Review: Air Canada 787 Business Class Toronto to Buenos Aires

Flight Number
AC94
Aircraft
Boeing 787‑9
Duration
10 hours 45 minutes
Date
May 2018
Rating

 

Anyone who’s ever tried to book something on Aeroplan knows that booking long-haul Air Canada business class flights using Aeroplan miles comes with a hefty “fuel surcharge” of hundreds of dollars. Unless, of course, you make the booking out of an Air Canada Super Elite account, in which case the fuel surcharge is waived. That’s exactly what I did on my Latin America trip in order to get myself to Buenos Aires as conveniently as possible.

In This Post

Air Canada 787 Business Class – Booking

This was going to be my first time flying in the posh seats with Canada’s flag carrier, given that the fuel surcharges usually make Air Canada awards prohibitively expensive. I was intrigued to find out what the experience would be like, especially seeing as the airline has recently made significant improvements to their premium cabin product. I booked this flight as part of an Aeroplan Mini-RTW to Argentina and Brazil for a total of 150,000 miles.

Air Canada 787 Business Class – Ground Experience

I arrived at Toronto Pearson about two hours before the flight, and was delighted to finally be able to make use of the Air Canada premium check-in section. Since I fly Air Canada business class so rarely, this was the first time I was able to complete the check-in formalities at these particular desks.

Air Canada business class – Check-in

Air Canada business class – Check-in

Air Canada business class – Check-in

Air Canada business class – Check-in

At the end of the day, there was nothing too special about the premium check-in section, except for the beautiful model of the Air Canada Dreamliner that was on display – the very same aircraft that would be taking us to Buenos Aires!

Air Canada Boeing 787 Dreamliner model

Air Canada Boeing 787 Dreamliner model

Security was an absolute breeze since we had access to the priority lanes, and before long we were hanging out in the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge waiting to board our flight. We made for Gate E71 at the stated boarding time of 6:55pm, although we ended up waiting there for over 20 minutes for some unspecified reason, before we were finally on our way down the jet bridge… 

Air Canada 787 Business Class – Cabin

I boarded through the second door on the left side of the aircraft, turning left to enter the forward cabin. Business class on Air Canada’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners consists of 30 individual pods, known in the industry as “reverse herringbone seats”, all with direct aisle access.

Air Canada business class – Cabin

Air Canada business class – Cabin

Air Canada business class – Cabin

Air Canada business class – Cabin

My first impressions of the cabin were quite positive – I thought the ultra-sleek finishes and natural colour palettes looked very cool.

Air Canada business class – Cabin

Air Canada business class – Cabin

Air Canada business class – Backdrop

Air Canada business class – Backdrop

Air Canada 787 Business Class – Seat

Jessica and I both wanted to sit by the window on this flight, and so we had assigned ourselves Seats 6A and 7A. I settled down in Seat 7A, the window seat in the penultimate row of the cabin.

Air Canada business class – Seat 7A

Air Canada business class – Seat 7A

Air Canada business class – Seat 7A

Air Canada business class – Seat 7A

The most noteworthy feature of the seat is the storage nook that dominates the seat console. With the latch open, you have a spacious compartment in which to store loose items or small electronic devices.  The entertainment controller is latched here as well, while the USB and power outlets are located along the walls of the compartment, meaning that you can charge your devices whilst keeping them secure.

Air Canada business class – Storage compartment

Air Canada business class – Storage compartment

Air Canada business class – Storage compartment

Air Canada business class – Storage compartment

Meanwhile, flip the latch down and you find yourself with ample surface space instead. I thought this was a very cool feature, since it effectively lets you “put away” many of the usual business class seat features that can take up quite a bit of room.

Air Canada business class – Surface space

Air Canada business class – Surface space

The touch-screen seat controls are located along your armrest, facing you. There are also two analog buttons that you can use to change the seat from upright mode to lie-flat mode and vice versa.

Air Canada business class – Seat controls

Air Canada business class – Seat controls

A push-button reading light is mounted within the upper shell of your seat, adjacent to your headrest.

Air Canada business class – Reading light

Air Canada business class – Reading light

A few more features can be found in some rather interesting positions. The literature pocket is down by your feet, underneath the console of the seat in front of you. Meanwhile, there’s a small storage unit near the ground by the aisle – I’m not sure what this is useful for, besides perhaps storing a bottle of water that you can easily reach when waking up in the middle of your sleep.

Air Canada business class – Literature pocket

Air Canada business class – Literature pocket

Air Canada business class – Aisle-side storage unit

Air Canada business class – Aisle-side storage unit

Your aisle-side armrest is tucked away by default, although you can push a button on its forward side to raise it into position.

