I recently flew Air Canada Business Class from Toronto to Copenhagen, offered on flights to and from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and South America aboard Boeing’s 787 and 777 aircraft as well as the Airbus A330.
A330-300 Cabin Layout
Inside our Airbus A330-300, 32 business class seats are configured 1x2x1, each one an individual suite with a cozy lie-flat bed.
Seats are 53.3 cm (21 in.) wide for ultimate long-haul comfort. Next to a compartment housing the remote console are 110-volt power ports to keep your tech charged in-flight.
Air Canada’s Panasonic eX3 is the airline’s latest generation in-flight entertainment system, with enhanced-definition and user-friendly touch screens.
Each seat also includes a high-quality audio/video on-demand player, interactive moving map, games, flight journey plus Air Canada highlights and destination guides.
This serves as the hub for newly-released films, shorts, TV shows, music and audio, kids shows, music, playlists, audio books, podcasts, games, duty-free shopping, on-board menus and hearing- and visually-impaired accessibility options.
Comfort
Pillow, sleeping mattress, noise-cancelling headphones and bottled water are at each seat, together with a striking yellow Acqua di Parma zippered amenity case.
The amenity kit contains an eye mask, dental kit, socks, ear plugs, tech cleaning cloth and an Acqua di Parma hand cream and lip balm duo.
Full-spectrum LED lighting, lower cabin altitude and advances in air filtration help the body adjust to different time zones, while helping to lessen travel fatigue. Once settled in, I’m offered a glass of sparking wine or water as staff hand out dining and drinks menus.
The area containing the charging outlets is deep enough to stow smart phones and other small items. A tiny reading light is illuminated by three small blue dots to easily locate in the dark.
Seat adjustments, lumbar massage, ambient lighting and headrest options are accessible via a small screen near the seat. The panel also includes do not disturb, wake me and flight attendant call options.
[Lots of room for stowing a laptop case, purse and shoes]
Underneath in front of my seat is a space for stowing a bag, shoes and above, a footrest for the seat’s reclining position.
Dining
As we’re gearing up to depart, I peruse the menu. The airline’s current culinary team counts Vancouver’s own Chef David Hawksworth, Vikram Vij, and Montreal’s Jérôme Ferrer. Sommelier Véronique Rivest has curated wine pairing suggestions for our dinner.
Our appetizer on this flight is Gravlax salmon, fennel and orange salad, honey mustard dressing with fresh seasonal salad and warm bread.
[Brown sugar tart and cheese selection]
Dinner choices on our flight range from a braised chicken leg with spicy noodles and bok choy to roasted cod, served with salsa verde, saffron rice, cherry tomato and Oyster mushroom.
Vegetarians can opt for an entrée of cauliflower steak, coconut curry and Oyster mushroom.
There are packaged snacks available during the flight in baskets at the front of the galley (Lindt dark chocolate, gummy bears, granola bars and chips).
[Breakfast as we approach Copenhagen]
Breakfast is a parsley omelette with chicken sausage, cottage cheese, roasted potatoes and red pepper relish, served with yogurt, fruit and a croissant.
Air Canada provides an extensive list of international red and white wines, champagne and port, signature cocktails, spirits, beer, cold and hot drinks, and Lavazza fresh-brewed coffee, espresso and cappuccino.
Luggage
Two suitcases are included with Air Canada’s Signature Class, together with priority check-in, baggage handling and early boarding.
Attentive service, lots of comfort options and thoughtfully-presented meals with a chance to lie flat en route make for a relaxed experience on these long-haul flights.