In May, Air Canada took delivery of its first Dreamliner 787-8. It was more than three years late but it’s certainly not the first airline to receive a late Boeing delivery. With the ability to carry more passengers over a greater distance by using less fuel, it was a natural replacement to the Boeing 767s and 777s which preceded it.
Joining the Dreamliner club was an important move for the Canadian airline as it came right in the middle of a strong turnaround that has seen the carrier cut costs at every turn and is now looking to its international expansion to support its continued growth.
Its official inaugural flight took place in July on the Toronto – Tokyo, Haneda route and the business class offerings did not disappoint with many of Air Canada’s standard high-finishes and some pleasant surprises found on board the International Business Class cabin.
The cabin
The interior décor and cabin architecture have been designed to provide passengers with an exceptional travel experience. The look is contemporary sophistication in neutral colours and shades of slate grey, with trimmings in Canadian red and ‘celeste blue’.
There are 20 ‘executive pod’ seats configured in a 1-2-1 layout, giving each passenger the now expected direct aisle access. In this new layout, the outer pods face the windows for maximum ‘view’ whilst the centre two seats angle in towards each other.
Other notable features include new designs for overhead bins to allow for extra head room while larger windows no longer have manual shades but now have dimmer buttons in its stead. Higher levels of humidity and increased cabin pressure lessen the jet-lag effect as the on-board atmosphere is equivalent to 6,000 feet above sea level rather than the 8,000 feet on other aircraft types.
The seat
One of the most exciting new features of the executive pod is the reverse herringbone style seat which is becoming ever more popular, also available on other leading carriers like Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and American Airlines. It offers considerably more room and comfort than the herringbone style found on Air Canada’s 767s or 777s.
A standout element and unique selling point of each of the 20 business class seats is the adjustable pneumatic cushion headrest with a built-in massage function, which no other airline can yet lay claim to. The seat pitches at 21 inches and unfolds into a fully-flat 80-inch bed dressed with a 100% cotton duvet.
Though the middle seats angle in towards each other, there is a screen which can be adjusted up or down for added privacy, and new to Air Canada’s business product is an espresso and cappuccino service by Lavazza coffee which, the airline boasts, is freshly brewed on board.
IFE
The inflight entertainment system comes in the form of a generous 18-inch touchscreen video panel and controller – the largest offered in business class by any North American carrier. The actual system is based on Panasonic’s X3 IFE.
In addition to the original system’s video, audio, games and moving map options, with the new IFE passengers can enjoy seat-to-seat chat – so you will never have to vacate your seat ever again on an Air Canada 787 flight (unless you need to pay a visit to the restroom of course). Shopping and meal menus come in apps, and accessibility for visually impaired passengers round out the IFE highlights.
On order
Air Canada has 15 Dreamliner 787-8s on order as well as 22 of the stretched version, the 787-9s. The first two of the larger aircrafts are scheduled to join the fleet in 2015 together with four more of the 787-8s. All of the 787 family are due for delivery by the end of 2019.
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