Review: Air Canada Airbus A330-300 Premium Economy (YUL-NCE)
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As I was in the cab on my way to the airport, I received a text message followed by an email informing me that my seat originally booked as 8E in Business class had been changed to 12E in Economy class.
Disappointed by this situation, I quickly opened the Air Canada app to update my ticket and see where I was on the upgrade list, having originally booked an economy ticket and then paid an additional amount to upgrade to business class.
Barely 20 minutes later, I received another notification of another seat change. This time I was in 5E, Economy Privilege.
I’d like to take this opportunity to reread our article” Downgrades: what to do when Air Canada upgrades turn sour?“
At the Airport: Between Confusion and Waiting
Thanks to my Nexus membership, I got through security quickly. However, due to seat/category changes, I decided not to go to the lounge as usual and headed straight to the gate to speak to an Air Canada agent.
At the gate, many passengers were also waiting for explanations. Some were lucky enough to be placed in Economy Privilege, while others simply found themselves in Economy class.
Our plane had to be changed at the last minute for reasons we don’t know, so for our evening flight we inherited an aircraft with a different configuration: five rows in Privilege Economy in 2-2-2 (30 seats), instead of the classic Business class, and the rest in Economy.
When my turn came at the counter at 8.30pm, the hostess looked at my file and made a funny face, with a worrying “hum”. She later explained that my ticket had not been correctly registered in the system, even though check-in was ending at the same time! Fortunately, she managed to make the changes in extremis. If I hadn’t gone to the counter before boarding, I’d have stayed in Montreal that evening – imagine the stress!
Service on Board the A330-300: Privileged Economy Class
After this notorious mess, I was finally able to get to my seat. The overhead compartments were narrower. My Away suitcase was too wide and would only fit lengthways.
We were served a welcome drink, with a choice of champagne or water, in a plastic glass, as well as a small snack. A hot towel was also distributed.
The plane I was on was equipped with old Singapore Airlines business class seats, reminding me a little of the business class on Lufthansa’s A330, but even more dated. The shades of yellow and brown are no longer relevant. The toilets remain narrow but decent, with a special detail: a leather flap over the toilet.
The seat’s reclining mechanism, though rudimentary, did the trick. The brown leather seat reclined fully, offering acceptable comfort. However, no mattress topper or comforter is offered. Visible repairs, here and there with tape, had been made.
On the external side, a remote control was used to operate the screen and seat controls, without massage function. The seat could be reclined in four positions, but it was impossible to raise the legs completely, even in “bed” mode, giving the impression of sinking legs.
On the inside of the seat there’s a USB socket, two cup holders, some storage space, a table hidden in the center armrest, and a head-level divider between the seat and the neighbour. Unfortunately, no headphones were provided, just simple earphones to be plugged into the wall near the head. Fortunately, I had brought along a pair of BOSE noise-canceling headphones, which enabled me to enjoy the entertainment system even more, and sleep a little quieter.
The non-touch screen offered poor quality, with sound and image interruptions. Film selection was also more limited than usual. A coat hook and two storage compartments with clip closures were located under the screen, along with a water bottle in the center.
In-flight Service
The Air Canada welcome kit was a plastic canvas bag that lacked style. It contained socks, a toothbrush, an eye mask and earplugs. As the blanket provided was light, I quickly put on the socks, and several passengers expressed their discomfort with the cool cabin. The stewardess raised the temperature slightly.
After about 1 h 15 of flight time, the beverage service began. I continued with champagne, and the meal was served 30 minutes later. I had opted for the ribs, which were quite good, but the starter didn’t really go with the main course. I was surprised, however, to find this type of dish on business, given that it’s not the easiest to eat on a flight. The stewardess offered us bread. The dessert didn’t impress me, so I left it so that the stewardess could remove my tray quickly and I could rest.
I went to bed around midnight after finishing chatting with my neighbour. As the service was a bit long, we had less than 4 hours to rest. Please note that the 2-2-2 layout and the lie-flat bed mean that passengers seated at the windows have to step over their neighbour, which can be complicated to access the aisle.
A Gentle Wake-up Call Before Landing
When I woke up three hours later, a yogurt, a loaf of fruit bread, and some cutlery were waiting for me on the central armrest. No lunch tray was served.
After a long wait, the flight attendant served me a coffee with milk and orange juice to accompany the meal, shortly before we landed.
In the end, the flight went well despite the quality, which was far from the standards of the new Business classes. On the whole, the stewardesses tried to offer good service to compensate for this inconvenience. We landed 30 minutes early and took a bus to the terminal.
