WARNING: Air Canada Rouge is terrible - avoid it

I am usually one of the most diligent consumers you will find. I carefully read reviews and familiarize myself with all of the information before making travel decisions.

However, even the greats have their off days, and despite my usual thoroughness, I blew my flight reservation to Vancouver.

A few months ago, I went onto a popular online search tool and looked for airfares from LAX to Vancouver. Air Canada, which I had just flown recently from Toronto, was the cheapest. It wasn't cheapest by a wide margin, but it was still the least expensive. The fine print said "Operated by Air Canada Rouge", but I foolishly didn't bother to look up what that was. "Air Canada was fine, so I'm sure Rouge will be fine, too."

NOPE

Turns out that Rogue, while bearing the Air Canada name and fully owned by Air Canada, is quite different than regular Air Canada. It's a budget airline, but apparently takes "budget" to a whole new level:

- There are no TVs on board. That's right, not one. You are supposed to bring your own entertainment, or you can use a buggy app of theirs to watch things wirelessly on your iPad/iPhone (which sounds cool, but it doesn't work well).

- The flight attendants are all in their 20s and mostly clueless/green/incompetent.

- Some people complained the planes were cold. Also, apparently there are no adjustable air vents.

- Some people complained that the floors and bathrooms were dirty.

- The seats are uncomfortable. Apparently it's a new "slimline" design, and they are not well cushioned.

- The legroom is horrendous. I don't mean bad. I mean horrendous. That was by far the #1 complaint. People who were 5'4" were complaining about the legroom. People who were 5'11" and above reported not being able to fit at all, and had to stretch their legs in the aisle. A guy who is 6'0" reported that his back "took two months to recover" from a 4 hour flight.

I am 6'2", by the way.

The seat thing was killing me, and I strongly considered just eating the money I spent on the tickets and buying last-minute tickets on a US airline for like $350 each (I needed three, though, which would cost me over $1100 total).

The flight is only 2 hours and 45 minutes, which while still long enough to really be uncomfortable, isn't as bad as something like 5 hours. Going home from Anchorage (a flight over 5 hours) we are on a normal Alaska Airlines flight.

So I started thinking up possible solutions. I decided that if I could eliminate the horrendous legroom issue, the rest would be tolerable.

But how? We're just 2 days away, and there couldn’t be much as far as seats left.

So I went on Air Canada's website and looked up our booking.

The Airbus 319 has 136 seats, of which 118 are those horrible standard seats with a 29" pitch (distance from seat-back to the seat-back in front of it).

Of the remaining 18 seats, 12 are first class, and 6 are Economy Plus, both of which have a 35" pitch (6 more inches). They're the same seats as the economy section, but just have that critical 6 inches of extra legroom. The "first class" ones are again the same seats as Economy Plus, but just with nobody sitting in the middle (it's left empty -- lol).

Anyway, after seeing that, I was sure that we were screwed. First class was an upgrade over over $200 per person, and there were just 6 Economy Plus seats on the whole plane. We were less than 48 hours away from flying (this was last night).

But guess what? Believe it or not, there were exactly 3 seats left in Economy Plus (exactly what we needed), so I grabbed them all. It was $40 each, and from reading the horrendous reviews of the 29" pitch seats, I think it will be the best $120 I ever spent.

The people behind me will still be kicking my seat (as they still have the 29" pitch), and my seat will apparently only recline 3", but at least my legs won't feel like they were tortured for 3 hours.

Anyway, read the reviews for Rouge if you think I'm exaggerating:

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/air_canrge.htm

And here is an average-sized adult sitting in his economy seat: http://cdn.seatguru.com/photos/show?pid=8487&photoversion=1

Here is the laughable 'first class' service, where they just leave the middle seat empty: http://cdn.seatguru.com/photos/show/?pid=8488&photoversion=1

Anyway, I am NEVER taking this Rouge crap again, but at least my flight will (probably) be tolerable.

But anyone here considering it, look elsewhere, even if you have to go to Westjet (which is also a budget airline, but rated FAR better).

Darn, I've booked them for a long haul flight in October. Thank goodness I'm not tall.

Sent from my GT-P3113

Darn, I've booked them for a long haul flight in October. Thank goodness I'm not tall.

 

Sent from my GT-P3113

You probably will be better off upgrading even if you're short.

