Flight Review: Air Canada Economy SYD-YVR

Travel Weekly was recently a guest onboard an Air Canada flight from Sydney to Vancouver, so we took the time to do a little flight wrap up.

Flight: Sydney to Vancouver on Air Canada

When: Friday 10 March 2017

Aircraft: Boeing 777-200LR/F, Flight AC34

Class: Economy

Configuration: 3-4-3

Seat: 21H (aisle seat)

Duration: 13H40M

Verdict: 7/10

Baggage:

Baggage allowances for Air Canada are a highlight, with two 23kg checked-in bags included in the ticket price, plus carry-on. That’s all your ski gear, equipment and winter layers covered!

Checking in:

A great start to a long flight, when checking in I was greeted by a lovely attendant who checked me in quickly, informed me my luggage would go straight through to my final destination (Kelowna, Canada) and helped me choose less painful seats (read: not the middle one).

Onboard:

The flight was almost right on time, and boarding was swift and painless. There were a few spare seats scattered around the aircraft, so after take off I was able to jump into another aisle seat with the middle seat empty next to me, meaning I could spread out a little more.

Service:

The flight attendants were very efficient and thorough in serving meals and drinks, regularly offering top ups of beverages throughout service, and bringing water through the aisles throughout the flight.

For those who don’t sleep as soundly as others (including the snorer opposite me in the middle row) the gap between our lunch/dinner meal after take-off and our breakfast meal closer to arrival left my belly rumbling. A snack of a small ham and cheese roll and some biscuits were provided, but didn’t fill me up as much as I would have liked.

Meals:

For the first time in a long time, I ate everything on my dinner tray and thoroughly enjoyed it. The meal was a typical choice of chicken or beef, and while it might be my simple home-style taste, the chunks of beef with creamy sauce, plus small beans, potatoes and carrots were delicious. The mini bottle of red wine washed the food down well.

Breakfast was a choice of omelette or waffles, and the feedback was mixed. The waffles, which I had, were incredibly sweet with Canadian maple syrup but came with fresh fruit to balance it out, while the eggs, from eavesdropping, were very cheesy but not too shabby.

The midnight snack of a ham and cheese roll could’ve been a bit more diverse, given bread was supplied with both of the other meals, but still was handy for those hungry mid-flight.

Beverages on offer were both complimentary and generous, with a couple of flight attendants offering top ups of my wine, coffees and juice, which was nice as it meant I didn’t have to pester for more.

Entertainment:

My ears usually hurt after any length of time wearing both headphones and earphones, but with these AC earphones I was able to enjoy TV shows, movies, and music while I slept without too much discomfort over the almost 14-hour flight.

As for entertainment, a few newbies like La La Land and Allied were featured, but for me the classics were where it’s at. And by that I don’t mean Forrest Gump, but rather Miss Congeniality, which gave me a good few laughs when I was unable to nod off.

The selection could’ve come with a bit more choice overall but it was enough to keep me busy on an overnight flight.

Comfort:

I was actually quite impressed with the seats, given I usually get quite wriggly and restless a few hours into a long-haul flight. They had a decent recline that didn’t impose too much on the person behind you, while the width was roomy enough and there was ample space for bags under the seat in front.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

air canada Flight Review sydney vancouver