Air Canada business class – Adjustable armrest

Air Canada business class – Adjustable armrest

The tray table is interesting as well, and unlike any other tray table configuration I’ve seen. It’s initially locked in place underneath the entertainment screen and acts as a small countertop that’s good for placing a cup or a small dish.

Air Canada business class – Tray table stowed

Air Canada business class – Tray table stowed

You can release the tray table by unlatching a small handle on its underside, bringing it towards you along a diagonally downward-sloping set of rails. There are a total of three positions in which you can secure the tray table, and in each of the latter two positions, you can either use it as a thin countertop or fold it out and make it a full table.

Air Canada business class – Tray table extended halfway

Air Canada business class – Tray table extended halfway

Air Canada business class – Tray table extended fully

Air Canada business class – Tray table extended fully

Air Canada business class – Tray table folded out

Air Canada business class – Tray table folded out

Air Canada 787 Business Class – Amenities

Waiting at each seat was the blanket, pillow, headphones, amenity kit, and a bottle of water. 

Air Canada business class – Seat 7A

Air Canada business class – Seat 7A

The flight attendant came by to the pass out the welcome drinks and the in-flight menu.

Air Canada business class – Welcome champagne

Air Canada business class – Welcome champagne

Air Canada business class – Menu

Air Canada business class – Menu

I also took the time prior to take-off to flip through the Want Les Essentiels amenity kit, which I must say is one of the most stylish kits I’ve seen recently. I’m definitely keeping these around to use in day-to-day life.

Air Canada business class – Amenity kit

Air Canada business class – Amenity kit

Air Canada business class – Amenity kit

Air Canada business class – Amenity kit

The contents of the kit were rather bare-bones, consisting of socks, earplugs, face lotion, an eye mask, a dental kit, and a cloth for cleaning your glasses. Having said that, I did really enjoy the design of the glass cloth, which was emblazoned with the three-letter airport codes of various Air Canada destinations.

Air Canada business class – Amenity kit contents

Air Canada business class – Amenity kit contents

Our take-off was delayed by a little while due to some maintenance issues, so I kept exploring the space around me to keep myself occupied. The aircraft had self-dimming windows instead of window shades, and you control the amount of light you want using a small button beneath the window.

Air Canada business class – Boeing 787 self-dimming windows

Air Canada business class – Boeing 787 self-dimming windows

Air Canada business class – Window switch

Air Canada business class – Window switch

What I had never before realized about the Boeing 787’s self-dimming windows was that they could be controlled electronically as well. Indeed, you can choose the dimness of your seat’s windows in the “Ambience” sub-menu of the seat controls…

Air Canada business class – Window switch via seat controls

Air Canada business class – Window switch via seat controls

…as well as the touch-screen entertainment system! How awesome is that?

Air Canada business class – Window switch via entertainment system

Air Canada business class – Window switch via entertainment system

We had reached cruising altitude by the time the crew was coming around to take meal orders. The menu read as follows:

 

Air Canada 787 Business Class – Meal Service

I ordered a glass of the Spanish red to drink, and for my main course I picked the Chef David Hawksworth signature dish, the red wine braised duck leg with crushed fingerling potato.

The Monteabellón wine was served quickly alongside a small dish of mixed warm nuts.

Air Canada business class – Wine and mixed nuts

Air Canada business class – Wine and mixed nuts

The flight attendant set my table before bringing over the appetizer and salad on a tray. Shortly after, I was also offered my choice from the breadbasket. With my table set for dinner, there was no place for me to use my laptop, so I put it away for the time being. I kind of felt that Air Canada’s business class seat was a little on the small side – certainly more restrictive than EVA Air, which also has reverse herringbone seats in business class.

Air Canada business class – Appetizer tray

Air Canada business class – Appetizer tray

I love seafood, so the lobster and shrimp appetizer was a real treat. I liked the tomato confit and garlic aioli garnishes, although I have to say that artichoke is far from my favourite vegetable, so I didn’t eat too many of those.

Air Canada business class – Lobster and shrimp appetizer

Air Canada business class – Lobster and shrimp appetizer

Soon after being polished off, the appetizer was replaced by the main course. Chef Hawksworth’s signature dish comes presented beautifully, the duck leg propped up by a smattering of potatoes, pearl onions, and peas, all drenched in a rich red wine sauce and topped with crispy potato crumble. And believe me, it tastes as good as it looks. 

Air Canada business class – Red wine braised duck leg

Air Canada business class – Red wine braised duck leg

I spent a good half hour working my way to the bone, enjoying the splendid mix of flavours. It was proper restaurant-quality food, and I have to say that for business class, this is about as good as it gets.

Over in Seat 6A, Jessica had ordered the barbecue salmon with basmati rice and bok choy, which looked great as well.

