Air Canada

We will be flying Air Canada (ORD-YYZ-IST). The flight is not eligible for upgrade. So we are stuck with Economy. I've read and heard (my close friend traveled Air Canada just two months ago) pretty negative reviews, especially about the flight attendants and the service. Seats and the leg room - is a another bad story. Could someone please say anything positive about our upcoming 10 hour flight? :rolleyes:

 

Thanks a lot!

Edited June 9, 2015 by TroubleT

Let me bet....cruiseline air. Or some "deal" that was too good to pass up. And now we have some possible buyer's remorse.

 

AC mainline is a decent product. Rouge may be another story. It is possible on almost any airline to get some "bad" crew. As for seats, check SeatGuru for more details, or the AC website itself.

Shame you couldn't get on the non-stop Turkish Airlines flight. Had a wonderful IST-YYZ flight with them last summer - but then, it was in business class, so maybe I shouldn't rub it in... ;)

 

You will hear plenty of negative comments about AC, like for most airlines. To be fair, it's been a while since I've flown them long-haul (all recent flights have been short hops to connect to another Star Alliance partner), but I've always been perfectly satisfied with their product.

AC mainline aircraft is great, AC Rouge not so great as there is a smaller seat pitch.

 

Flight crew on mainline is hit or miss but Rouge is great - the Rouge flight crew was actually trained at Disneyland to ensure quality customer service.

 

IMO flying AC mainline economy was better than First class on US air.

 

Mainline has individual free entertainment with in-seat screens on all aircraft. Rouge does not have the screens but they do have free entertainment - you just have to bring your own device and download the app prior to your flight.

Let me bet....cruiseline air... .

 

You got this part right! :) ChoiceAir.

 

I was able to upgrade to BC all ChoiceAir tickets before. This one is a "no-go". :(

Could someone educate me please? What is mainline and what is Rouge? Is my flight mainline or Rouge?

 

Thanks! :)

Could someone educate me please? What is mainline and what is Rouge? Is my flight mainline or Rouge?

 

Thanks! :)

 

A couple of years ago, Air Canada started a low-cost subsidiary called 'Air Canada Rouge'. They've been shifting certain flights, mainly in leisure markets, to this new airline. However, I'm 99% sure YYZ-IST remains a 'mainline' (or Air Canada full stop) flight, so no worries.

 

I guess there's no way you can somehow get enough UA or AC miles for that TK flight?

Sure. rouge is Air Canada's ("mainline") low-cost subsidiary. rouge mainly flies the leisure, fare-sensitive routes. For example YYZ-LAX is AC while YYZ-SAN is rouge.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Canada_Rouge

 

I believe (might stand corrected), rouge flight numbers are 18xx . If you look up your flight(s) on your itinerary or the Air Canada website, there will be a note "Operated by Air Canada rouge" ("rouge" is not capitalized, probably a cost-saving measure by Air Canada) :)

 

On your specific routes, ORD-YYZ is Air Canada Express using regional jets. YYZ-IST is either Air Canada mainline (AC810 on a 767-300) or a codeshare on Turkish Airways (AC6680 on a 777-300). Hope it's the latter!

Edited June 9, 2015 by kenish

We flew Air Canada last year, in economy. It was no better and no worse than most that we've flown.

When you check in online you might be able to upgrade for a fee

we have done this before on flights

 

AC is no worse than other airlines we have used in fact I prefer AC over some US carriers

 

YMMV

We last flew on AC in January, YYZ-LAX and back. Their regular economy was decent enough. We shelled out the extra bit to get bulkhead at the front of economy and that made it a little more comfortable for DH (he's 6'3).

 

Heard lots of bad things about rouge, which is a shame, their flights would have fit our next trip perfectly but I won't be able to carry DH off the plane after unfolding him out of the seat ;)

...

 

I guess there's no way you can somehow get enough UA or AC miles for that TK flight?

 

No matter what: $$$ or miles - the flight is not upgradable. :mad:

No matter what: $$$ or miles - the flight is not upgradable. :mad:

 

You misunderstand me - I'm not talking upgrading your Choice Air flights, I'm talking ditching those (if you can without penalty) and reserving totally new tickets using miles.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Twickenham

You misunderstand me - I'm not talking upgrading your Choice Air flights, I'm talking ditching those (if you can without penalty) and reserving totally new tickets using miles.

 

I don't think it's possible just two days prior to the flight. I wouldn't jeopardize it. I'd rather fly Economy then not to fly at all.:D

I don't think it's possible just two days prior to the flight. I wouldn't jeopardize it. I'd rather fly Economy then not to fly at all.:D

 

I agree, that timeline is just a wee bit tight... :D However, it's not too late to start planning for next year's trip - those credit card bonuses can really add up!

We've used AC to/from Ist in the last year.

 

First time, my dime, about $300.00 less than others.

Second time, yes cruise line.

 

Flights were fine, service good. Only hang-up was seat assignment. My wife was in row 14, me in 35. No problem sitting together once we got to Toronto.

Co-incidentally, I flew with Air Canada for the first time recently, from London Heathrow to Ottawa and back.

 

It was for a work trip, so I got to fly in Business class. The plane was the old Boeing 767 and it was the classic pod product.

 

Air Canada International Business Class LHR to YOW

[YOUTUBE]zEOkHx0SnqU[/YOUTUBE]

 

Air Canada International Business Class YOW to LHR

[YOUTUBE]6aJr9NxVj4s[/YOUTUBE]

 

I understand that the Air Canada fleet is quite diverse and they have different products. So you may want to check up on the specific route and see which planes they are using.

You got this part right! :) ChoiceAir.

 

I was able to upgrade to BC all ChoiceAir tickets before. This one is a "no-go". :(

 

Hope your flight was OK but I fail to see what blame Choice Air has in this. It sounds like you were sold Air Canada Flex tickets (worst name ever since there is zero flexibility in them), these are the same tickets you can buy directly from Air Canada, and once purchased are not eligible for upgrade even when you purchase them yourself. To be able to upgrade you would have had to choose Latitude class or higher. The best you can do with Flex class tickets is pay for a "premium" seat. Unless you got an unbelieveable deal, these were likely the same tickets you would have purchased directly from Air Canada (that has been my experience) as Air Canada doesn't do a lot of consolidator type tickets to Europe.

Edited June 14, 2015 by RickT

Hope your flight was OK but I fail to see what blame Choice Air has in this. It sounds like you were sold Air Canada Flex tickets (worst name ever since there is zero flexibility in them), these are the same tickets you can buy directly from Air Canada.

The Choice Air "blame" (though I don't think that's the right word here) is the lack of transparency in what you are getting. Pig in a poke. Had the OP known what he was getting, he might have done differently and bought direct from AC, getting a different type of ticket.

 

All of what shows....there's more to a ticket than just price.

I flew the reverse last summer. The flight over in coach was OK, but I decided never again that long in coach.

 

As for no upgrades, if I'd been willing to pay $500 per person, we could have upgraded at check in when we arrived at the airport.

I was just looing for a flight on ITA, & I saw for the first time that AC Rouge is posted as such on that site, for those with questions.

The plane is a 767-300 which is not bad but 10 hours on any airplane is uncomfortable. We are taking the AC 810 flight in late August.