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I was asked to comment on whether i thought the flight was any good or not so i've just got my impressions as below:
AC008, HKG - YVR, B777, new J, Seat 2K
Check-in was very easy and quick with the choice of using the TG or UA lounges in HKG. Given the departure gate was 41 it was easy to decide heading to TG.
Flight left on time, around 12-noon, but arrived a whole hour early at 8:30am. If there is anybody picking you up at the airport they should be made aware that the flight arrives usually 30-40min early but the wind was stronger this day and as such the 2nd half of the flight would be a bit bumpy. Unfortunately the muppet picking me up didn't know this so i had to wait a whole hour. Being SO early meant we beat the Shanghai flight to immigration and i was third in the queue only.
Upon seating half a glass of champagne was offered, along with orange juice. My seat was pre-assigned at booking and i didn't online check-in. Pillow, blanket and travel kit are already placed on the seat when you arrive and finding storage for them is a bit tricky. My pillow and blanket went up to the overhead and the kit on the lifejacket cover, nowhere else it would fit.
The new seats are comfy and still new enough not to be marked or falling apart totally though there is a panel by your feet that always seems to fall off. The impression of the cabin is exactly the same as from the video on the AC website.
The panel between seats is not so high so when seated it is possible to easily see the whole cabin. You are then isolated by the time the seat goes back enough to be comfortable for watching the TV.
After reading trip reports on SkyTrax i was nervous of the IFE so had my laptop with some movies on it and, for the first time ever, carried the power cords since i knew it would plug into the seat. When the IFE failed 10-min into my movie and needed a re-boot i thought "Oh Oh" but 10-min later it was working and didn't miss a beat for the whole flight. VOD with a touch screen, it remembered the point of the movie where i was and asked if i wanted to resume from that point or from the beginning.....nice.
Cabin crew came round taking food orders for the appitizer and main course. Choice of two starters and three mains. Good choice of wines as well, three each of red and white plus champagne. Proportions were fair and was quite tasty though i miss the Garlic Bread i used to get on CX (for HKD3,000 less than CX's current special offer, however, i'm prepared to accept that).
Put the seat flat for a snooze. Now, I'm only 5ft 6in and i can see anybody over let's say 5ft 10in wouldn't get a perfectly straight resting position. I got completely stretched out but could see the limitation and as i chatted with an off-duty AC pilot at the "bar" between cabins, his feeling was the same that about 5ft 10in was about the limit for the seat to lie perfectly straight.
The front cabin has about 6-rows with about the same in the second. The front one was full but maybe 3-ppl in the second, on the left side. This is the practise at check-in to huddle everybody together so the crew can work easier.
AC007, YVR - HKG, B777, new J, Seat 3K
Check-in was equally simple with a fast track sticker through security. I did an online check-in this time to see if i could get a seat in the second cabin this time, but whole class was full.
AC lounge in Vancouver is nice enough with a bar and a good selection of drinks though the snacks could be improved.....veggie platter, soup, some cookies and packets of crisps. They do have a section, however, where mobile phones are not supposed to be used......nice idea.
Leaving YVR at 2:30pm and arriving 6pm the following day in theory is a day flight albeit a very long one (flying hours alone is 13.5hrs) so it was my plan to rest but not sleep.
Just as well really since a toddler was flying with his mum and slightly older brother. I suppose the toddler was about 2-yrs old.....walking, running, screaming but not really talking. He woke up some of the guys a few times but i just headed to the bar for another Merlot.
This also gave me the chance to look out the window as well, either from the door or toilet, and it was spectacular going over the mountains of Alaska (where the crew told me we were) but i think it was Russia only because i thought we'd been in the air longer than that...... i didn't find a map on the IFE.
OVERALL:
I have to say after reading the reports on SkyTrax and the general impression these days of American (type) based airlines i was pleasantly surprised. Service was good and chearful, there were a couple of guys on each flight that seemed to have a good sense of humour, but equally one of the women on each that had a face like a smacked arse and a mood to match.
Plentiful drinks and snacks at the "bar", including instant noodles, fruit and crisps.
Would i recommend Air Canada on this route? Indeed and you'll enjoy it better if you're shorter than lets say 5ft 10in
. If you were one of the ones wanting a good sleep on the way back then you would have had a bigger niggle than me but.........this is not an issue of this specific airline.
I would take them again, and bear in mind i got this flight HKD3,000 cheaper than CX's current special offer i saw advertised in the HK press when i passed through.
