Flying Air Canada
This wiki page is intended to help you get the most out of your experience flying on Air Canada, whether you are an Aeroplan member or not.
To automatically receive alerts for delayed or cancelled flights on your mobile device or by email, sign up for Flight Notification.
If you don't have a printer, after completing your web check-in online, you may print your boarding pass at the airport using a self-service check-in kiosk or choose to receive an electronic boarding pass directly on your mobile device.
You can check in:
Once you know the aircraft type, you can then use either SeatExpert or SeatGuru to determine the pros and cons of each available seat:
Preferred seats are free to Elite members and Star Alliance Gold members with a Latitude fare, and to Super Elite members with either a Latitude or Tango Plus fare.
Checked-luggage limits vary by destination:
Flights within North America, to Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean
Additionally, if you are departing from a Canadian airport, you can purchase access to the Maple Leaf Lounge for between $30 and $55 at the time of purchasing your ticket. Finally, Air Canada offers annual Maple Leaf Lounge memberships at prices starting from $459.
Additional details on purchasing Maple Leaf Lounge access are available on the Air Canada web site.
If you do not have access to a United Airlines Red Carpet Club lounge with status, you can purchase a Red Carpet Club One-time Pass.
Pre-boarding allows for early boarding by families with small children; passengers that require extra time for boarding; Air Canada Prestige, Elite and Super Elite members; and Star Alliance Gold members. Air Canada and Star Alliance members can also board at any time during general boarding; on international flights, a dedicated priority boarding lane is generally available.
You can read full details on the Air Canada fleet help guide page.
The handful of non-XM aircraft are primarily used on tourist routes. Most Jazz (with the exception of the CRA) and all regional partner aircraft do not provide AVOD capability.
For questions about a revenue (non-points) ticket on Air Canada, lost luggage on an Air Canada flight, flight status of an Air Canada flight, delays of an Air Canada flight, service complaints or compliments for an Air Canada flight, contact Air Canada at www.aircanada.com or 1-888-247-2262.
For any questions regarding a non-Air Canada flight, whether booked by revenue or points, contact the operating airline.
Prestige, Elite and Super Elite members have access to exclusive priority telephone numbers. If you have such access, the telephone number will be printed on the back of your Aeroplan membership card. Note that these numbers change each year.
Contents
- Before the flight
- Air Canada schedule
- Daily travel outlook
- Pre-order duty free
- Check-in options
- Choosing the best seat
- Preferred seating
- Upgrades
- Luggage
- Lounge access
- Boarding
- In flight
- Air Canada fleet
- Entertainment systems
- How to find out what is playing on your flight?
- Food and beverages
- Air Canada and Aeroplan contact information
- Air Canada onAir
- Live Tracking of the Air Canada Fleet
Before the flight
Air Canada schedule
You can use the Air Canada Timetables to quickly see where and when Air Canada Flies.Daily travel outlook
See this link for today's outlook for possible disruptions to Air Canada and Air Canada Express operated flights. When forecasted weather or other conditions may cause flight delays and possibly cancellations, affected airports are listed by date, region and city.To automatically receive alerts for delayed or cancelled flights on your mobile device or by email, sign up for Flight Notification.
Pre-order duty free
Review the Air Canada online Duty Free Boutique catalog before you fly and take advantage of pre-ordering your selections which will be delivered to you aboard the plane.Check-in options
Online check-in (on http://www.aircanada.com/) is the best way to check in for your flight. You can check in from your computer, as early as 24 hours before your flight*, and print your boarding pass.If you don't have a printer, after completing your web check-in online, you may print your boarding pass at the airport using a self-service check-in kiosk or choose to receive an electronic boarding pass directly on your mobile device.
You can check in:
- At any time within the 24-hour period* prior to departure of all your flights; and
- at least 30 minutes prior to departure for flights within Canada
- at least 1 hour prior to departure for flights between Canada and the USA
- at least 1 hour prior to departure for flights between Canada and other countries
- if you have a connecting flight, up to 24 hours prior to departure time of your final connecting flight
Choosing the best seat
You can find the best seats on your flight by first checking the aircraft type on your current itinerary (check at http://www.aircanada.com/aco/manageMyBookings.do if you booked online at aircanada.com).Once you know the aircraft type, you can then use either SeatExpert or SeatGuru to determine the pros and cons of each available seat:
- http://seatexpert.com/browse_by_airline.php
- http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Air_Canada/information.php
Preferred seating
Air Canada offers a selection of preferred seats in the Y cabin -- those with additional leg room, typically bulkhead and exit row seats -- at additional cost. The following table outlines the costs for these seats. The preferred seats must be purchased prior to check-in.| North America | Tango | Tango Plus, Latitude |
| 0-350 miles | $25 | $14 |
| 351-1000 miles | $30 | $20 |
| 1001+ miles | $35 | $25 |
| International | Tango | Tango Plus, Latitude |
| Mexico & Caribbean | $25 | $25 |
| Europe & Middle East | $75 | $75 |
| South America | $75 | $75 |
| Asia & South Pacific | $100 | $100 |
| International connection via Canada | $125 | $125 |
Preferred seats are free to Elite members and Star Alliance Gold members with a Latitude fare, and to Super Elite members with either a Latitude or Tango Plus fare.
Upgrades
Air Canada offers three primary methods of upgrading from the Y cabin to J:- eUpgrade credits for Aeroplan Prestige, Elite and Super Elite members
- Paid last-minute upgrades (LMUs)
- Star Alliance upgrades using miles
Luggage
For carry-on luggage, Air Canada allows a standard article of 23x40x55 cm (9x15.5x21.5 in), and a personal article of 16x33x43 cm (6x13x17 in). Each one is limited to 10 kg (22 lbs), but in practice the weight of carry-on luggage is rarely checked.Checked-luggage limits vary by destination:
Flights within North America, to Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean
- J: A maximum of 3 bags of up to 32 kg (70 lbs) each.
