Air Canada and Bell have announced a partnership that encompasses connectivity both in-flight and on the ground.
Through the partnership, Aeroplan members will be able to enjoy complimentary in-flight messaging on all flights equipped with Wi-Fi. Furthermore, the multi-year partnership also comes with complimentary SIM cards for newcomers and visitors to Canada on select international flights, allowing for easy connectivity upon arrival in Canada.
Air Canada Adds Partnership with Bell
Air Canada and Bell have announced details of a new partnership that will enhance connectivity for Air Canada passengers in the skies and on the ground.
To begin, Bell will become the premier sponsor of Air Canada’s in-flight Wi-Fi offering. The multi-year partnership is the latest addition to Air Canada and Aeroplan’s list of partners, which includes many other retail and airline partners.
As of May 15, 2023, Air Canada and Bell will offer complimentary in-flight messaging for Aeroplan members on all Wi-Fi equipped Air Canada flights, including on Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express. Passengers will be able to send and receive messages for free using many common apps, such as iMessage, WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber, and Messages by Google.
The free messaging benefit will also be available to loyalty program members of Air Canada’s key strategic partners, including United MileagePlus, Lufthansa Miles & More, and Emirates Skywards.
It’s important to note that the loyalty account number must be attached to the Air Canada booking to benefit from complimentary in-flight messaging.
As a reminder, Wi-Fi is available on 100% of Air Canada’s wide-body aircraft, as well as on its fleet of Airbus A220, A319, A320, and A321 aircraft. To date, none of the airline’s fleet of 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft have been equipped with Wi-Fi; however, these are the only aircraft left without Wi-Fi, aside from Air Canada’s smaller aircraft for short-haul routes.
The progress of Wi-Fi implementation can be tracked on the Air Canada website.
The Air Canada press release also mentions that live TV will be expanded to flights between Canada and the United States later on in Summer 2023. Recall that in October 2022, Air Canada announced a number of enhancements to its ground and in-flight experience, which included the addition of six Bell Media live TV channels on select flights within Canada.
The upcoming expansion of live TV to select transborder flights is an extension of the service, which also promised a 25% increase to the amount of content available on flights.
Visitors and Newcomers Will Receive Free SIM Cards on Select Routes
A further aspect of the new partnership between Air Canada and Bell is that newcomers and visitors to Canada will receive complimentary mobile SIM cards on select inbound international flights. The intention behind this is that passengers will be able to stay connected with family and friends immediately upon their arrival in Canada.
Those who receive the complimentary SIM cards will be able to activate them during the flight. As soon as the plane lands and passengers can switch their devices off of airplane mode, they’ll enjoy seamless connectivity without having to wait until they can find a kiosk to purchase a SIM card.
The exact details of the inclusions with the complimentary SIM cards, such as airtime, messaging, and data caps, have not been released at this time. Furthermore, the list of routes on which the free SIM cards will be offered is not yet available.
This is a unique partnership that will surely be appreciated by anyone who wants to get connected to friends and family as soon as they arrive in Canada.
Conclusion
Air Canada and Bell have announced a multi-year partnership that revolves around ground and in-flight connectivity.
As of May 15, 2023, Aeroplan members can enjoy complimentary in-flight messaging on a number of common applications to stay connected with people on the ground. The service will also be available to loyalty program members of some of Air Canada’s strategic partners.
Newcomers and visitors to Canada will soon be given complimentary mobile SIM cards on select inbound international flights, which can be activated in-flight so that they’re ready to use as soon as the airplane mode function is switched off of their mobile devices.