AC008, HKG - YVR, B777, new J, Seat 2K
Check-in was very easy and quick with the choice of using the TG or UA lounges in HKG. Given the departure gate was 41 it was easy to decide heading to TG.
Flight left on time, around 12-noon, but arrived a whole hour early at 8:30am. If there is anybody picking you up at the airport they should be made aware that the flight arrives usually 30-40min early but the wind was stronger this day and as such the 2nd half of the flight would be a bit bumpy. Unfortunately the muppet picking me up didn't know this so i had to wait a whole hour. Being SO early meant we beat the Shanghai flight to immigration and i was third in the queue only.
Upon seating half a glass of champagne was offered, along with orange juice. My seat was pre-assigned at booking and i didn't online check-in. Pillow, blanket and travel kit are already placed on the seat when you arrive and finding storage for them is a bit tricky. My pillow and blanket went up to the overhead and the kit on the lifejacket cover, nowhere else it would fit.
The new seats are comfy and still new enough not to be marked or falling apart totally though there is a panel by your feet that always seems to fall off. The impression of the cabin is exactly the same as from the video on the AC website.
The panel between seats is not so high so when seated it is possible to easily see the whole cabin. You are then isolated by the time the seat goes back enough to be comfortable for watching the TV.
After reading trip reports on SkyTrax i was nervous of the IFE so had my laptop with some movies on it and, for the first time ever, carried the power cords since i knew it would plug into the seat. When the IFE failed 10-min into my movie and needed a re-boot i thought "Oh Oh" but 10-min later it was working and didn't miss a beat for the whole flight. VOD with a touch screen, it remembered the point of the movie where i was and asked if i wanted to resume from that point or from the beginning.....nice.
Cabin crew came round taking food orders for the appitizer and main course. Choice of two starters and three mains. Good choice of wines as well, three each of red and white plus champagne. Proportions were fair and was quite tasty though i miss the Garlic Bread i used to get on CX (for HKD3,000 less than CX's current special offer, however, i'm prepared to accept that).
Put the seat flat for a snooze. Now, I'm only 5ft 6in and i can see anybody over let's say 5ft 10in wouldn't get a perfectly straight resting position. I got completely stretched out but could see the limitation and as i chatted with an off-duty AC pilot at the "bar" between cabins, his feeling was the same that about 5ft 10in was about the limit for the seat to lie perfectly straight.
The front cabin has about 6-rows with about the same in the second. The front one was full but maybe 3-ppl in the second, on the left side. This is the practise at check-in to huddle everybody together so the crew can work easier.
AC007, YVR - HKG, B777, new J, Seat 3K
Check-in was equally simple with a fast track sticker through security. I did an online check-in this time to see if i could get a seat in the second cabin this time, but whole class was full.
AC lounge in Vancouver is nice enough with a bar and a good selection of drinks though the snacks could be improved.....veggie platter, soup, some cookies and packets of crisps. They do have a section, however, where mobile phones are not supposed to be used......nice idea.
Leaving YVR at 2:30pm and arriving 6pm the following day in theory is a day flight albeit a very long one (flying hours alone is 13.5hrs) so it was my plan to rest but not sleep.
Just as well really since a toddler was flying with his mum and slightly older brother. I suppose the toddler was about 2-yrs old.....walking, running, screaming but not really talking. He woke up some of the guys a few times but i just headed to the bar for another Merlot.
This also gave me the chance to look out the window as well, either from the door or toilet, and it was spectacular going over the mountains of Alaska (where the crew told me we were) but i think it was Russia only because i thought we'd been in the air longer than that...... i didn't find a map on the IFE.
OVERALL:
I have to say after reading the reports on SkyTrax and the general impression these days of American (type) based airlines i was pleasantly surprised. Service was good and chearful, there were a couple of guys on each flight that seemed to have a good sense of humour, but equally one of the women on each that had a face like a smacked arse and a mood to match.
Plentiful drinks and snacks at the "bar", including instant noodles, fruit and crisps.
Would i recommend Air Canada on this route? Indeed and you'll enjoy it better if you're shorter than lets say 5ft 10in
. If you were one of the ones wanting a good sleep on the way back then you would have had a bigger niggle than me but.........this is not an issue of this specific airline.I would take them again, and bear in mind i got this flight HKD3,000 cheaper than CX's current special offer i saw advertised in the HK press when i passed through.
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