Air Canada

I flew AMS-LHR-YOW on April 2nd and return on April 12th. Both were BA/AC interline flights. The BA flights and the transits at London Heathrow from T5 to T2 and vice versa proceeded very smoothly. Now my comments on my experience with Air Canada on this trip: Air Canada uses the Boeing 767-300ER between YOW and LHR. Despite this plane showing its age it's always a very sturdy and reliable plane no wonder that many airlines are still using them regularly on long haul routes. On my outbound flight the captain gave accurate cockpit announcements and staff members on both flights were very attentive and professional. Food snacks and refreshments were plentifully provided throughout the flights. My only issue is with the seats which were uncomfortable and there was very little legroom. Otherwise the meals were decent by airplane food standards and Air Canada offers a great inflight entertainment service keeping you busy on a 7-hour flight. I travel to Canada at least a couple of times a year and previously I used KLM travelling to Ottawa with a stopover at YUL. The route I took with Air Canada this time works out better for me personally and overall I am quite well satisfied with this airline. Will use them again in the future.

YUL-YVR-YUL both legs on a tired looking A330-300. I checked in online and had carry-on luggage only so did not have any interaction with the check-in staff. Used the Maple Leaf Lounge on the domestic side in Montreal which is in dire need of a facelift and expansion as it tends to get very crowded at peak hours. Boarding was smooth and both flights left the gate and arrived on time. The pods are showing their age with worn-out and scuffed sections. Cabin lighting was dim and did not facilitate an airy environment. On-board service was typical AC style with FA's doing the absolute minimum required of them. Food and beverage choices were OK but it is time for an upgraded menu as they have had the same choices on transcontinental flights in Business Class for the past 4 years. IFE had a reasonable selection of movies but the sound quality was not the best even with my own noise- cancelling headphones. Washrooms like the aircraft itself looked old and run-down leaving the passengers with the impression that they were dirty. Air Canada prides itself in being voted the best North American Airline for several years in a row which I believe is giving them a totally false sense of accomplishment by comparing them to US carriers which are widely acknowledged as being inferior to Middle Eastern and Asian carriers. Although AC has made some progress in recent years uplifting its image and improving its service its progress has now stalled which if left unattended will push them back into the same mediocrity as the US carriers. It is time for them to start setting the bar higher and striving for a higher standard of service by looking to full-service Asian and Middle Eastern carriers as examples to follow.

I have to say that Air Canada is the only Continental North American airline offering Premium Economy for some long haul flights and is very competitive with some Asian airlines that offer this cabin and I have to thank to AC for this. Despite the amazing good service and private cabin the comfort is something that is not quite the best. The front seat row 12 on the Dreamliner 787-8 is missing the leg support and relax as all other Asia/Pacific airlines such CX NH JL QF BR which has superior seat comfort and welcoming Champagne as well not only water and juice as AC offers. The food is very good and the drinks are well served 10 min once we are airborne. Flight Crew is very friendly and keep someone at the 'food bar' ready to help you with a drink or snack such as cookies during the entire flight. My flights were YVR-PEK on March 24 returning on Apr 2. Thank you Air Canada for stepping over your all other North American Airlines with this service without removing the good service on regular economy.

Flew from Sydney Australia to Vancouver on Air Canada and was truly a miserable experience. I'm a petite person and was miserably cramped in a small seat the food was disgusting and the most of the staff acted like those of us in economy class were an imposition. Two women who chatted loudly for 12 of the 14-hour predominately evening flight were not asked to lower their voices so that others could sleep the in-service entertainment a small screen inserted in the back of the seat ahead of us was dark and virtually impossible to see and although staff did pick up trash after meals they didn't after serving various beverages so we were left sitting in rubbish for the duration of the flight. Complaining seemed pointless in light of the persevering misery of the overall experience; I and most of my fellow passengers just took it all in stride. I will never (at least wittingly or willingly) fly Air Canada again. When I got home a Canadian friend said "You flew Air Canada? Sorry! They're terrible!" Such a great country such a lousy airline.

