Could anyone who has used Air Canada to get to Europe tell me about your experience(s) and whether or not you would recommend this airline. My wife and I are in the very early stages of researching our air travel options for our RS Village Italy Tour next year. We would be flying into Venice (VCE) and out of Milan Malpensa (MXP). Thank you!
Mark
Been flying with AC regularly since I was a child. They're the largest air carrier in Canada, and are part of Star Alliance. I'd rate them as being as good as most international legacy carriers, and better than some.
They are my preferred airline.
We did it once, and would do it again. We flew via Toronto to AMS, and we liked that, since it's further north than most US connections, it was a shorter overseas flight segment. AC is a major flag airline so it's not like a new budget airline. I now automatically check their itinerary options and fares along with Delta, American and United.
IMO, AC is no better no worse than any other major airline. In Canada, some may have personal preference for West Jet, but there are just as many complaints about them as with any other airline.
As part of Star Alliance, you may find some other airline codesharing with AC. Last November, we flew to Spain with Lufthansa which shared the same plane as AC. The Lufthansa airfare was cheaper than AC. AC had no weight limit for carry-on (you just have to be strong enough to lift your bag into the overhead on your own). Lufthansa has a 8kg carry-on weight limit.
Agree, funpig. Also, I find that those who say they prefer Westjet are usually politically motivated.
I flew Air Canada to Europe. You will be flying with their A330. https://www.aircanada.com/us/en/aco/home/fly/onboard/fleet.html#/
Air Canada is just fine.
I have flown with them many times, being a Canadian.
We don't have a lot of choice here in Canada for international flying.
Last trip in April; I was in Premium Economy for two legs to Sicily and had really excellent service and meals.
We’ve flown AC a few times out of Montreal and they were fine. Just flew them last week to Athens. Plane needed a cosmetic overhaul (USB charging stations — multiple — literally falling out of the socket, touchscreens not fully functional, that type of stuff), meals were terribly small, but the FAs were courteous, professional, and helpful, the flight ran on time, and we got there safely. Mission accomplished.
I find them to be about the same as other carriers. Delta is our preferred airline; I think their customer service is better than others, including AC (in my experience). We fly with a disabled family member and we have a lot of “asks.” AC tries in theory, but it is sometimes a fight to get the seating, etc., that we need. Delta is a breeze.
Also, I find that those who say they prefer Westjet are usually
politically motivated.
??
Never again. I flew with AC last September for the first time from Seattle (SEA) to Vancouver (YVR) to Frankfurt (FRA) & Naples and when things went wrong they showed very little interest in helping me out. I bought Business class tickets for the first time, directly from their partner Lufthansa, and was really looking forward to the experience. I’ve been to Europe a dozen times so I had something to compare to.
It was a bright sunny day in SEA, we departed on time at 10:45 a. m. for the one hour hop to YVR. I had a tight connection as we were supposed to land at 11:45 and the FRA flight was scheduled to leave at 1:20. I had been tracking my flights for almost a month and knew this first flight was often delayed so I knew there was one flight later that day, around 4:00 if I remember right, and I figured if I missed the connection I’d be on the later flight. I had only one carry-on bag.
After departing the terminal we stopped and sat there for over an hour, long enough that I got a text that my next flight was boarding. I anxiously hoped that my 2nd flight would be delayed, as it sometimes had been in the previous month. But no. It left on time. Looong story short: I had not been automatically booked on the 4:00 flight but on the 1:20 flight the following day so I went to the check-in counter to see what options I had. AC staff said I’d have to fly the next day, they could/would not book me on the 4:00. So I went to the Lufthansa counter where the staff were very nice and tried to work something out. They offered me a seat on the 4:00 but they only had Economy spots available and after considering the price I had paid and the experience I wanted, I declined that offer. Back at the AC counter I asked if I could get a voucher for a hotel that night. No. Meal? No. So back to the Lufthansa counter I went feeling frustrated and tired - it was a bit of a walk between the two. The nice lady there saw me waiting in line again and motioned me up to her spot. I explained. She said, “our partner should provide vouchers” and got on the phone. I thanked her & headed back to AC. But once again they said no vouchers, didn’t offer any help finding a hotel and basically just waited for me to walk away. Dear reader, I am not a prima donna. I know things go wrong and especially these days we must be flexible when traveling. I did not raise my voice. But I did think that as a BC passenger I would get a more accommodating level of service. Perhaps this was naked hubris. They certainly put me in my place. Another trip to Lufthansa got me assurances that if I walked back to AC again, this time they would give me vouchers since this is what Lufthansa would have done had I been flying that leg with them.
I did get a voucher.
Things went better the next day and all I really lost was one day in Italy, some time & shoe leather. But I’ll choose a different airline next time.