It was only $40 to upgrade to "Plus" for my flight.

Another advantage of Plus is that the people in front of you won't be leaning into your lap.

Seriously, I am one of those guys who rarely wastes money on overpriced "upgrades", but this is a no-brainer to anyone flying on Rouge.

I mean, the no-brainer really is to avoid it, but if you booked without realizing how bad it was (like you and I did), a Plus upgrade is wise.

Darn, I've booked them for a long haul flight in October. Thank goodness I'm not tall.

 

Sent from my GT-P3113

I flew them recently with a large group that was complaining too but, I think other than leg room it is actually a decent airline. Nothing is free but the food for sale is better than your average airline food. Personally, I would still take it over United or Delta.

I fly Air Canada regularly and find it more than satisfactory. However I have avoided Rouge and will continue to do so. It is a budget airline designed to compete in the leisure market with such carriers as AirTransat and Skyservice.

Westjet is not a budget airline as the OP indicates. Its pricing is virtually identical to Air Canada but in my opinion does not offer as good service as does Air Canada. I will fly Westjet only when the schedule is more convenient for me than Air Canada's.

We have a flight booked through a TA our paperwork says Air Canada and givea an AC flight number. How would we know if it is actually Air Canada Rouge, is the flight number prefix different. I would rather not ring my TA at this stage.

We have a flight booked through a TA our paperwork says Air Canada and givea an AC flight number. How would we know if it is actually Air Canada Rouge, is the flight number prefix different. I would rather not ring my TA at this stage.

Log into the Air Canada website. Do a dummy booking and fill out the day you are flying and look for your flight number. From there you will be able to see whether your flight is Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge as both have the "AC" designation.

We have a flight booked through a TA our paperwork says Air Canada and givea an AC flight number. How would we know if it is actually Air Canada Rouge, is the flight number prefix different. I would rather not ring my TA at this stage.

Hopefully this helps. Specifically; a Rouge flight will be numbered 1750-1999

Air Canada Flight Number Ranges:

AC 0001 2199 AC Air Canada

AC 1750 1999 RV Air Canada rouge

AC 2200 2539 CO United Airlines

AC 2540 2723 9L United Express/Colgan Air

AC 2724 2793 C5 United Express/CommutAir

AC 2794 2813 S5 United Express/Shuttle America

AC 2814 2977 RP United Express/Chautauqua Airlines

AC 2978 3699 XE United Express/ExpressJet Airlines

AC 3750 3938 YV United Express/Mesa

AC 3939 4549 OO United Express/SkyWest Airlines

AC 4550 4599 RP United Express/ExpressJet Airlines

AC 4600 4759 S5 United Express/Shuttle America

AC 4760 4874 AX United Express/Trans States Airlines

AC 4875 4999 G7 United Express/GoJet Airlines

AC 5000 5999 UA United Airlines

AC 6000 6019 9W Jet Airways

AC 6088 6121 NZ Air New Zealand

AC 6122 6137 TG Thai Airways International

AC 6138 6153 AV Avianca

AC 6154 6183 OS Austrian Airlines

AC 6184 6223 VO Tyrolean Airways

AC 6224 6229 EL Air Nippon

AC 6230 6259 NH All Nippon Airways

AC 6260 6269 NQ Air Japan

AC 6270 6295 EH ANA Wings

AC 6296 6309 SQ Singapore Airlines

AC 6326 6385 SN Brussels Airlines

AC 6456 6489 TA TACA International Airlines

AC 6490 6509 LR LACSA

AC 6510 6523 MS Egyptair

AC 6524 6533 ME Middle East Airlines

AC 6534 6549 SA South African Airways

AC 6679 6729 TK Turkish Airlines

AC 6730 6769 LO LOT Polish Airlines

AC 6770 6804 LO LOT Regionals

AC 6805 6839 LX Swiss International

AC 6840 6849 LX Swiss European Regionals

AC 6850 6879 CA Air China

AC 6880 6899 UL SriLankan Airlines

AC 6900 6924 EI Aer Lingus

AC 6925 6949 TP TAP Portugal

AC 6950 6979 JJ TAM Linhas Aéreas

AC 6980 6999 OZ Asiana Airlines

AC 7200 7349 AGE Air Canada Express/Air Georgian

AC 7350 7614 ZX Air Canada Express/Sky Regional

AC 7615 7649 EVS Air Canada Express/Exploits Valley Air Services

AC 7650 8999 QK Air Canada Express/Jazz

AC 9000 9719 LH Lufthansa

AC 9760 9799 EN Air Dolomiti

AC 9900 9999 SK Scandinavian Airlines

We have a flight booked through a TA our paperwork says Air Canada and givea an AC flight number. How would we know if it is actually Air Canada Rouge, is the flight number prefix different. I would rather not ring my TA at this stage.