AC63 - YVR to ICN. Flight was delayed because of malfunctioning A/C. Plane had left the gate and had to return. The total delay was over 2 hrs because of strong headwinds. The plane was immaculate as it was one of Air Canada's new B787-800s. The service was good but there was no 2nd option for meals on that flight-we were all served the same meal. Air Canada's new inflight entertainment system is incredibly responsive and has a great user interface. It is by far the best system I've experienced on a plane. It kept me occupied for the entire flight. The armrest controls on the other hand could have used some additional thought as it was placed on the surface of the armrest rather than the side and resulted in frequent accidental presses. Many people pressed the attendant call button or the overhead light unintentionally by resting their elbows on the buttons.

YYZ-PEK - March 20 - April 11 - The staff who work for Air Canada must be really unhappy in their jobs - no smiles here. The food on board could be greatly improved. On the return trip we noticed that the dining trays in our row were dirty and had not been cleaned from previous passengers. The toilet was also unclean and that was at the beginning of the flight.

Toronto - Milan Malpensa (MXP). At Toronto airport the monitors were showing "on time" but when I arrived to the gate boarding was almost completed. On board: dirty. Aircraft: old 767-300. No smile or help from the attendants (all over-head compartments were occupied by their equipment). Pillow and blanket: basic quality. Food: hot chicken low quality salad and cake. Cold bread given by hand by the crew. Breakfast: banana bread. 20 minutes later they came around with drinks and coffee. No magazine on board. Crew shouting loudly for duty free during night flight while people were sleeping. Wouldn't recommend.

YUL-YYZ-HKG-YYZ-YUL A320/B777. Typical of AC flights were late or delayed despite the weather being ok. Outbound YYZ-HKG flight had obnoxious disappearing FAs combined with a malfunctioning IFE. F&B was nothing special but edible. An average flight. Return HKG-YYZ-YUL flights were distinguished by the worst departure and arrival delays of all the flights and terrible catering. The J class main meal of beef was overcooked and inedible as it was so tough. Breakfast highlight was dried out croissants and a glop of salty greasy noodles. FAs on this segment were professional efficient and polite. AC's IFE featuring small screens with poor resolution has a limited library of interesting titles. It remained closed for most of my flights unlike my flights on CX or BR which offer current films along with an interesting selection of Asian films. AC's international films have a lot of Bollywood and are of little interest to China/Japan route customers. I really look forward to the Asian film selection on AC's higher end competitor EVA. The AC IFE equipment is at least 5 years out of date along with the uncomfortable worn out pods. The equipment was somewhat cleaner than usual although AC still refuses to provide headrest covers like the Asian airlines do. Not the most hygienic approach to air travel. The new blankets are a welcome change. The lavs were the usual basic AC setup so very different than those found on Asian carriers. Boarding procedures have drastically improved with the implementation of zones although many pax still do not understand the cabin baggage size and weight limits. AC has an inconsistent approach to this issue and I could see that some economy cabin pax were going to be made uncomfortable by a few selfish people. Desk agents on all segments were polite and pleasant to deal with. Baggage delivery at Canadian airports was slow as usual. Considering the fare paid which was higher than the AC competitors I don't think I received good value for my purchase. AC offers an expensive inconsistent product with unreliable on time performance.

AC 016 31st March from HKG to Toronto. A very pleasant surprise. The service was outstanding and the attention to details also surprisingly good. I was impressed by the attention to service and the passengers exhibited by the staff and overall Air Canada has certainly improved their intercontinental Business Class product. The seats were very comfortable and this is the first time I have flown the Hong Kong to Toronto route on Air Canada. I usually fly Cathay Pacific or EVA and dollar for dollar Air Canada comes out on top.

YYZ-YVR-SYD on AC34. Short line with quick and efficient service at the Business class check in at Toronto Pearson Airport. Complimentary meal on the domestic leg as I was continuing onwards to Sydney. Decent portion size and more than edible economy class full meals on the international leg. On time the entire way. Fantastic service onboard. Definitely recommend.