I'm a student from Germany, studying business administration.At the moment I am in Halifax, Canada f...
I'm a student from Germany, studying business administration.At the moment I am in Halifax, Canada for eight months :) I love aviation and travelling. I hope to publish a new review soon! Thanks for reading!
Member since:09.06.2003
Reviews:8
Members who trust:18
Today I’m gonna start a row about my journey to Canada – and it starts with an airline report :)
1. Air Canada 1.1 The Fleet
2. The Reservation
3. Intercontinental: Frankfurt – Calgary 3.1. Check In 3.2. Boarding 3.3. The Plane 3.4. The Flight
4. Domestic: Calgary - Vancouver 4.1. Check In 4.2. Boarding 4.3. The Plane 4.4. The Flight
5. Contacts
6. Result
1. AIR CANADA… ~~~~~~~~~~ … is the flag carrier of Canada and also a member of Star Alliance. Thus it offers several flights from Germany as code-share flights with Lufthansa. There are daily connections to Calgary and Toronto, five flights a week to Montréal and there’s a daily code-share flight with Lufthansa to Vancouver. Also from London-Heathrow there are many flights to Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver etc.! Especially in Toronto Air Canada offers numerous connection flights to the USA, Alaska, Canadian destinations etc. Already in 1937 the predecessor of Air Canada, called ‘Trans Canada Airlines’, made the first flight from Vancouver to Seattle. In 1964 the flag carrier of Canada TCA was renamed in Air Canada. The airline was denationalized in 1989. With the assumption of Canada’s second largest airline, Canadian Airlines in 2000, Air Canada became the tenth-largest airline of the world. Today Air Canada has 21 Canadian destinations, 3o destinations in the USA as well as 56 destinations in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, South America and the Middle-East. There are around 72o flights per day! Air Canada received several honours: 1999: Airline with the best passenger service; 2oo2: Safest airline in the world; Best airline of North America; Best frequent flyer program; 2oo3: Best frequent flyer program; Best airline Website. At the end of 2oo2 Air Canada has employed 4oooo people but it also suffers from September 11th and so it had to dismiss many employees. Air Canada possesses likewise a regional airline, called Air Canada
Jazz, which annually carries around 7Millionen passengers. Besides Air Canada possesses a tour operator - Air Canada Vacations, as well as a low-cost-carrier whose base is in Calgary: Zip air Inc. It operates with 11 old Boeing 737-2oo to 1o Canadian cities. Additionally Air Canada offers a private charter service with Air Canada Jetz whose planes are exclusively equipped with business class seats! Apart from the transport of passengers and cargo Air Canada also maintains planes of other airlines, dispatches or trains crews of other airlines. Aeroplan is the frequent flyer program of Air Canada and has around 6Millionen members! One can collect miles on Air Canada flights but also on all code-sharing flights, flights with other Star Alliance members as well as in selected hotels etc.
1.1. The fleet ~~~~~~~~~ Air Canada possesses a large fleet with small turboprops, as well as larger Airbus and Boeing jets:
5 Beech 1900D (18 seats) 54 Dash 8-100 (37 seats) 18 Dash 8-300 (50 seats) 35 Canadair Regional Jet (50 seats) 10 Bae 146-200 (77 seats) 9 Boeing 737-200 (1oo seats) 48 Airbus A319 (120 seats) 52 Airbus A320 (140 seats or Air Canada Jetz 159) 13 Airbus A321 (166 seats) 14 Boeing 767-200 (198 seats) 33 Boeing 767-300 (210-212 seats) 8 Airbus A330-300 (272 seats in wintertime/292 in summertime) 9 Airbus A340-300 (284 seats) 3 Boeing 747-400 Combi (Jumbo Jet) (296 seats)
2. THE RESERVATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I booked the flights with Air Canada in a travel agency by Lufthansa called “Lufthansa City Center”. We booked the flights just two months before the flights: Frankfurt - Calgary and Calgary - Vancouver. The most favourable rate for Frankfurt - Calgary - Frankfurt was around 900CAD (360 pounds), the domestic flight was just 130CAD (53 pounds)! But these were the most favourable rates and the flights are normally more expensive! This was a special rate and as a student or pupil you can often get a special rate! Beside the economy class there is on nearly all flights the more expensive “Executive Class”. Here there are only window or aisle seats, larger and broader seats, own monitors, as well as Nintendo games (only in A340 and A330) etc. You can book flights with Air Canada in travel agencies, at the telephone (number see further below), as well as in the internet: www.aircanada.com. I like the website because for most flights you get all rates and their availability!
