Air Canada's new Business Class? seats..BRUTAL

[1000 HP]

It takes me 4 airplanes and a 3 hour ride by truck to get home from work. I fought for 2 years to get put on AC007 & AC008 from Vancouver to Hong Kong and back. The service was great and the seats were spectacular. I'm talking about the nice blue angled pod seats. My tickets average $7000 to $9800 round trip so you kinda expect a lot. I travel this route once a month.

So here I was in Hong Kong on the 29th, tired after a 2 hour ride to the airport, and then a trip via Silk Air and Singapore Airlines to Singapore and Hong Kong respectively. It was with great anticipation I boarded the flight in Hong Kong. Air Canada at last! This was the flight I finally get my little POD and a chance to rest nicely until Vancouver. NOT! The seats had been totally changed out to some ugly cramped new style. I actually had to ask the flight attendant: "Is this the flight to Vancouver?"

OMG the new seats are horrible! They win the "most horrible airline business class" seats hands down. I've flown on a lot of airlines. AC was my favorite.

With the new seats, if you need to go to the biffy and are unfortunate enough to have a window seat on a "double", you either have to wake up the aisle person, or attempt to drag your arse inches from the other person's face while straddling the poor sop. Seeing as I had a wee bit of the SEA "dribbles" I elected to wake the chap up rather then having an unplanned blowout over his sleeping mug. Not great for either of us.

What moron at Air Canada designed the seating?

I have one more ticket booked with this flight but I am actively seeking a better run. Maybe Philippine Airlines will work via Manila. Their Recaro Business class is a bit firm but nice and private. Any other ideas? I fly out of Edmonton to Singapore and then on to Balikpapan, Indonesia. I'd love to stick with Star Alliance but I need comfort.

[Heliian]

[iflyforpie]

I think we can definitely classify that as a 'first world problem'.

[Genetk44]

I always thought the Air Canada business class lie-flat pod seats were the crappiest in the industry to begin with so if they have managed to screw that up it must be really horrific. If I'm flying any kind of long inter-continental leg I always try to find a different airline than Air Canada because I find their seats are very uncomfortable.

[Duffman]

These ones?

[1000 HP]

Yep. If the aisle seat guy is sleeping you pretty much have to wake him up to get out from the window side. And there is not much room for legs between the seats either. Just no good.

[Genetk44]

Are those supposed to be lie-flat seats?? They look pretty crappy from the photo.

[CpnCrunch]

What about Korean Air?:

http://www.koreanair.com/local/na/gd/en ... _cs_fc.jsp

[MIQ]

Here's a bigger picture of the new Executive First.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Cana ... b38af1c4f6

I've flown on several types in Air Canada's 'old' Executive First and must say that I never was a huge fan of it. Especially on the older 330's and 777's it started to look really run down and dirty. The blue lighting also felt kind of cold and not very comfortable. However having your own space was really nice, which doesn't seem to be the case with the new configuration anymore.

[JBI]

With their new high density 777s, they're going from 349 total seats to 458 total seats with this new business class and then adding an extra seat in each row in economy (going from a 3-3-3 to a 3-4-3 configuration).

To put this in perspective, Korean Air only has 407 total seats on its A380 and British Airways has 469. It's one thing to be squished in on a 2 hour domestic flight, it's another to be a sardine on a long haul. However, if it means more bums in seats and an actual profit at AC, it could be a good thing. That being said, on routes where there's competition, you may see price not being the only factor as business travellers will pick other carriers.

[Rudy]

an extra seat in each row in economy (going from a 3-3-3 to a 3-4-3 configuration).

Omg my life is ruined. The only saving grace is the majority of the passengers are Asian. I can't imagine a 13 hour flight in this config filled with average European-Canadians.

[GyvAir]

I think we can definitely classify that as a 'first world problem'.

Maybe so, but:

The only saving grace is the majority of the passengers are Asian. I can't imagine a 13 hour flight in this config filled with average European-Canadians.

Exactly.

15.5 hours for HK-Toronto, for some bonus thrombosis if they come up with similar seating for that route. The front of the plane is usually out of the budget anyway, so that has little effect on me. With the extra column of seats in economy, you might as well just crate me, screw down a few 2x4s around my limbs to prevent shifting and throw me in the baggage hold.

[Rudy]

I was thinking rip out the seats, pad the floor, and issue every passenger a sleeping bag and a herc strap.

[1000 HP]

Thanks buddy, anything helps.

It looks like I'll try Philippine Airlines again. Their business class is usually half empty and although the seats are a bit hard (Recaros) they are large and the service is second to none. I'm still looking but Air Canada is out..

[GyvAir]

I think those are herc straps you can see here and there in the crowd..

[Rudy]

Air Canada will be reducing fares to reflect the decrease quality of service, right??

[Conquest Driver]

I liked the old pod seats. Were they perfect? Perhaps not. Did they let my 6 foot frame lie down flat and get some sleep? Hell yes!! Couple that with the arrivals lounge in LHR and AC had a pretty good product. Please tell me they haven't screwed that up.

[loopa]

I think those are herc straps you can see here and there in the crowd..

The front row is business class

[frozen solid]

15.5 hours for HK-Toronto, for some bonus thrombosis if they come up with similar seating for that route. The front of the plane is usually out of the budget anyway, so that has little effect on me. With the extra column of seats in economy, you might as well just crate me, screw down a few 2x4s around my limbs to prevent shifting and throw me in the baggage hold.

Word. I think I would much rather be chloroformed, and stacked like cordwood along with other similarly anaesthetized "passengers" in a cargo hold.

[Heliian]

I just can't side with old AC, their service is so terrible that I would rather fly in a ryanair plane with stand up "seats" on a transcontinental milk run.

[Driving Rain]

Can hardly wait!

[MrWings]

I think we can definitely classify that as a 'first world problem'.

Well, technically yes. But when you consider the money being made in first class, losing a customer like 1000 HP can equate to $100,000 a year! That's one customer! How many of those customers can AC afford to lose?

Edit: forgot a 0!

[whiteguy]

I think we can definitely classify that as a 'first world problem'.

Well, technically yes. But when you consider the money being made in first class, losing a customer like 1000 HP can equate to $10,000 a year! That's one customer! How many of those customers can AC afford to lose?

Yes, can't afford to lose the guy that flew with AC on this route ONCE!!!!

[Beefitarian]

.... A month.

Huh, Singapore air was pretty amazing in peasant class from Australia to dubai about 8 years ago.

[whiteguy]

.... A month.

Huh, Singapore air was pretty amazing in peasant class from Australia to dubai about 8 years ago.

He said he flies the route once a month not AC. Took him 2 years to be booked on AC.