Air Canada Rouge Takes Off for First Time
Air Canada has launched its new leisure unit, Air Canada Rouge, under the AC code.
Rouge began offering services from Toronto to Venice and Edinburgh, Scotland, and from Toronto and Montreal to Athens.
Caribbean flights from Toronto with A-319 aircraft offer Punta Cana, Puerto Plata and Samana in the Dominican Republic; San Jose and Liberia, Costa Rica; Kingston, Jamaica; and four points in Cuba.
As other Air Canada routes transition to Rouge, more destinations are to be added in the fall, including Orlando and Las Vegas and seasonal service to Sarasota, Florida.
Air Canada Rouge president Michael Friisdahl said the key is creating an on-board experience that is different, given that Rouge's fares will be competitive due to its new lower cost structure.
"That's the price of entry into the leisure market," he said.
"What we will now need to ensure is when customers board our airplanes, the experience they will have for that very competitive price will be an experience that they will appreciate."
