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Booking: Air Canada Premium Economy Boeing 787-9
I recently returned home from an incredible two-week adventure in Japan, which began in Osaka and ended in Tokyo. My journey kicked off with Air Canada flight AC23, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, flying non-stop from Vancouver (YVR) to Osaka (KIX). I booked my basic Economy class ticket using Aeroplan points: 124,300 in total, plus $100.27 CAD in taxes and fees. This covered my return flights as well – Tokyo to Montreal to Ottawa. Thankfully, my Aeroplan 35K status allowed me to check a bag at no additional cost, even though the basic Economy fare typically charges a fee.
Air Canada Premium Economy – source: Air Canada
Though I booked in Economy, I decided to request an upgrade to Premium Economy using 14 eUpgrade credits and $300 CAD. This was my first time paying a cash co-pay for an upgrade, but since the base fare was covered entirely by points, the extra spend felt reasonable, especially for a 10.5-hour trans-Pacific flight.
Shortly before boarding, my upgrade was confirmed, and I was assigned seat 14G – an aisle seat in the last row of the Premium Economy cabin. I was genuinely pleased with the assignment; in my experience, upgrades often land me in a middle seat, which isn’t ideal. Honestly, I’d probably choose a window seat in Economy over being stuck in the middle in Premium Economy, so the aisle was a welcome surprise.
Upgrade Notification
Airport & Boarding: Air Canada Premium Economy
I arrived at YVR around 10:30am for a 1:30pm departure. The terminal was moderately busy, but check-in and security were quick and painless. After clearing security, I headed to Gate D51, where the boarding area was bustling but calm. Although I was eligible to board with Zone 2, I tend to hang back and wait for the final call – less time sitting on a plane is always a win in my books.
Gate D51 at YVR
Gate D51 Boarding Area
Zone 1 and 2 Boarding
Cabin & Seat: Air Canada Premium Economy
The Premium Economy cabin on Air Canada’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is configured in a 2-3-2 layout across just three rows, making it a relatively quiet and private section between the Business and Economy cabins. It seats 21 passengers in total, with wider seats, increased recline, and more legroom compared to standard Economy. The cabin layout feels more spacious and less crowded – ideal for long-haul flights like this one.
Seat 14G in Premium Economy
My seat, 14G, was in the centre section of the final row. While I typically prefer a window seat, the extra room and comfort in Premium Economy made the aisle seat more than acceptable. In fact, being on the aisle gave me the flexibility to get up and stretch without disturbing seat-mates – something I really value on longer flights.
Premium Economy Legroom
Each seat in this cabin offers 19.5 inches of width, 38 inches of pitch, and a deeper recline than Economy – perfect for anyone who likes to shift positions mid-flight. Personally, I’m someone who contorts into all kinds of odd shapes to stay comfortable on long flights – cross-legged, curled up, knees to the side, you name it – and the extra space makes that easy to do.
Air Canada Travel Kit
Waiting at my seat were a pillow, blanket, bottled water, earphones, and a compact travel kit that included a toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs, and a sleep mask. The seat also came with a footrest and adjustable headrest, adding to the overall comfort.
The in-flight entertainment system was solid, featuring a medium-sized touchscreen and a wide variety of movies, TV shows, music, and games. Each seat also includes a universal power outlet and USB port, which helped me to keep my devices charged throughout the flight.
In-Flight Entertainment System
One downside was the lack of Wi-Fi on this flight, which was surprising, as Air Canada typically offers connectivity on its long-haul routes.
Meals & Service: Air Canada Premium Economy
Meal service began about 45 minutes after takeoff. I opted for chicken, which included:
- Salad: Romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and palm hearts
- Main Course: Maple and orange chicken with sweet potato mash and a corn-edamame succotash
- Dessert: Brownie deluxe
- Drinks: Wine (red/white), beer, spirits, soft drinks, coffee, tea
First Meal – Premium Economy
The meal was decent – nicely presented on proper dishes, which is a welcome change from the usual plastic trays in Economy. That said, I’ve had better meals on Air Canada before. Interestingly, there were only meat-based options (chicken or beef). As someone who isn’t vegetarian, it didn’t impact me personally, but it’s something to note for people with dietary restrictions (I noticed the same on a previous Air Canada flight to Shanghai).
Comfortably-Sized Tray Table
Later in the flight, I grabbed a tuna sandwich and crackers from the front of the cabin. These are the same snacks offered in Economy – not a huge letdown, but given the price difference in fare, a bit more variety or quality here would be nice.
About an hour before landing, breakfast was served: scrambled eggs with sausage and a small fruit salad. Again, this was identical to the Economy meal. One of my ongoing gripes with Premium Economy is that only the first meal feels “premium;” the rest of the food experience doesn’t really match the higher fare.
Breakfast – Premium Economy
The crew were friendly and efficient. Service was smooth and professional throughout the flight – nothing particularly memorable, but no complaints either.
Takeaway: Air Canada Premium Economy
Air Canada’s Premium Economy on the 787-9 delivered a comfortable, if unspectacular, experience on my flight from Vancouver to Osaka. The upgraded seat and cabin amenities made a noticeable difference on a long-haul flight, and the $300 co-pay felt worth it, given I booked with points. That said, the food service beyond the first meal left something to be desired, as it always does.
Would I upgrade a flight on personal travel again? If I’m using points and the flight is long, absolutely. But if I were paying full fare out of pocket, I’d have to think twice.
Related Reading
Review: 15 hours in AC Premium Economy, Dubai to Toronto
The Truth about Air Canada eUpgrades
