Air Canada Premium Economy Review: Toronto to Vienna on the Boeing 787-8

Air Canada Premium Economy Review

On my flight to Vienna for Eurovision, I booked a direct outbound flight in Air Canada Premium Economy Flexible for 87,600 Aeroplan points plus $76 CAD in taxes and fees, on a Boeing 787-8. When I booked, an Economy Flexible ticket was only 5,000 points less than Premium Economy, so it was an easy decision. Booking a Flexible fare also let me cancel at no cost if a better Business Class route opened up later. It also gave me a little better priority with my eUpgrade request to Business Class, thanks to my Aeroplan 25K status and holding a premium Aeroplan credit card.

Alas, my eUpgrade didn’t go through. I was two away from clearing. So instead, this became my first time flying Air Canada Premium Economy.

I selected seat 12A, a bulkhead window seat. The bulkhead gave me extra legroom, and the seat’s position also gave me aisle access. For an eight-plus-hour transatlantic flight, I was curious whether Air Canada Premium Economy would feel better than Economy.

Emily recently covered the premium economy cabin on Air Canada, from Vancouver to Osaka and on a 15-hour flight from Dubai to Toronto.

Air Canada Premium Economy Cabin (source: Air Canada)

Check-In and Boarding at Toronto Pearson

I completed check-in online before arriving at YYZ. Checking my luggage wasn’t quite as smooth. A few of the baggage check-in machines were out of service at YYZ that evening, so dropping off my luggage wasn’t exactly a breeze.

While I was at the Maple Leaf Lounge, I received a text message once boarding began. By the time I made it to the gate, Zone 2 boarding had just started. Zones 3 through 5 boarded afterward, and the line was a mile deep when I arrived.

Boarding Gate

Air Canada Premium Economy Cabin – Seat 12 A

Air Canada Premium Economy on this Boeing 787-8 was arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration. The cabin had only three rows and 21 Premium Economy seats in total, making it feel much smaller than Economy.

Air Canada Premium Economy Cabin – YYZ to VIE

As I approached my seat, a blanket and pillow were already waiting. The seat pocket held a bottle of water and a Premium Economy amenity kit.

Being in the bulkhead row also meant my seat had a slightly different setup. To my right was a small drink tray with a tiny compartment underneath. In front of that was the fold-out tray table, while to my left was the fold-away TV.

Near the floor, to the right of my legs, was the power station for charging electronics.

The biggest highlight of the seat for me was the extra room. I appreciated those few extra inches of legroom, and I also liked not having to interrupt the person next to me whenever I needed to use the bathroom.

The legroom and seat pitch were really the highlight of Premium Economy. An Economy bulkhead seat may give you similar legroom, but the extra space in the Premium Economy seat itself is noticeable on an eight-plus-hour flight. The recline, however, wasn’t dramatically better than Economy. I would say it was slightly better than an Economy Class seat, though not by much.

Premium Economy – Seat Recline

During the flight, I walked through the Economy cabin, and doing that made me appreciate the additional room in Premium Economy even more.

Amenity Kit

A Premium Economy amenity kit came in a reusable black bag with the Air Canada logo. Inside were a dental kit, socks, an eye mask, and earplugs. I wouldn’t say the Air Canada Premium Economy kit was a keeper, though the earplugs definitely came in handy at Eurovision.

Air Canada Premium Economy – Amenity Kit

Amenity Kit contents

The kit actually reminded me of a Lufthansa Business Class amenity kit I received when I flew with them a few years ago and later reviewed.

Air Canada Premium Economy Dinner Service

One benefit of Air Canada Premium Economy is the ability to pre-order your meal, and I took advantage of that before the flight. I selected the country-style beef stew with truffled mashed potatoes and carrots, rather than the BBQ chicken.

Once I boarded, I learned they were already out of the chicken unless it had been pre-ordered. So I would definitely recommend taking advantage of the pre-order window when flying Premium Economy.

Meal service began with a hot towel. My main course came with a garden salad and carrot cake with frosting. I had chosen the beef over the chicken because the menu highlighted it as a signature dish from one of Air Canada’s Executive Chefs.

Hot towel service

Air Canada Premium Economy – Dinner Meal

However, what was served differed from what the onboard menu described. The menu said the beef would come with truffle mashed potatoes and carrots, but my dish arrived with sweet potatoes and green beans instead. The sauce on the beef was more of a sweet and tangy BBQ-style sauce. Still, it was delicious.

Mains – Beef with Sweet Potato and Greens

The Air Canada app didn’t offer a wine menu, though I could see what beverages were available on the TV monitor. After dinner, I finished the meal with a glass of Baileys. That apparently did the trick, because I slept until breakfast.

Breakfast in Premium Economy

The Premium Economy breakfast was the same as what was being served in Economy: a cranberry and vanilla loaf accompanied by yogurt, coffee and juice.

Air Canada Premium Economy – Breakfast

The Business Class option was Air Canada’s famous parsley omelette, which I’ve already had multiple times, so I wasn’t missing much. lol.

If I am being honest, one thing I enjoy about Air Canada’s Business Class service is the selection of mid-flight snacks. Things like Miss Vickie’s chips, Kit Kats and rice crackers are simple, but they are nice to have during a long flight.

Because this was my first Premium Economy experience, I was curious to see what Air Canada would offer between meals. Sadly, they offered nothing for Premium Economy, which was a little disappointing.

Service in Air Canada Premium Economy

Because this was my first Premium Economy experience, I really don’t have another Premium Economy flight to compare it with. And I don’t think it’s fair to compare Premium Economy directly with Business Class.

Overall, I found the staff attentive, and they cleared the food and drinks in a reasonable amount of time. Although the service was perfectly fine, the highlight of my flight had nothing to do with the cabin itself.

I was seated next to an executive from one of Eurovision’s main sponsors. They had attended Eurovision many times, though more for work than as a fan, and gave me a lot of insight into the competition and what to expect.

We even ended up chatting about some of the politics behind Eurovision, including how neighbouring countries vote for one another since the rules state that countries can’t vote for themselves.

Takeaway

Would I book Air Canada Premium Economy again? If the price is right, absolutely.

When Premium Economy costs only 5,000 points more than Economy Flexible, as it did on this trip, I think the additional space makes it worthwhile. Premium Economy really does sit between Economy and Business Class. The wider seat, better seat pitch, additional personal space and upgraded main meal make a noticeable difference compared with Economy.

For my first Air Canada Premium Economy flight, I’d give it a 7/10.

Bon Voyage ✈️