Table of Contents
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Introduction & Booking
In early August, I flew from Toronto to Delhi for a work trip. I’ve done several long hauls in Air Canada Economy (like Tokyo to Montreal), so I knew going in that it wouldn’t be a comfortable flight. And I was right.
I booked Economy Flex directly with Air Canada, as one leg of a multi-city itinerary: Toronto – Delhi and Kathmandu – Bangkok – Vancouver. All in, the whole thing came to $3,257.52. I stick with Air Canada for one main reason: status makes work travel slightly more comfortable (key word: slightly).
I lost my 35K status in January; I didn’t fly enough in 2025 to keep it. This year, I’m chasing 25K back. The eUpgrade credits are the real reason. They’re the one perk that actually changes how a long-haul feels.
Airport & Boarding
I gave myself three hours at YYZ, which felt generous until I remembered this is Pearson. But credit where it’s due: bag drop took about 5 minutes, and security took about 15. I even had time to sit down at Lee Kitchen, a Thai restaurant in Terminal 1, near gates E73/F73. If you’re flying out of T1 and want food that doesn’t taste terrible, this is the lone respectable option.
The flight boarded on time, and I waited until final call to get on. No need to sit in an Economy cabin longer than necessary.
Gate E75 at YYZ
Boarding at Gate E75
Boarding Flight AC42 Toronto – Delhi
Boarding Flight AC42 Toronto – Delhi
Cabin & Seat
The plane was a Boeing 777-200LR, an ultra-long-range, wide-body aircraft with a 3-4-3 layout in Economy. I sat in 23A, a window seat. I always opt for a window seat because I like to look out the window, and it provides more comfort when trying to sleep or rest.
View from Seat 23A on Air Canada Economy
The seat itself was standard for long-haul Economy: about 17 inches wide with 31 inches of pitch. A small pillow and blanket were already waiting for me when I got to my seat, and the seat-back pocket held the basics but not much more. The seat-back entertainment system had a solid lineup of movies, TV shows, and games, and there was a power outlet built into the seat, which came in handy for keeping my devices charged over 14 hours.
Seat 23A – Air Canada Economy
Seat 23A Seat-Back Entertainment – Air Canada Economy
Economy Cabin on AC42 to Delhi
One thing that really annoyed me is that the light panel above me didn’t have a cover on it. Mine seemed to be the only seat in the section missing one. So while everyone else had a properly dimmed panel, I got a bright blue light shining directly over me, and I’d forgotten my eye mask, like a rookie, so I had to use the blanket to put over my head to make it darker (I’m sure I looked as dumb as I felt). Not sure if that’s by design, but I was not happy about it.
Lighting over Seat 23A
Meals & Service
I’ve eaten a lot of Air Canada meals in pursuit of this status, and this was, without exaggeration, one of the worst ones I’ve had.
For dinner, I had:
- Appetizer: cucumber, mint, and yogurt salad
- Main course: chicken korma with cumin basmati rice, okra, onions, tomatoes, and spicy peppers, served with naan bread
- Dessert: vegan carrot cake
Air Canada Economy Meal 1
Economy food is never great, but this one still found a way to underperform that already-low bar. Everything came out a little sadder than usual, and I didn’t even finish half of it.
I missed the mid-flight snack of veggie wraps and cookies because I was asleep. No regrets there; I doubt I missed much. For breakfast, they offered egg bhurji, aloo bhaji, and plain paratha. I declined. It didn’t look appetizing, and I wasn’t willing to risk feeling unwell before a work trip.
During meal service, the crew offered a full range of beverages: red and white wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, juice, coffee, and tea. I skipped all of it and stuck to water, as I usually do on flights. My one request for Air Canada: add iced tea to the list. I’d drink it every time.
The crew were friendly enough, but nothing stood out; typical Air Canada service, for better or worse.
Points Earnings
Since this was a work trip, I had to book on the company card rather than my own, so no credit card points on this one. The flight still earned me 5,296 SQC, 1,324 EDQ, 7,222 LQM, and 4,105 Aeroplan points.
Points Earnings from AC42
View from Seat 23A
Takeaway
Not every flight needs to be memorable, and this one definitely wasn’t. It got me to Delhi, it counted toward my status, and it reminded me to always pack an eye mask on long-haul flights…a lesson I really should know by now.
5 comments
I’ve flown the J class on AC to DEL and back, the experience wasn’t different from yours, just the food was better. Yet to fly AI, but I won’t fly their B777s, will prefer the B787 or the A350 from JFK or EWR. I reluctantly flew SIN-DEL on AI’s A321NEO, a former Vistara jet., but it was actually a good, to my surprise. I have flown to ME, Africa, SEA, & SA on European, Asian, and Middle Eastern airlines, and in opinion AC has a long way to go.
Thanks for your reviews. There are relatively few long haul Y class reviews in this hobby.
In 2025 I think that flight would have earned 7222 aeroplan points and have you about 29 percent of the way to 25k.
In 2026 it earns 4105 aeroplan points and gets you about 21 percent of the way to 25k.
I’d be interested to know how much sleep you get in these flights and how functional you are on arrival compared to to PY and J. Maybe a future article?
Thank you so much, glad it was useful! Ha, to be fair, most people are sane enough not to voluntarily spend 15 hours in Economy.
Funny you ask about sleep, because this flight was actually an outlier for me. My usual long-haul average is a rough 2 hours, even with melatonin. On this one, somehow, I got about 7 hours on and off, which I can only assume is thanks to the Gravol I took beforehand (I need the strong stuff). Normally I land feeling delirious and out of sorts, so this was a rare win.
I did write a short piece a while back on surviving sleepless long hauls (you can read it here), but a deeper comparison across Y, PY, and J is a great idea. Love the suggestion…stay tuned 🙂
It beats Air India, which ain’t great.
I’m surprised you didn’t comment on the boarding process (aside from boarding last, usually these flights at YYZ are a total gong show), or the lavatories. Average or typical?
The service you nailed it: indifferent. Crews on AC tend to prefer to speak to each other, not to passengers.
These days if I have to fly Y long haul I will proactively avoid AC or US carriers. My last trip to India in Y I took Etihad. It made AC premium economy look bad.
If you’re chasing 25K this year, I assume you’re probably just going to be able to use eUps selectively because international destinations it’s going to be very challenging especially Asia or Europe.
I agree re: Air India. I flew a 1.5-hour domestic route with them, and that was more than enough. I have zero desire to find out what they’re like on a long haul.
You’re right that boarding was a gong show, which is exactly why I hang back. I let the chaos run its course at the gate and just chill until the last possible minute; it makes the whole thing feel a lot more relaxing than fighting for overhead bin space with everyone else. As for the lavatories, atrocious is the right word. I avoid using them at all costs and only caved once on this flight.
Etihad is a good call, I’ll keep that in mind for next time!
On the eUps: totally fair, and I know the odds get slimmer on Asia and Europe routes specifically. But I’ve actually had decent luck with them in the past, they came through on a flight to Japan and on a couple of Toronto–Dubai and Montreal–Frankfurt segments, so I keep holding out hope anyway 🙂