3.1. Check In ~~~~~~~~ I cannot say much about the Check In since we had booked a flight from Düsseldorf to Frankfurt with Lufthansa, so that our luggage was directly checked through to Calgary!
3.2. Boarding ~~~~~~~~ Although we had a 90 minutes stay in Frankfurt we had to hurry since our plane from Düsseldorf was already late and the boarding should begin 45 minutes before takeoff. At 13.15h we then were at gate B44 where we had to queue up in one of two queues. We had to present our passport and the ticket. Both were checked with a laptop. Just one meter further both was checked again then we could finally enter the waiting area. The Executive Class passengers and families with infants as well as passengers who need help already went on board and a few minutes later there was an English announcement which asked the passengers of the rear rows to go on board. Fortunately we had places very far in the back and could go on board without waiting in a long queue and even the plane was nearly empty. In the background one heard calm music and on the screens different pictures like a beach, the sea etc. appeared.
3.3. The Plane ~~~~~~~~~~ Our airplane was an Airbus A330-300. Despite the quite dark seats which are held in a dark green the cabin was nevertheless quite bright. The seat configuration was 2 - 4 - 2. A pillow and a cover were already on our seats. The seat distance and the broad were okay which means: normally. For a 170cm person like me it is really okay whereby stronger or larger humans probably will have problems. The seats are comfortable. The footrest is practical, as well as the adjustable head support which one could push more highly or more deeply, as well as the "ears", which one could fold forward. This is completely practical because while sleeping the head often tilts to the side. One could fold the seat-back quite far to the rear. There was a huge compartment at the backrest of the seat in front of me but unfortunately there was no holder for beverages. Also there was no PTV for everyone in economy class. Every few rows there was a television on the ceiling and on the wall in front there was a big screen. I had a good view on the television and also on the screen, although I sat far away from it but this had such a poor disintegration that I always looked on the television. There was never a large back-up before the toilets. The toilets were actually normal airplane toilets: narrow and a little dark but clean.
3.4. The Flight ~~~~~~~~~~ The Boarding lasted quite a while so that we were pushed back around 14.15h. We were welcomed by the purserette in English, French and German. We were asked not to hesitate to ask a crew member if we got any questions. Before the start the film with safety instructions was shown in English and French but with German sub-titles. Around 14.25h, thus with a delay of half an hour we took off. After the start the purserette announced the films, likewise headphones were handed out for free! Then a stewardess with two German newspapers went through and we also got beverages and a small snack. On the screens we could see on a map where we were and information like speed, outside temperature etc. was shown. The announcements were always made in three languages! One hour after start hot cloths were handed out but they were only warm. They were briefly collected. It already smelled already after a nice lunch but we still had to wait since we came into turbulences. But an hour later finally we got our meal! One could select between chicken and noodles. The noodles were like a lasagne. I chose chicken which tasted good. In addition there were a few noodles and vegetables. Likewise everyone got a green salad, a small bottle with dressing, a small roll, butter, as well as a bottle with 24oml of quiet water. There were also beverages: wine was for free and other alcohol cost 5CAN. As dessert a delicious cookie with chocolate was served. All was very nice and I really had enough! I enjoyed the meal and saw "Matchstick Men" on the TV. One could see it in German, English and French. There were ten different radio channels so that there was one for each taste. The crew was very nice and in between they went through with a bottle of quiet water. However, you could also go into the galley to get a drink! Later there we could by something at the duty free and during it second film ("Out of Time") we got an ice with vanilla and caramel. Delicious! We flew over Greenland and the view on the snow-covered, enormous mountains which were illuminated by the sun was unique! Later we flew over Hudson Bay and instead of water we saw for hours just ice and snow... Briefly after 22h German time we got Pizza for dinner - with cheese or salami. Mmmmh! Thereupon we got again hot cloths before we had to fill out the Customs Declaration Cards for the entry to Canada. Briefly before the landing the headphones were collected (but I still have mine ;)) and the captain announced the weather, our arrival time etc. Unfortunately then the monitors were lifted up, so that we could not see the map or the information like speed, altitude etc. Despite the delay of 3o minutes we landed just 5 minutes late in Calgary which was snow-covered.
