Air Canada is the largest airline in its namesake country and one of the major international carriers in North America. As a Star Alliance member operating flights to more than 200 destinations worldwide with significant hubs in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary, the airline offers a complex product that’s worth understanding before you book.
Cabin classes, seats & legroom
Air Canada’s cabin naming can be confusing, so it’s worth understanding before you book. The airline operates two-cabin and three-cabin aircraft for a total of four main cabin types. Two-cabin narrowbody planes typically fly North American short-haul routes, while three-cabin widebodies usually handle long-haul international flights and some transcontinental ones.
Signature Class
Signature Class is Air Canada’s business-class product with lie-flat seats in a reverse herringbone pattern, and every seat has direct aisle access. You’ll find this cabin on widebody aircraft flying long-haul international routes and some transcontinental ones. Something I appreciate is that these seats are standard across the fleet, so you always know what to expect.
Business Class
Business Class, somewhat confusingly, is the name for Air Canada’s North American premium cabin. Seats are not lie-flat as in Signature Class, but rather spacious recliners arranged in a 2-2 configuration with plenty of leg room. You’ll find Business Class seats on narrowbody aircraft.
Worth mentioning: Air Canada flies its two-cabin Boeing 737 MAX 8 on certain transatlantic routes like Halifax to London Heathrow and Montreal to Porto (starting soon) OR Porto, so you might have recliners rather than lie-flat seats for these flights. I’d do my best to avoid these flights, as I’d prefer a lie-flat seat on a redeye flight.
Premium Economy
Premium Economy is the second-tier cabin on Air Canada’s three-cabin planes. Its seats are similar to Business Class in the sense that they have extra recline and legroom, but they’re significantly narrower. They’re offered in 2-3-2 and 2-4-2 on widebody aircraft. The A330-300 aircraft operates with Signature Class as its top-tier cabin alongside Premium Economy and Economy.
Economy
Economy seats on Air Canada’s fleet offer standard legroom that varies by aircraft type. There are, however, Preferred Economy seats at the front of the cabin that offer up to four extra inches of legroom. Preferred Economy seats require an additional fee, unless you have elite status with Air Canada or are flying on a Latitude or Comfort fare. You can buy a Preferred Economy seat at the time of booking or upgrade after booking.
Check-in
Air Canada offers several check-in options (online, mobile app, airport kiosks, or check-in counter), and timing varies by method. Online and mobile check-in open 24 hours before your flight, while in-person check-in begins four hours before departure. Priority check-in desks are available for those in higher fare classes or with elite status.
If you’re checking a bag, you can only do so as early as four hours before your flight. If you’re earlier than that, you’ll have to wait with your bag at the departure terminal until check-in opens. Also, pay attention to checked-bag cutoff times, which are 45 minutes for domestic Canadian flights and 60 minutes for U.S. and international flights. Personally, I’d check bags on the earlier side just to be safe.
Boarding
Lounges
Air Canada has a network of Maple Leaf Lounges across Canada and select international airports. Passengers flying in Signature Class and Business Class can access the lounges, as well as Aeroplan Elite Status members and Star Alliance Gold members flying Air Canada or a Star Alliance partner flight. If you’re traveling on a Premium Economy, Latitude, Comfort or Flex fare, you can purchase lounge access.
Signature Class passengers traveling through Toronto or Vancouver can also visit the Air Canada Signature Suites, and I’d highly recommend choosing these over the Maple Leaf Lounges. The Signature Suites provide an elevated experience with complimentary sit-down meals that include cocktails and Moët & Chandon Champagne (there’s also a buffet for more casual fare), and they’re quieter and more luxurious.
Wi-Fi & entertainment
Wi-Fi isn’t available on all Air Canada flights, so you’ll want to check availability on Air Canada’s website starting five days before departure. When it is available, free Wi-Fi is now offered to Aeroplan members (it’s free to sign up) on flights within North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, with international free Wi-Fi planned to roll out in the coming years OR with international free Wi-Fi coming soon. Non-members can purchase Wi-Fi access. Top tier elites can choose a 12-month Wi-Fi plan as one of their Select Benefits.
As for entertainment, Air Canada’s in-flight entertainment systems have 370+ movies, 650+ shows and 150+ music albums available. On some flights within North America, Air Canada even offers live TV. I love that Air Canada has entertainment in 15 languages, since the airline has a very international audience.
Dining
Meal service varies based on cabin type and route. On North American routes, economy passengers can purchase meals from the Air Canada Bistro menu on flights of two hours or more, while Business Class passengers receive plated hot meals on flights longer than two hours. On international flights, economy passengers receive complimentary hot meals on flights to and from Canada.
Signature Class passengers receive plated hot meals on all flights, but Premium Economy passengers receive complimentary meal service with a hot entrée on eligible flights. This is a bit of a downgrade compared to Premium Economy cabins on other airlines, and I wish Air Canada would offer plated meals in this cabin. Still, the extra legroom and priority boarding might make Premium Economy worth the price.
Amenities
Signature Class passengers receive an Acqua di Parma amenity kit containing some of the brand’s body products, like hand cream and lip balm, as well as an eye mask, a glasses-cleaning cloth, a dental kit and socks. They also receive premium bedding to make their lie-flat seat even more comfortable during the flight. Premium Economy passengers receive an amenity kit on international flights.
Loyalty program, points & elite status
Air Canada’s loyalty program, Aeroplan, allows members to earn and redeem points on flights and upgrades. Elite status is achieved by accumulating Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) or Status Qualifying Segments (SQS), along with Status Qualifying Dollars (SQD). Benefits of elite status include priority services, lounge access, and complimentary upgrades. Since the program is free, I advise all Air Canada passengers to sign up for a membership.
I’ve found that Aeroplan is one of the better programs for scoring high-value business-class redemptions on Air Canada and partner airlines like Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and United. You can transfer Chase Sapphire Rewards points to Aeroplan, so it’s worth signing up for an Aeroplan account if you have a Chase Sapphire credit card.
Credit cards
Air Canada offers several co-branded credit cards with various financial institutions. Perks vary per card but can include bonus Aeroplan points, free checked bags and Maple Leaf Lounge access. These cards often come with annual fees, so it’s worth considering how frequently you fly with Air Canada to determine if the benefits justify the cost. Generally speaking, it’s only a good idea to get an airline credit card if you’re very loyal to that airline.
Air Canada offers five economy fare classes (Basic, Standard, Flex, Comfort and Latitude) with a straightforward trade-off: higher prices bring better benefits. Basic Economy doesn’t include free seat selection, while Flex, Comfort and Latitude do.
Basic tickets can’t be changed, Standard tickets can be changed for a fee, and Comfort and Latitude tickets don’t have change fees. Flex tickets don’t have change fees for flights within Canada and to the U.S., but do have change fees on international itineraries.
Normally, I advise against booking basic economy tickets because they’re extremely restrictive. In the case of Air Canada, if you’re not looking to earn elite status, basic economy might be okay.
The key here is that you accept that you will earn fewer Aeroplan points than you would on a Standard ticket. You also can’t change your flights, not even to receive a future flight credit.
Air Canada boards by zones, with Signature Class, Business Class, Premium Economy passengers and elite status members boarding in the earlier zones. Families with children and passengers with musical instruments board between Zones 2 and 3, while Latitude, Comfort fares and Preferred Seat passengers board in Zone 3.
If you’re assigned to Zones 4 or 5, you may have to gate-check your carry-on bag since overhead bin space can fill up quickly in the later boarding groups.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