if you have a 4 digit flight number it is not the normal AC flight ;)

if you have a 4 digit flight number it is not the normal AC flight ;)

People; you can ignore this statement; there are plenty of Air Canada operated flights with four digit flight numbers. See the above chart for details.

We are returning from Dublin in a month on Rouge. Not to worried about it. We have flown to every province in Canada on Air Canada and on the regional carrier, Jazz ( Air Canada Express ). We would prefer Air Canada for this trip but it would require returning to Heathrow. The extra time etc was not worth it, so Rouge it is. We know what to expect. I doubt it will be any worse than what a 5'4" friend experienced recently on KLM from YVR to AMS. Matter of fact many carriers are now flying high density aircraft that might make Rouge look good or at least not so bad. The entertainment issue is no problem. We carry all the "toys" anyway so no big deal. Just for clarification, we are flying Air Canada to Heathrow for a short stay in London and then on to Edinburgh before making our way to Dublin on a land tour. We have also used Westjet on a less frequent basis. We prefer AC but have no issue with either.

Have to disagree with the OP on his comment about Westjet.

We fly Westjet on a regular basis, they have TV's located behind the seat in front of you, they serve all the amenities that other airlines provide, their Stewardess/Stewards are very professional, helpful and courteous.

In fact they have a very good sense of humour and it's a custom on all flights to have a joke delivered over the PA (most are funny, but some have been dogs) much to the amusement of all passengers.

I have found their fares to be much lower than Air Canada and unlike AC, they have never lost or left my luggage at the departing airport.

WestJet Airlines is far from a "budget" airlines, don't knock it till ya tried it.

cheers...the Ump...:D

Ok so I am not as smart as SCOTTBEE :rolleyes:

When looking for flights on the Air Canada website it will have a notation beside the flight number to say if it is Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Jazz, Air Canada Express etc..

The Rouge flights seem to be highlighted in a RED BOX

Just look before you book so you know what you will be flying on

Well, I just flew it.

And I'm an idiot.

I forgot a critical piece of luggage, had to go back home to get it, lost 35 minutes, hit bad traffic, and got to the terminal 7 minutes after the deadline.

They gave away our preferred seats with the legroom, so I had to fly in those awful normal ones. They were as tight as everyone says, and at 6'2", I was miserable. Flight attendants were young and passive/aggressive.

Overall a poor experience but at least our luggage is here.

Thanks for your help. We are on 855 out and 850 back.

Thanks for your help. We are on 855 out and 850 back.

They are both regular AC flight on 777 by the looks of it NOT ROUGE

Have you looked on the Air Canada website for those flights on your dates of travel ?

Thanks for your help. We are on 855 out and 850 back.

AC850 will be fine, older aircraft (either an A330 or 767-300).

AC855 will be cramped on a new 777-300 High-density.

The 777-300 HD holds 100 people more than Air Canada's older 777-300s by going to 10 across in economy along with tighter seat pitch. Google "Air Canada 777HD" and you'll find lots of less than enthusiastic reviews

Are there any airlines with comfortable economy seats :confused:

Are there any airlines with comfortable economy seats :confused:

Comfort is a relative term, but if I am sitting on the wrong side of the magical curtain *gasp*, AC's Embraer 175s are surprisingly roomy. 32 - 34" pitch. AC has transferred all of those aircraft to Sky Regional (dba as Air Canada Express) and you can usually find those aircraft flying low(-ish) density transborder routes out of Toronto and Montreal.

Their Embraer 190's are at 33" and fly a mix of longer haul intra-Canada and transborder out of all of AC's bases - Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

Business class seating on both types is 1 + 2, so always nice to get a combined aisle / window seat as a business traveller.