Air Canada business class – Barbecue salmon with basmati rice

Air Canada business class – Barbecue salmon with basmati rice

Throughout the meal, the crew was proactive in keeping my wine glass topped up and seeing if there was anything else they could offer. It seemed to be mostly relatively senior crew members working the business class cabin on this flight, and they were friendly and charming.

Once the main course was finished, I was asked if I wanted cheese and dessert to follow. I gladly said yes to the cheese plate, consisting of oka, camembert, and cheddar, together with some grapes and crackers. 

Air Canada business class – Cheese plate

Air Canada business class – Cheese plate

Whenever a cheese plate is offered in business class, I usually find it difficult to finish the whole thing, since I’ve typically just finished off a big meal. Nevertheless, I still try my best, because it just feels like such a fun and mildly decadent thing to eat. This flight was no exception; I successfully conquered the oka and camembert, along with all the garnishes, but that last block of cheddar eventually proved a step too far.

Nevertheless, when the dessert cart rolled around – consisting of a brown sugar tart, with vanilla custard poured right in front of your eyes – I was again unable to resist. I ordered a black tea to help wash it down and took to the task with renewed vigour, eventually finishing off the whole thing.

Air Canada business class – Brown sugar tart with vanilla custard

Air Canada business class – Brown sugar tart with vanilla custard

With the meal wrapping up, I asked for a glass of extra spicy Clamato, mostly because it was there on the menu and it had been a while since the last time I’d had some. I still can’t decide if the taste of tomato and clam juice is something I love or hate.

Air Canada business class – Extra spicy Clamato

Air Canada business class – Extra spicy Clamato

Air Canada 787 Business Class – Bed

The meal service concluded about two hours into the flight, and I spent another hour or so working on my laptop. Soon, it was 11pm Toronto time and most passengers were beginning to catch some sleep for the night. There was no sign of any turndown service, and people were making their own beds using the blankets and mattress sheets provided.

I went to the restroom to freshen up before going to bed. The business class restroom at the front of the Boeing 787 is surprisingly tiny, and there’s very little room to maneuver.

Air Canada business class – Restroom

Air Canada business class – Restroom

Air Canada business class – Restroom decor

Air Canada business class – Restroom decor

Later on, I also visited the restroom behind me, which I believe is meant for premium economy passengers. That restroom turned out to be a lot more spacious. So that’s something to keep in mind if you’re seated in the rows further back in Air Canada business class.

Back at my seat, I noticed that Seat 6D opposite me was empty for the flight, so I elected to make my bed there. 

Air Canada business class – Seat 6D

Air Canada business class – Seat 6D

The aisle seats have a privacy divider between them, which, as it turns out, couldn’t be raised or lowered. That’s a major design flaw, in my opinion, since it really limits the usefulness of these middle seats for couples travelling together.

There’s also some cool lighting along this divider; the “Ambience” sub-menu in the aisle seats allows you to control this lighting in place of the window brightness.

Air Canada business class – Ambience lighting

Air Canada business class – Ambience lighting

I shut off the lighting and put the seat into lie-flat mode, hoping to get some decent sleep for the six hours or so that remained (keeping in mind that breakfast would be served approximately 75 minutes prior to landing).

Air Canada business class – Bed

Air Canada business class – Bed

Air Canada business class – Bed

Air Canada business class – Bed

I have to say that I didn’t find the Air Canada business class bed to be very comfortable at all. The problem was specifically with the footwell, which felt extremely restrictive. There was simply very little legroom – you couldn’t bend your legs at all if you were lying on your back, and even if you turned to your side, you’d only be able to bend your legs very slightly.

This isn’t particular to the passenger’s body type, either. I struggled with getting my legs in a comfortable position the whole night, and Jessica’s diminutive frame experienced the same issues. I ended up propping my leg up outside the footwell and flush against the entertainment screen for a significant part of my sleep. It speaks volumes that I found that to be more comfortable than sleeping in the lie-flat seat normally. 

Air Canada 787 Business Class – Entertainment

I flicked through the entertainment system a little more earlier as we’d begun our takeoff roll. There was a very wide selection of movies for you to enjoy on the HD screen.

Air Canada business class – Movie selection

Air Canada business class – Movie selection

Air Canada business class – Movie selection

Air Canada business class – Movie selection

While Jessica enjoyed a movie or two over the course of the flight, I had opted to get some work done on my laptop, so I put on the airshow instead. To my delight, Air Canada has one of those extensive airshow programs that let you pan, zoom, rotate, etc., including the amazing “command centre” viewpoint.

Air Canada business class – Airshow

Air Canada business class – Airshow

Air Canada business class – Airshow

Air Canada business class – Airshow

Air Canada 787 Business Class – Snack Service

As I returned from the restroom earlier, I took note of the snack baskets that had been laid out at the front of the cabin. I grabbed a KitKat and a bag of chips to keep for later.

