Flight Centre is set to open its first new Canadian location since the pandemic at Royal Bank Plaza, positioning its distinctive red-and-white brand in one of Toronto’s most prominent underground transit corridors.
The travel retailer, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in Canada this year, has secured prime retail space along the heavily trafficked route from Union Station, placing the brand directly in front of thousands of daily commuters and UP Express passengers arriving from Pearson Airport.
“The shops are our billboards,” said Chadd Andre, Executive Vice President and General Manager for Flight Centre in Canada, in an exclusive interview. “Like many in our industry, we had to make some difficult decisions during the pandemic to help ensure our long-term stability. Naturally, our brand visibility has been impacted since, so we see strong value in well-positioned billboard locations to reconnect and remind Canadians that Flight Centre is still here, 30 years later, with a renewed sense of purpose and strength.”
Forced Relocation Spurs Strategic Repositioning
The company’s move to Royal Bank Plaza was precipitated by the redevelopment of its previous location near Yonge and King streets, where Flight Centre had maintained a longtime presence.
“We had a location just a stone’s throw from Royal Bank Plaza, close to the corner of Yonge and King,” Andre explained. “That site is being redeveloped. We were forced out of that location. If that were still in play, we probably would not have opened this.”
The previous site is now part of the 55 Yonge Street redevelopment, a landmark 68-storey mixed-use tower designed by collaborating architects BDP Quadrangle and PARTISANS for H&R REIT. The project, which received rezoning approval in July 2024, will transform the area with over 800 residential units and street-level retail.
For Flight Centre, the displacement created an opportunity to secure a location with superior transit connectivity. The Royal Bank Plaza space offers direct access to Union Station—just 20 steps away—and connections to over 30 kilometers of PATH shops and services.
New Design Concept Reflects Changing Customer Expectations
The Royal Bank Plaza location introduces Flight Centre’s first new Canadian store design since the pandemic, featuring flexible spaces, digital enhancements, and areas for both quick interactions and in-depth consultations.
“The design incorporates some elements that we have in our shops,” Andre detailed. “Obviously we need places for people to sit and talk and consult and build relationships and rapport. But even that has changed a lot too.”
Andre highlighted how the location is designed to accommodate both brief morning and afternoon interactions with passing commuters and more substantial consultations. The space includes movable furniture to facilitate in-store events with supplier partners and destination presentations.
“Part of that, especially with this space, is using it as an event space to be able to have in-store events with supplier partners, educational nights, things like that,” he said. “We can invite partners and destinations in-house and have information sessions where we can engage with our customers and suppliers.”
The store design places heavy emphasis on digital signage, particularly in the window frontage, including the brand’s iconic airfare ticker boards, while maintaining flexibility to adapt to the specific location’s shape and traffic patterns.
Aurora Realty Consultants‘ Jeri Brodie represented Flight Centre in securing the retail lease within the iconic gold-windowed complex. Jordan Karp, Executive Vice President, and Ryan Morein, Vice President at Savills, marketed the space on behalf of the landlord.
Human Connection Remains Core Value in Digital Age
Despite industry-wide digital transformation, Flight Centre continues to invest in human expertise and personal connection in Canada’s largest urban market.
“We are not a call centre. We have real people at the end of the phone,” Andre emphasized. “If you phone one of our numbers, you’re going to speak to a human being who you can grab their email address, you’ve got their direct line, or they can call you back—any of those things that call center operations don’t have.”
This approach comes at a time when many travel companies have shifted entirely to online operations. Andre draws on more than two decades of industry experience, having joined Flight Centre in 2003 after working as a flight attendant with Canada 3000 Airlines until its post-9/11 closure.
“I applied in a number of places obviously looking for opportunities. Flight Centre was one of them. It took me a year of persistence to actually get myself in the door,” he recalled. His career progression through various roles within the company has given him perspective on both the operational challenges and strategic opportunities facing the travel industry.
Post-Pandemic Travel Resurgence Drives Business
The retail expansion coincides with changing travel patterns and preferences among Canadians. With recent decreased interest in U.S. travel, Flight Centre sees opportunities to guide travellers toward alternative destinations.
“It’s giving us the opportunity to help open the world for people to see new destinations,” said Andre, referencing the company’s purpose statement of “opening up the world for those who want to see.”
He noted several emerging trends the company is capitalizing on: “Certainly domestic travel is front of mind. Especially off the East Coast, traveling to Europe for shorter periods of time is on the rise. And then people are happy to look at longer hauls and to consider something significant.”
Andre specifically highlighted Mexico as an underexplored destination for Canadians beyond typical resort areas. “Mexico City is one of the most underrated destinations on the planet. To be able to fly there from Toronto or Vancouver in four and a half, five hours—it is a place you can go to for a weekend or a long weekend quite easily.”
The company has successfully recruited new talent post-pandemic, with Andre noting they’ve hired “really passionate travelers that are new to industry in terms of sales and they’re doing exceptionally well.”
Navigating Social Media Influence and AI in Travel Planning
Andre also addressed the impact of social media on travel decisions, particularly the growing influence of platforms like TikTok on destination marketing.
“TikTok is certainly a moment,” he acknowledged. “It’s not one we have executed well globally within Flight Centre Brand, but it’s certainly been identified as an opportunity for us.”
He explained that traditional marketing approaches have not translated effectively to the platform, requiring the company to rethink its content strategy. “How we’ve generally marketed in our traditional sense isn’t a good fit for the format. We need to identify how we rise to that occasion.”
While recognizing the inspirational value of social media content, Andre emphasized its limitations for comprehensive travel planning. “You see the Instagram versus reality comparisons. We like to make sure that our customers have all of the information they need to make the most educated decisions on not only how and where to spend their money, but what to expect when they get there.”
He expressed similar caution about AI-powered travel planning tools. “From that perspective, similarly with AI as a travel planning tool, it’s not it. It’s not there yet,” he stated. “People thought that the internet was the death of the travel agent as well. And we’re still here.”
As the travel industry continues to evolve with new technologies, Flight Centre’s investment in physical retail represents a measured approach to rebuilding brand presence while maintaining flexibility for future changes.
“The retail strategy is a slow one because we just need to make sure that we’re making the right moves at the right time,” Andre concluded. “But it’s a very important one not only to rebuild our brand awareness across Canada but to provide a place for people to connect as well.”
Dustin Fuhs is the Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication. He has over 20 years of experience in the retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality industries, including with The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Dustin was named as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025.