Here's a Peter Greenburg article that help you with other North American airlines http://petergreenberg.com/2013/04/08/5-north-america-airlines-with-the-most-comfortable-coach-seats/

Scott.

Comfort is a relative term, but if I am sitting on the wrong side of the magical curtain *gasp*, AC's Embraer 175s are surprisingly roomy. 32 - 34" pitch. AC has transferred all of those aircraft to Sky Regional (dba as Air Canada Express) and you can usually find those aircraft flying low(-ish) density transborder routes out of Toronto and Montreal.

 

Their Embraer 190's are at 33" and fly a mix of longer haul intra-Canada and transborder out of all of AC's bases - Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

 

Business class seating on both types is 1 + 2, so always nice to get a combined aisle / window seat as a business traveller.

 

Here's a Peter Greenburg article that help you with other North American airlines http://petergreenberg.com/2013/04/08/5-north-america-airlines-with-the-most-comfortable-coach-seats/

 

Scott.

Thank you for the article post. It will go in my favorites for next time I book a flight within North America:)

We flew a Dash 8 to PIT last year it was fine in EC better than the Delta flight home on a Canadair which was cramped to say the least

We flown in the smaller CRJ's ...sometimes you just have to take what is on offer to get where you are going :)

I usually fly air Canada. I'd prefer westjet but its usually more expensive.

thank you for starting this thread. I will keep away from rouge. I'm really short but from the looks of the photo, my bottom wouldn't fit in the seat! :eek:

I stumbled upon this post and glad to see it's not only me. I too traveled on Rogue back in May on a flight from Vancouver to LAX! It was horrible. I am 6'3" and although the seat was tight that is not my real issue. The flight attendants were pretty dismal. And on my flight there were many of their co-workers on the same flight. They spent time with one another and did not pay attention to their responsibilities. I'm not talking about food and drink I mean the real stuff they are there to do.

There was this one funny thing though...the flight attendant read the pre-flight instructions in English and French. She butchered the French...really...and her English wasn't that hot either...

Lesson learned...

I stumbled upon this post and glad to see it's not only me. I too traveled on Rogue back in May on a flight from Vancouver to LAX! It was horrible. I am 6'3" and although the seat was tight that is not my real issue. The flight attendants were pretty dismal. And on my flight there were many of their co-workers on the same flight. They spent time with one another and did not pay attention to their responsibilities. I'm not talking about food and drink I mean the real stuff they are there to do.

 

There was this one funny thing though...the flight attendant read the pre-flight instructions in English and French. She butchered the French...really...and her English wasn't that hot either...

 

Lesson learned...

Yes, the flight attendants are notoriously bad on Rogue.

Here is a real conversation I had with one of them regarding the food for purchase:

Me: Does the BBQ beef sandwich have mayo on it?

Her: (reading) Let's see, it has BBQ sauce, lettuce, mayo....

Me: No, I mean is the mayo actually on the sandwich? Like, it is already pre-made with mayo, or do I get the mayo on the side? Because I don't like mayo.

Her: Well, it says it comes with BBQ sauce, lettuce, mayo...

Me: Yes, I know, but some sandwiches come with mayo on the side and some with mayo already spread on it when it's made, so can you tell me which one?

Her: I told you, the sandwich has BBQ sauce, lettuce, mayo....

Me: You know what? I'll just have a Coke.

Yes, the flight attendants are notoriously bad on Rogue.

 

Here is a real conversation I had with one of them regarding the food for purchase:

 

Me: Does the BBQ beef sandwich have mayo on it?

 

Her: (reading) Let's see, it has BBQ sauce, lettuce, mayo....

 

Me: No, I mean is the mayo actually on the sandwich? Like, it is already pre-made with mayo, or do I get the mayo on the side? Because I don't like mayo.

 

Her: Well, it says it comes with BBQ sauce, lettuce, mayo...

 

Me: Yes, I know, but some sandwiches come with mayo on the side and some with mayo already spread on it when it's made, so can you tell me which one?

 

Her: I told you, the sandwich has BBQ sauce, lettuce, mayo....

 

Me: You know what? I'll just have a Coke.

Also hating mayo, I really enjoyed that!

I have never flown Rouge, but I remember it was touted as being a lower cost alternative, and from the flights I checked, that just wasn't true. I've never read a good review about them.