4. DOMESTIC: CALGARY - VANCOUVER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4.1. CheckIn ~~~~~~~~ The next flight was five days later at 11am to Vancouver. We entered the terminal in Calgary already two hours before takeoff and in the same moment a friendly Air Canada employee asked us where we fly and then explained us the right way to the desk. The desks were arranged after destinations. A few meters further we were again asked where we fly and again a nice employee showed us the way. There were several desks for flights to Edmonton and Vancouver but only three were occupied. We didn’t have to wait for a long time. We presented our passports, tickets as well as my Miles&More Card, answered the safety questions ("Did you leave your luggage unattended?“, "Did you pack your suitcase yourself?" etc.), then the nice woman showed us our gate and the boarding time. By the way I noticed that there were many self check in automats... they seem to be much more successful in Canada than in Europe.
4.2. Boarding ~~~~~~~~ The boarding began ten minutes late and there was even an explanation made by an announcement: the plane, a Boeing 767-300, had a delay of a few minutes; it was full and had to be cleaned. The woman at the gate even apologized for this! Again families with children, passengers who need help and Executive Class passengers could go first on board, then again the passengers of the last rows were asked to go on board.
4.3. The Plane ~~~~~~~~~ The Boeing 767-300 is actually appropriate for long-distance flights and is likewise a wide body jet with 2 - 3 - 2 seat configuration. While the new Airbuses in the fleet of Air Canada have all new, comfortable seats and flat screens, the 767 is an older airplane and has rather old equipment: the seats were quite through-sat but completely comfortably, there were no head cloths, the tables were rattly and also there were no monitors just a big screen. For me this wasn’t bad since the flight would be very short and I always wanted to fly with such an airplane ;)
4.4. The Flight ~~~~~~~~~ When boarding was finished we were welcomed by the captain and the safety instructions were shown on the screen. With eight minutes delay we took off and we flew over the snow-covered Rocky Mountains... again a great view! Also on this short flight headphones were handed out for free. Beer, Wine etc. cost 5CAN but the other beverages were for free and we also got a little cake with cherry or blue berry! I was impressed because on Lufthansa domestic flights you get nothing to eat and - let alone on-board entertainment! All Air Canada planes (except the very little ones) are equipped with televisions and radio channels. Unfortunately there was no map shown on the screens. The crew was again very nice. The headphones were collected briefly before the landing and the purser gave some information about connecting flights in Vancouver and after just one hour flight we landed in Vancouver at 11.10am local time which was twenty minutes early and the captain communicated and that ground crew wasn’t ready for us so that we had to wait a few minutes ;)
5. CONTACTS ~~~~~~~~~~ The Air Canada Agency in Great-Britain:
Tel: (44) 0871 220 1111
On the Website www.aircanada.com one gets much information in English and French about the airline!
6. RESULT ~~~~~~ I give *****! Why?
+ Attractive offers + Member of Star Alliance + Very nice and helpful employees + Entertainment and meals also on short flights + Good seat comfort (except in some older machines) and service
The employees at the ground and in the airplane were always VERY nice! Whereby I noticed that Canadians are always very nice and friendly. I was impressed by the seat comfort and the service! On domestic flights Air Canada is better than the German Lufthansa on German domestic or also on European flights since the crew is nicer, there is Entertainment (inclusive free headphones) and a snack even on short flights! It was not certainly my last flight with Air Canada! :)
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Record Rent a Car is present in the main spanish airports and has a very wide fleet. We offer: exceptional discounts, free additional drivers,
unlimited mileage... subscribe to our Club Record and take advantage of special offers.
Apr 1st, 2004
exceptional by (3%):
very helpful by (92%):
helpful by (5%):