Air Canada business class – Self-serve snacks

Air Canada business class – Self-serve snacks

A fitful night of sleep was brought to an end when I was awoken for the breakfast service at T-minus 75 minutes, on the dot. Breakfast consisted of fruits, yogurts, and pastries to begin with, followed by my choice between omelette and pancakes, which were served from a meal cart that was pushed through the cabin.

Air Canada business class – Breakfast

Air Canada business class – Breakfast

I went with the omelette with chicken sausage and potatoes, which was tasty except for the cottage cheese, which I don’t particularly like. To drink, I had a glass of orange juice and a black coffee, to get me in the mood for a long and exciting day ahead in Buenos Aires.

Air Canada business class – Breakfast

Air Canada business class – Breakfast

After clearing away the breakfast trays, the crew passed out the Argentina customs forms.

Air Canada business class – Argentina customs forms

Air Canada business class – Argentina customs forms

Before long, we were given the all-clear to make our landing in Ezeiza International Airport, where it had rained early in the morning and was just beginning to clear up. I had dozed off to sleep again by this point, and barely lifted an eyelid when we touched down and taxied to our gate.

Conclusion

Air Canada business class, particularly on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner and in light of the recent improvements they’ve made, left me with plenty of positive impressions. I thought the cabin’s finishes worked relatively well, drawing upon natural hues of grey and beige to give passengers a feeling of understated refinement. The food was top-notch as well, with Chef David Hawksworth’s culinary expertise really shining through in the appetizer, main course, and dessert.

Having said that, I do take issue with how restrictive the business class seat feels, especially when in lie-flat mode, when the objective is to get a good night’s sleep. In some cases (such as travel to South America), Air Canada remains the best possible Star Alliance business class option, but in other instances I would definitely look at other airlines, for this reason alone.

 

 

11 Comments
  1. Colleen

    Does a better option exist these days for lie-flat seats from YYZ to EZE? TIA!

  2. AAS

    Has anybody else out there found that most Ait Canada meal items in business class have not changed in the past few decades. It seems that no matter how many times you write to them, they are unwilling to change. I’m seriously thinking about quitting loyalties and traveling on the cheapest business class available, cause Super Elite has very few extra perks to begin with, and it’s not as if Air Canada Business Class flights are the most economical.

  3. RR

    I agree with your comments about the legroom when laying flat. Also, they are having a real problem with the business class air seats deflating. Sometimes before take off and other times during the flight, and the reset procedure rarely works. When that happens you are sitting/sleeping on a sheet of metal. If people are not aware they just think it is very uncomfortable. Search Air Canada deflategate on Flyertalk Forums and you will see it is a real problem. Best to avoid their business class for now if you can.

  4. Diana

    Hi, I need to buy your amenity kit, would you please contact me for that? thanks !

    1. Ricky YVR

      Hi Diana,

      Not quite sure what you mean here since I’ve used up virtually all the contents of the amenity kit already!

      Cheers
      Ricky

  5. Matt

    Completely agree with the bed! When I flew it the first time, couldn’t fall asleep for an agonizing 6 hours. It just wasn’t comfortable. It’s not about reverse herringbone config either, as I’ve always had great sleep on EVA’s seats.

    1. Jerry

      Totally agreed~

  6. Jerry

    I understand you booked your air Canada internationalvbusiness class using super elite 100K members account. The question is I thought only super elite 100K member itself and its family members can book air Canada international business class seats. How did you manage to pull it off as a third party?
    Also, the newly renovated air Canada international business class is horrible for sleeping to my estimate because what you mentioned about your legs can move while in sleep mode. The designer was in drug use when they design this kind of product I guess. Sorry for my language but I’m just really pissed off with the seat…

    1. Ricky YVR

      I think you’re talking about Air Canada Priority Rewards, which allow you to access AC awards that aren’t showing regular award availability, whereas I just used a Super Elite account to book a regular business class award flight (with existing availability) to enjoy the fuel surcharge waiver.

      Agreed on the seat, and I don’t really get it either. Did they not try sleeping in the bed during the testing phase?

      1. Man

        Hi Ricky. Thank you for your blog, very well done and inspiring.
        I’m curious about this possibility to use a SuperElite Account to book award flight. How do you proceed? Does the points need to be in the SuperElite account to reserve? And what about the lower cancellation fee for Super Elite: does the reservation to cancel must be done with the SuperElite account?

        1. Ricky YVR

          Yes, the points need to be in the Super Elite account to reserve, and you issue the ticket in the passenger’s name.

          To enjoy the lower cancellation fees of Super Elite / Diamond members, I don’t believe the original itinerary must be booked by a Super Elite / Diamond account. As long as the person calling in has the status, it should work nonetheless.

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