- Y: A maximum of 1 bag of up to 23 kg (50 lbs).
- Air Canada Elite/Super Elite: 3 bags of up to 32 kg (70 lbs) each.
- Star Alliance Gold: 3 bags of up to 23 kg (50 lbs) each.
- Air Canada Prestige, Star Alliance Silver: 2 bags of up to 23 kg (50 lbs) each.
- J: A maximum of 3 bags of up to 32 kg (70 lbs) each.
- Y: A maximum of 2 bags of up to 23 kg (50 lbs) each.
- Air Canada Elite/Super Elite: 3 bags of up to 32 kg (70 lbs) each.
- Star Alliance Gold: 3 bags of up to 23 kg (50 lbs) each.
- Air Canada Prestige, Star Alliance Silver: 2 bags of up to 23 kg (50 lbs) each.
Lounge access
Air Canada passengers travelling in the J cabin are entitled to access the Maple Leaf Lounge (or another Star Alliance lounge -- see the lounge guide) at the departure airport. Air Canada Elite and Super Elite as well as the Star Alliance Gold members are entitled to lounge access regardless of the class of travel, as are the holders of the American Express AeroPlanPlus Platinum card. CIBC Aerogold VISA, CIBC Aerogold VISA INFINITE and CIBC Aerogold VISA Card for Business cardholders can gain lounge access by purchasing CIBC Club Privileges Travel card for $189 annually. Air Canada Elite and Super Elite members, plus their qualifying guests are able to access domestic Maple Leaf Lounges upon arriving at airports in Canada.Additionally, if you are departing from a Canadian airport, you can purchase access to the Maple Leaf Lounge for between $30 and $55 at the time of purchasing your ticket. Finally, Air Canada offers annual Maple Leaf Lounge memberships at prices starting from $459.
Additional details on purchasing Maple Leaf Lounge access are available on the Air Canada web site.
If you do not have access to a United Airlines Red Carpet Club lounge with status, you can purchase a Red Carpet Club One-time Pass.
Boarding
Air Canada boards flights by row number, the highest row numbers (furthest back on the plane) first and the lowest row numbers first.Pre-boarding allows for early boarding by families with small children; passengers that require extra time for boarding; Air Canada Prestige, Elite and Super Elite members; and Star Alliance Gold members. Air Canada and Star Alliance members can also board at any time during general boarding; on international flights, a dedicated priority boarding lane is generally available.
In flight
Air Canada fleet
The Air Canada Fleet consists of 325 aircraft, with Airbus 319, 320, 321 and 330; Boeing 767 and 777; and Embraer E175 and E190 aircraft. Air Canada partners additionally operate Beechcraft 1900D; and Bombardier CRJ-100, CRJ-200, CRJ-705, Dash 8-100 and Dash8-300 aircraft.You can read full details on the Air Canada fleet help guide page.
Entertainment systems
Most of the Air Canada Fleet has been upgraded to the so-called "XM" configuration that provides audio/video on-demand (AVOD) at each seat, controlled by a touch screen. The AVOD is free of charge, but it does display commercials prior to the start of each movie. The AVOD system includes a selection of movies and TV shows, music, games and moving maps -- although maps are not always available. In international J (on Boeing 777, 763 and Airbus 330 aircraft), the screens are much larger and swing out from the side wall of the "pod."The handful of non-XM aircraft are primarily used on tourist routes. Most Jazz (with the exception of the CRA) and all regional partner aircraft do not provide AVOD capability.
How to find out what is playing on your flight?
To find out what entertainment will be available to you on your flight, go to the Enroute Air Canada web page, and enter your departure city, destination city, and date of departure.Food and beverages
Flights within North America, and to Mexico and the Caribbean -- under 2 hours- J: A complimentary light meal or snack, including a selection of wines and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Y: Food for purchase (Onboard Café). Snacks $3 each. Free non-alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages $6. (Two complimentary snacks with the presentation of a Latitude boarding pass.)
- J: Full complimentary meal service including a selection of wines and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Y: Food for purchase (Onboard Café). Snacks $3 each, hot meals $7. Free non-alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages $6. (One complimentary snack and one meal with the presentation of a Latitude boarding pass.)
- J: J: Full complimentary meal service. A broad selection of wines and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including champagne and late-bottled vintage port. Complimentary pre-flight champagne, water or orange juice.
- Y: Food for purchase (Onboard Café). Snacks $3 each, hot meals $7. Free non-alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages $6. (Complimentary snack and one meal with the presentation of a Latitude boarding pass.)
- Y: Food for purchase (Jazz Café). Snacks on flights longer than 2 hours, sandwiches on flights longer than 3 hours. Free non-alcoholic beverages. (Complimentary snack with the presentation of a Latitude boarding pass.)
Air Canada and Aeroplan contact information
For questions about points, crediting missing points, booking a reward ticket, changing seats on a reward (points) ticket on Air Canada, checking point expiry, transferring points, or Air Canada Top-Tier status, contact Aeroplan at either www.aeroplan.com or 1-800-361-5373.For questions about a revenue (non-points) ticket on Air Canada, lost luggage on an Air Canada flight, flight status of an Air Canada flight, delays of an Air Canada flight, service complaints or compliments for an Air Canada flight, contact Air Canada at www.aircanada.com or 1-888-247-2262.
For any questions regarding a non-Air Canada flight, whether booked by revenue or points, contact the operating airline.
Prestige, Elite and Super Elite members have access to exclusive priority telephone numbers. If you have such access, the telephone number will be printed on the back of your Aeroplan membership card. Note that these numbers change each year.