High levels of service can be found on both long and short Air Canada Domestic Business Class flights, discovers Nick Walton on a flight from Vancouver to Edmonton.

Check-In/The Lounge

I already received my onward had my Vancouver-Edmonton boarding pass when checking in for my Hong Kong-Vancouver flight, but still had to pass through immigration and security before arriving in the domestic departures hall of Vancouver International Airport.

Here I made my way to the airline’s signature Maple Leaf lounge (Domestic), located directly opposite my departure gate, C29. The lounge is a large space and one that was approximately 70 per cent full when I arrived in the late afternoon. Dressed in red-hued timber, the lounge is divided into several spaces, including lounge areas with leather armchairs and large windows overlooking the apron; cosy private work stations; and a dining zone with café seating.

Having just finished a long haul Trans-Pacific flight I was keen to have a shower; the lounge offers basic but clean shower facilities and before long I was at the buffet, which features soup, bread rolls, salads and a range of drinks, pulling myself a Canadian draft beer (alcohol is only available after 11 am) and snacking on corn chips and salsa.

While it’s clear the lounge sees a lot of travellers each day, it is well maintained, boasts fast internet access, and offers a quiet respite before onward flights.

Boarding

There was quite a long delay at gate C29 before we boarded the Air Canada A319, mainly due to a large number of physically-challenged passengers needing additional assistance. Once boarding did commence, I made my way to the priority queue and was quickly aboard the jet, which features 14 Air Canada Domestic Business Class seats, each with a width of 21-inches and a pitch of 37-inches, in a 2-2 configuration. My seat, 2A, boasted a recline of five-inches, which is fine for short-haul travel, as well as in-seat AC and USB connectivity, a sizable dining tray, a personal reading lamp, and a small 8.9-inch touch screen monitor, centred in the back of the seat in front. A spacious armrest doubled as a cocktail table between seats.

The Flight

I was welcomed on board with the same genuine hospitality I had encountered on my way over from Hong Kong. The crew offered the handful of business class passengers juice and newspapers. I realised their seamless, charming, nothing-is-too-much-trouble attitude was the norm for the carrier, rather than the exception (at least in business class). After a detailed announcement from the captain, we pulled back from the gate and took off exactly on time, on the 90-minute flight to Edmonton.

After takeoff crew presented great little dishes of antipasto – smoked ham, salami, gherkins, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and crackers. This went perfectly with a couple of cold Molson beers from a comprehensive beverage offering by wine guru Ken Chase. I decided to watch my own tablet rather than the in-seat screen (although it is connected to many hours of recent entertainment), and used my Bose noise reduction headphones after we reached cruising altitude (the airline has a curious restriction on all but bud earphones at takeoff).

Before I knew it we were descending into a rather chilly Edmonton, right on time, after yet another brilliant Air Canada business class experience.

Air Canada Vancouver-Edmonton return in domestic business class from US$757 per person.