Air Canada Launches New Toronto–Osaka Route

Air Canada is continuing to expand its route network in Asia with the upcoming launch of non-stop seasonal flights from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Osaka (KIX). 

As of June 17, 2024, the airline will offer thrice-weekly service between the two cities, which was last served between 1997 and 2000, as per Aeroroutes.

Air Canada’s New Toronto–Osaka Route

As of June 17, 2024, Air Canada will once again be offering non-stop seasonal service from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Osaka (KIX). This route comes as the airline’s second to Osaka, as it also offers seasonal service from Vancouver (YVR).

Based on the preliminary schedule listing, this flight will be operated three times weekly, with the following planned schedule:

• AC59 Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Osaka (KIX), departing 2pm and arriving 5:35pm the following day
• AC60 Osaka (KIX) to Toronto Pearson (YYZ), departing 7:05pm and arriving 7pm

The flight from Toronto is slated to run 14 hours 35 minutes, and it’s offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Meanwhile, the flight from Osaka clocks in at 12 hours 55 minutes, and it’ll operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

The seasonal service is set to end on October 25, 2024.

Air Canada will fly the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on this route, with economy, premium economy, and business class cabins available for booking.

The flights are loaded into Air Canada’s schedule, and can be booked across various channels, including Aeroplan.

Booking the New Toronto–Osaka Route

If you’re looking to book the new Toronto–Osaka route, you can choose to book with cash or Aeroplan points, amongst other means.

The flight between Toronto and Osaka measures 6,626 miles, according to Great Circle Mapper.

We’d then need to reference the second distance band on the “Between North America and Pacific zones” section of the Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart to get a sense of pricing.

A non-stop flight at the lowest dynamic level would cost 45,000 Aeroplan points in economy, 60,000 Aeroplan points in premium economy, or 75,000 Aeroplan points in business class. 

However, keep in mind that Air Canada flights booked with Aeroplan points are subject to dynamic pricing. Therefore, you can expect to find a range of prices above this level, too.

At first glance, it appears that many dates in June have premium economy award pricing at 60,000 points, with multiple seats available. In many cases, premium economy actually costs less than economy.

There doesn’t appear to be bountiful eUpgrade availability in either direction. However, keep in mind that you’ll be first in line for a waitlist eUpgrade if you book premium economy to begin with.

Therefore, if you have your eye on a summer trip to Japan, take advantage of the set of premium economy awards at 60,000 points apiece, and then hope that your eUpgrade request clears for the long-haul flights.

Plus, if you have an Aeroplan co-branded credit card, you can benefit from preferred pricing, which could bring down the cost by a fair margin.

Conclusion

Air Canada will offer non-stop service between Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Osaka (KIX) as of June 17, 2024. The airline last operated this route between 1997 and 2000, and it comes in addition to the carrier’s existing seasonal service between Vancouver (YVR) and Osaka (KIX).

Air Canada has seen a number of new routes to Asia in the last few years, including Singapore, Mumbai, and Bangkok, amongst others. With Japan being such a popular destination in the post-pandemic world, it’s not surprising to see another route being launched from an Air Canada hub.

If you have a summer trip to Japan planned, be sure to book soon, especially if you can find Aeroplan bookings at the lower end of the dynamic spectrum in any class of service.