Air Canada

http://www.aircanada.com/

Types of Travelers

Business Travlers

4/5

Air Canada has good business class prices and good coverage in North America

Family Traveler

2/5

n/a

Backpacker
Adventure Traveler

4/5

Regular flights to Canada’s best adventure destinations

Student
Budget Traveler

4/5

Competitive large-airline fares with option to sometimes fly low-cost affiliate Air Canada Jazz

Elderly
Disabled Traveler

4/5

Air Canada has standard accessibility features

Long Term Traveler

3/5

Good coverage in Canada and throughout North America

Novice Traveler

3/5

User-friendly overall, but prone to delays

Introduction

Air Canada is one of the world’s largest airlines. It has a tremendous reach, not only in Canada, but also to other destinations in North America (especially the Caribbean and the US). The airline is also the first choice for Canadian fliers heading to Europe or Asia.

Air Canada began as a government-funded airline called Trans-Canada in 1937. Through mergers and growth, it became Canada’s national airline in the 1960s and changed its name to Air Canada. It grew with the help of government regulation of other airlines but suffered setbacks in the early 2000s, when it was forced to declare bankruptcy. Currently, Air Canada is recovering and modernizing its fleet with new aircraft while upgrading older aircraft.

Ratings

Important Factors 3/5

Average Delay

28 minutes

Cancelled Flights
(average per month)

Customer Satisfaction Rating

3 stars from Skytrax (out of 5)

Types of Aircraft

Airbus A319, A320, A330, Boeing 767, 777, 787, Embraer 175,190

General 3/5

Number of Domestic Flights (Daily)

1,370

Number of International Flights (Daily)

n/a

Size of Fleet

202

Major Airports and Destinations Served

Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Calgary, Montréal Trudeau, Halifax, Edmonton, New York (Newark and LaGuardia), Seattle-Tacoma, Ottawa, Tokyo

Location of Hub

Montreal Trudeau, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto Pearson

Countries Served

Canada, US, Europe (especially France and England), Central America (especially the Caribbean), Asia (Japan, China, Hong Kong)

Number of Routes

178

Most Popular Routes

Montreal to New York, Toronto to Vancouver, Boston to Toronto

In-Flight 4/5

Which Routes offer Meal Service?

Meals for purchase on domestic and most North American flights (credit cards only) and complimentary meals on trans-ocean flights.

Food Quality

Air Canada’s food is on par with other legacy carriers in North America

In-flight Menu

Onboard Café serves bistro style snacks and sandwiches. Longer flights serve standard continental cuisine or food from the aircrafts destination.

Average Leg Room

31-34 inches

Types of In-flight Entertainment

Personal audio-video features on newer airplanes, standard audio and large screen entertainment on older aircraft.

Baggage 5/5

Baggage Fees

Free ($20 CAD for additional baggage)

Number of Bags Allowed

1 bag free on US to Canada flights, 2 bags free for domestic flights

Weight Limits and Restrictions

50 lbs

Web Site 4/5

Online Check-in

Available for all flights and widely used by passengers

Web Site Usability

4/5

Special Needs 4/5

Handicap Accessibility

Standard accessibility for persons with disabilities

Pets

$50-$105 one way (depending on destination)

Special Offers /Partners 4/5

Airline Alliance Membership

Star Alliance

Hotel Partners

Air Canada Vacations provides package deals to over 90 destinations

Competing Airlines

Other North American legacy carriers, though it is quite dominant in Canada.

Strengths

Great number of destinations
Modernized cabins
Better baggage policy than most US carriers
Jazz affiliate offers low-cost options

Weaknesses

Can be impersonal (like all super-large carriers)
Charge for in-flight food on most flights, even international flights to US and Caribbean
Very low on-time departure percentage

Frequent Flier Program and Airport Lounges

Maple Leaf Lounges are located at airports that are hubs and focus cities for Air Canada. These can be accessed by all premium class passengers as well as holders of American Express Platinum cards. Air Canada has a standard frequent flier program called Aeroplan. It allows for miles earning and also awards frequent fliers with status upgrades. Fliers who are members of another Star Alliance airline’s loyalty program can earn miles when flying Air Canada

Conclusion

Air Canada has all the same pros and cons as other major carriers in North America. It is prone to delays and has a la carte pricing policies that can add to the overall price of a flight. However, it serves a large number of destinations in North America and is the obvious choice for people traveling to and from Canada.