Flair Vacations Partners With IBS Software Ahead of November Launch

Flair Vacations, the new vacation package division of Canadian low-cost carrier Flair Airlines, is preparing for its November 2026 launch with a new technology partnership designed to expand its hotel offerings across Mexico and the Caribbean.

The company has signed a distribution agreement with travel technology provider IBS Software, giving Flair Vacations access to hotel inventory through the company’s iStay Gateway platform.

The agreement will support Flair Vacations’ entry into Canada’s competitive vacation package market ahead of the busy winter travel season.

Through the partnership, Canadian travellers departing from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton will be able to book bundled flights and accommodations to popular sun destinations, including Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Puerto Plata and Montego Bay.

For Flair Vacations, the arrangement provides access to an established hotel distribution network without having to develop individual connections with accommodation suppliers.

IBS Software’s iStay Gateway platform manages hotel rates, availability, bookings and content distribution through a single technical connection, allowing Flair Vacations to concentrate on developing, pricing and selling its vacation packages.

“Flair Airlines has built a strong position in the Canadian market, and Flair Vacations gives the airline an exciting opportunity to take that proposition into the holiday market. For a new vacation business, access to hotel supply at scale is critical. iStay Gateway gives Flair Vacations the connectivity and flexibility to get to market quickly and expand its offering as demand grows. We’re delighted to support Flair as it builds its vacation business across the Caribbean and Mexico,” said Steffan Berelowitz, VP, hospitality solutions at IBS Software, in a press release.

Nicole Bursey, president of Flair Vacations, said the partnership is an important step in establishing the new division’s presence in the Canadian leisure travel market.

“We are building a vacation business for Canadian travellers who want value without compromise. Getting to market quickly with the right hotel choice mattered to us, and IBS Software gave us a proven route to that supply. The platform gives us room to expand our destinations and our product as demand grows,” she said in a statement.

Flair Vacations enters an already crowded Canadian vacation package sector, where established airline-affiliated brands compete for travellers seeking convenient, competitively priced flight-and-hotel combinations.

The new division will build on Flair Airlines’ value-focused positioning, targeting popular winter sun destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.

IBS Software provides technology solutions to hotel companies and travel sellers worldwide. Its iStay Hotel Commerce platform includes central reservation systems, distribution connectivity, call centre technology and booking engines.

While the initial agreement focuses specifically on hotel connectivity for Flair Vacations’ package business, the two companies plan to explore additional opportunities within the iStay technology portfolio as the vacation division expands its destination offerings and passenger volumes.

The launch of Flair Vacations is scheduled for November 2026, positioning the new brand to compete for Canadian winter vacation bookings.

Travel advisors also central to strategy

Flair Vacations will initially build around Flair Airlines’ existing sun network, packaging direct flights with hotels, transfers, checked and carry-on baggage and in-destination support. 

Bursey has also previously made it clear that travel advisors will be central to Flair Vacations from the beginning.

The company conducted focus groups with advisors and agency owners while developing the operation and has built a team with extensive travel industry experience. 

“We want to be responsive to what the trade needs,” Bursey said at an industry event earlier this month.

That team includes Lindsay Watkinson, Director of Commercial Operations; Concetta De Pisa, Senior Director of Product and Yield Pricing; Nadia Granata, Director of Marketing; and Rares Dumitru, Director of Business Development and Partnerships. 

Flair Vacations has added Abbey Brissett as business development manager for Ontario and plans to add BDMs for Quebec and Western Canada. Saijjal Suri is on the team as Agency Support Coordinator. 

Bursey said hotel partners have been enthusiastic about the tour operator’s commitment to retail distribution. 

“Every single one of them, one of their very first questions was, ‘Will you be working through travel partners?’” she said. 

Her answer was unequivocal. “Absolutely. We would not be doing this without support from the retailers.”