team that relays delay and disruption info to passengers.

There’s also an on-time guarantee, with customers on all flights with a delay of 60 minutes or more receiving a $60 e-voucher for next time. Flair also offers Apple AirTag bag tracking.

Looking ahead, on Dec. 3 Flair aims to launch Flair Express. Any customer who purchases a carry-on bag, whether through the Lite/MAX bundles or separately, will get Flair Express. Flair Express will allow customers to board in the first boarding group, through a dedicated line, and avoid the bag sizer.

The airline will also add to its bundles portfolio, with a lineup of four bundles: Basic, Lite, Plus and MAX.

For passengers looking to sell their tickets – in the event they can’t make their flight – Flair will potentially buy back the seat if it’s a popular flight, through a partnership with Fairlyne launching in December.

Flair is aiming to launch Flair Vacations in December. The airline says its expansion into the Caribbean and Latin America had customers asking for ways to package Flair flights with hotels. Flair’s Mexico City service launches Oct. 27 and Montego Bay launches Dec. 14.

Flair’s fleet of B737 aircraft connects 25 cities across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, the D.R. and Jamaica.