AC's James Howey (second from right), Regional General Manager, Passenger Sales - British Columbia, with cabin crew
A Premium Economy meal
Forbes Travel's Lisa Knotts & Lori Martin check out the Business Class seating
Interior of the Economy Class cabin with lighting designed to reduce jetlag
Air Canada has finally jumped on the bandwagon and is now offering Premium Economy seats on some of its flights. On a chilly evening in a hangar at YVR, members of the travel trade were given a 1st hand look at these seats which have been incorporated into its latest B777-300 aircraft.
Our AC hosts, Edna Ray, Regional Sales Manager − British Columbia and James Howey, Regional General Manager, Passenger Sales − British Columbia, plus several cabin crew, showed off the new aircraft configuration and expounded on the new offerings.
Why all the hype over the Premium Economy Class? For starters, passengers get priority check-in and boarding. Inflight, the seat configuration is 2-4-2 and seat pitch is 38” compared to 31” in Economy. Even the pillow is larger than the ones in Economy Class. There are also better meal offerings which are served on china. On the topic of food, Premium Economy pax travelling within Canada will also receive free meal service, including alcoholic beverages.
Five B777 aircraft now feature 36 seats in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy and 398 in Economy. This new seat configuration is available on YVR-HKG and YNR-LHR routes. It is also offered on YUL-CDG and YVR-YYZ departures.
A nice added touch is the oversized washroom catering to passengers in wheelchairs and parents with kids in tow. The much wider space is akin to something one might find at a residence. “That’s the party loo,” someone jested.
Of course, many agents took the opportunity to try out the new seats, including the flat bed seats in Business Class. The only negative comment overheard was the seeming lack of thought for Business Class window seat pax. There is no way for the passenger to get into and out of the seat without troubling the fellow traveller sitting by the aisle to move. “I would expect not to have to climb over someone who’s asleep to get out of my seat when I paid for Business Class,” said an agent.
That aside, overall, agents were enthused about the new Premium Economy seats. As an introductory offer, AC is offering $588 for a one-way journey from YVR to LHR.
