Air Canada P3 - Return

I was NOT looking to return on Air Canada. Unfortunately, I did not have a feasible choice, or I would have ended up paying twice the amount for a return on another carrier.

Because I extended my stay in London, and the day I chose to do so was a weekend, thus highly booked flights, my choice was quite limited to only one flight. An 8:30 am return flight from Heathrow on an Airbus that took me back 20 years in time.

As I entered the aircraft, I was dismayed at the entertainment system again. This was echoed out loud by the passenger who sat next to me. The TV screens were located in the center of the aircraft. The controls were located in the gallery - so you either watched what was on at the time, or browsed through their inflight magazine, or maybe stared at the emergency card and scrutinised the emergency procedures for the Airbus. I chose to sleep because of lack of it. Even then, I cannot sleep on board flights, so it was a feeble attempt to do so on my part. One of the movies they showed was Austin Powers - The Spy who shagged me. A 1999 film in the year 2007.

Since the aircraft was headed Westbound, it meant a longer flight - could anything be more disappointing?

Yes, the food! This time I changed my meal from a Muslim to an Asian vegetarian. All I remember is the vegetable couscous and oatmeal flan with some sort of pudding.

Bottomline - while their customer service is good, their inflight system is the worst I have seen on any airline in the recent past.

Air Canada P2

Being a Muslim, I ordered a Muslim meal. So much for that! It had nothing to do with 'muslim' since logically when you order such a meal, 'halaal' would be the primary reason to do so. I could have ordered a gluten free, asian vegetarian, or just plain vegetarian and it would have been just as well.

The food was compromised of a dry chick pea curry, plain unsalted rice, and a salad that looked like the chef's may just have thought of the meal prior to boarding. I think hospital food is much more appealing. The breakfast just before arrival was a simple bowl of fruit, some orange juice, and coffee. Uneventful, unexciting. Both Air Canada's inflight system and meals leave a lot to be desired. Having worked for various airlines for over 12 years, inflight meals and the likes are very crucial to a passenger's money. It's not just about the transportation anymore.

Comparably, airlines such as Continental, Emirates, and Virgin, all three of which I have flown, are far superior in their inflight experiences.

Air Canada P1

I left New York for London, UK yesterday, 3rd June. It was a sudden trip, based on unfortunate circumstances, but one that sealed family bonds that went broken for years.


The flight from New York LaGuardia was not too bad. Air Canada seemed to have made a good impression at first, even though we were delayed by a few minutes but the cabin crew were very pleasant and accommodating.

Toronto Pearson Airport was amazing. The architecture is beautifully done. Modern and sleek - an airpot you cannot get lost in despite its size due to the plentiful signs all over. Impressive.

We arrived on time in Toronto, but the walk towards the main terminal was long. since I was an international passenger, I was one of only three who had to detour and avoid customs. After entering the departure lounge, I was pleasantly happy with the availability of wireless internet access, free, and without hesitation, I bought a doughnut and coffee from Tim Hortons and sat down for my link to the outside world.

The flight from Toronto to London began boarding a little behind schedule. We were boarding their newest addition to the fleet - the Boeing 777. I was seated by the window in the second-last row. If you ever need some space to yourself on a flight that is not filled to capacity, the last row on smaller aircraft or the last two on bigger ones are usually reserved for cabin crew. You can ask for these seats only if they are not highly restricted.

While the airplane was new, their inflight entertainment system left much to be desired. You could barely do much since several items did not work. You could watch movies and some TV. Their movie selection was lousy - a flash back to what you are likely to have watched or seen not too long ago. Again, credit must be given where it's due - so I must say the cabin crew were extremely helpful, polite, and courteous.

We took off after a bit of taxing, again nothing out of the ordinary, and most settled in for a quick 6.5 hour flight. Dinner was served about an hour after take-off. This is where I would think twice about flying Air Canada.

I'll write more later :).