Roundup: The Travel Summit Toronto 2022

I’ve finally managed to catch my breath after an outstanding time at The Travel Summit this past weekend. This was by far the largest event we’ve organized to date, and it was a resounding success.

For those who attended or for those who didn’t, I’d like to offer a roundup of the weekend with some highlights, photos, and impressions of the first – but definitely not last – event of this magnitude.

Welcome to The Travel Summit

We began welcoming 25 speakers and 400+ guests from all over North America and around the world on Friday, October 28, for pre-registration at the Hyatt Regency Toronto. Guests who picked up their lanyard and lunch gift card were able to skip the lines on the day of the event, allowing for an extra snooze cycle or two.

Beginning at 8am on Saturday morning, excitement was in the air as the Prince of Travel team whisked hundreds of attendees through the registration sequence. Attendees mingled in the lobby of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) prior to my opening remarks at 9am.

I was beaming with excitement and energy as I took the stage and looked out over the crowd. After a year of late nights and endless meetings to organize the event, it was incredible to see it all come together right before my very own eyes.

Travel & Loyalty, Under the Hood

Following the opening remarks, we settled in for a riveting keynote presentation with our two special guests.

Everyone’s favourite airline executives, Air Canada’s Mark Nasr and Scott O’Leary, took the stage with me for an hour to discuss all things Aeroplan. Indeed, there was plenty to discuss, with recent changes to Aeroplan 35K status, announcements about upcoming partnerships, and changes to the Aeroplan terms and conditions.

The dynamic duo took my questions in stride, and it was very interesting to have them explain the reasoning behind all the changes. For example, I was intrigued to learn that Maple Leaf Lounge access through holding a premium co-branded Aeroplan credit card accounts for less than 10% of lounge visits.

Furthermore, Mark explained that the nature of lounge visits has shifted greatly since before the pandemic. Not only are more travellers paying for business class on leisure trips, but passengers are spending more time on…