Date: 09-2013
Route: YYZ-YYC
Airline: Air Canada
Class of service: J (purchased in Y, then upgraded)
Aircraft: Boeing 763
Mile-High Potential in J: 0% - besides being a day flight, the cabin was only half full. 25% of passengers were women, and of the men, most had white hair. This is unfortunately typical for AC flights.
The plane took off sideways, or so it seemed.
I was on my way from Toronto to Calgary and had used e-upgrade credits to upgrade from economy to business class. I had chosen my flight with the intention of doing this, and knew that unlike the rest of the day, the 10am flight was on AC's 763 and had pod seating up front.
AC's pods are actually quite comfortable. They lay flat and horizontal (180 degrees), allowing for either a nap or a solid sleep on a longer flight. The controls are intuitive, and while the movies are a bit spotty, they've certainly gotten better over the last year.
Shortly after sitting down, the flight attendant came to take my jacket and offer orange juice or water. This was a morning flight. Normally in the afternoon and evening flights they offer champagne as an option, though my experience is more on the international routes and the champagne may be limited to international flights.
At this point they also distributed menus. In my case the options were (i) an omelet with chicken sausage, (ii) pancakes, or (iii) a healthy option with yogurt and grains. If you want more current menu options, a good place to check is here.
Along with your main course, a fruit plate, yogurt, and your choice of white or cinnamon-raisin bread was available. This was served shortly after take-off, but slowly as we had a 4 hour flight.
Route: YYZ-YYC
Airline: Air Canada
Class of service: J (purchased in Y, then upgraded)
Aircraft: Boeing 763
Mile-High Potential in J: 0% - besides being a day flight, the cabin was only half full. 25% of passengers were women, and of the men, most had white hair. This is unfortunately typical for AC flights.
The plane took off sideways, or so it seemed.
I was on my way from Toronto to Calgary and had used e-upgrade credits to upgrade from economy to business class. I had chosen my flight with the intention of doing this, and knew that unlike the rest of the day, the 10am flight was on AC's 763 and had pod seating up front.
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| J Cabin - nice and bright, only half full on my flight. |
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| You can see from this perspective the 3 rows of seats. Also note the luggage bins above, which I found were tight to fit an international-sized carry on. |
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| AC's pod seating |
The odd sensation at take-off is associated with the direction of the pods. You aren't facing straight ahead as you would on other planes, so it can be a bit disconcerting.
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| Seat & TV control - note that the TVs are also touch-screen. |
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| The TV, which pops out of the side consul. Of note, the TVs must be stored on take-off and landing. This can be a bit irritating if you don't realize it and are trying to finish a movie, so something to keep in mind. |
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| Power outlet |
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| The windows are a bit behind the seat and difficult to look out. Definitely not the best seat for views, though I would sacrifice the views on some flights for not having to climb over my neighbor to get into the aisle. Next to the window is a reading light, and there are also lights that you can activate from overhead. |
Shortly after sitting down, the flight attendant came to take my jacket and offer orange juice or water. This was a morning flight. Normally in the afternoon and evening flights they offer champagne as an option, though my experience is more on the international routes and the champagne may be limited to international flights.
At this point they also distributed menus. In my case the options were (i) an omelet with chicken sausage, (ii) pancakes, or (iii) a healthy option with yogurt and grains. If you want more current menu options, a good place to check is here.
Along with your main course, a fruit plate, yogurt, and your choice of white or cinnamon-raisin bread was available. This was served shortly after take-off, but slowly as we had a 4 hour flight.
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| First course - fruit plate with cinnamon-raisin bread |
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| Second course - omelet with chicken sausage |
The food wasn't bad, though I find it hard to either ruin a breakfast or make it spectacular at 40,000 feet. As recommended in an earlier post, I did make use of those salt and pepper packages and found the taste much improved, but also found that I needed to drink quite a bit more to quench my thirst.
So I ordered coffee and baileys.
Twice.
No complaints.
In terms of other offerings in business class:
- Amenity kits: None. Those are given out on trans-Pacific/Atlantic flights only.
- Bathrooms: Not noticeably better than economy. No special amenities, extra space or windows.
- Service: Very good. The flight attendants circulated regularly, were amiable and made the flight a pleasure. I'm a big advocate for quality service in business class. It's part of the package, and when it doesn't happen I'm challenged to differentiate between classes in terms of appeal.
- Snacks: Lindt chocolate, nuts and potato chips were offered twice during the flight. They were also available upon request.
Overall, a good, quick flight. We took off on time, landed on time, and I didn't feel stressed or irritated in between. Based on this, I would say the YYZ-YYC AC J flight on the 763 is a solid domestic option.
If you have any specific questions about the flight, let me know!
Nice pictures!
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