Air Canada 787 Business Class Review: Brussels to Montreal

After celebrating my brother’s wedding in Cameroon over the winter holidays, I flew Air Canada 787 Business Class for part of my journey home. For the first leg of the trip, I flew Brussels Airlines Business Class from Yaounde (NSI) to Brussels (BRU) onboard the Airbus A330-300 (review coming soon). Then I flew Brussels to Montreal (YUL) on Air Canada AC833 onboard the Boeing 787-8. Air Canada interchangeably operates a Boeing 787-9 and an Airbus A330-300 on this route. Based on my previous experiences with the Lufthansa A330 Business Class and the Etihad 787 Business Studios, I was pleased with flying onboard the Air Canada Dreamliner Business Class. I experienced the newly unveiled Air Canada Signature Service, which is offered on international flights. Read my Air Canada Business Class review on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from BRU to MTL for all the details on this 7.5 hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

Air Canada 787 Business Class Review BRU to YUL

**Our WTA score represents our own views based on our personal experience with the entity being reviewed.

Air Canada 787-8 Signature Class

Post from RICOH THETA. – Spherical Image – Air Canada B787-9 Business Class Cabin

Air Canada B787 Business Class Cabin

How I made my Air Canada booking in Business Class with miles

A one-way Air Canada Business Class ticket from Brussels to Montreal during peak season costs several thousands of dollars. For my specific dates, the one-way Business Class Air Canada ticket from BRU to YUL was priced at $6,096. Thankfully I was able to use my United MileagePlus miles since Air Canada is a partner of United to book the ticket and save a lot of money.

For 80,000 United MileagePlus miles and $177.21 in taxes and fees, I was able to secure my ticket from Yaounde (NSI) to Baltimore (BWI) in Business Class. I flew through Brussels (BRU) and Montreal (YUL). This was an excellent use of miles and made the long-haul flights much more comfortable for a tall guy like me.

Please keep in mind that effective November 15, 2019, United Airlines will be scrapping its award charts for flights on its own metal (United airplanes). As of now partner-operated flights are not affected, but there is no guarantee that won’t be changing in the future. If you plan on redeeming miles for upcoming family travels during peak season on United flights, it is advisable to secure them sooner rather than later to lock in the current award pricing.

Air Canada Business Class Perks

There are several perks that are included with Air Canada international business class tickets, which are now called “Signature Class.” Signature Class is offered only on Air Canada international flights to and from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America on the Boeing 787, 777, 767 and Airbus A330.

Air Canada Signature Class service ensures a premium seamless experience from check-in until the very end. Perks include priority check-in, expedited security clearance, lounge access, exclusive boarding lanes, fast-track through immigration (at select airports), and priority baggage delivery. The Air Canada business class baggage allowance is 2 checked bags weighing up to 32 kg each in addition to a carry-on suitcase and personal item.

Additional benefits include access to the Air Canada Concierge Team for assistance with reservations, special in-flight meals, and transportation. Signature class customers are also offered BMW chauffeur service across the tarmac at Toronto Pearson when connecting from a domestic to international flight.

Guests are also able to access the luxurious Maple Leaf Lounges, which can be found in 16 airports across Canada, the US and Europe. The Air Canada Signature Suite Lounge in hub city Toronto is one of the best Air Canada lounges, but unfortunately I was not flying there and didn’t get to experience it. Customers flying through Toronto can take advantage of the most Air Canada Business Class benefits.

Air Canada Lounge Access at Brussels Airport

There is no Air Canada Business Class lounge at Brussels Airport. However, Air Canada First Class and Business Class customers and Star Alliance Gold passengers have access to any Star Alliance member carrier’s own lounges. For specific information regarding the Star Alliance lounge access policy, click here.

Since my flight was departing out of Pier B, I made my way to The Suite by Brussels Airlines. The lounge is open daily from 5AM-9PM and serves Non-Schengen flights. It was decorated for Christmas since I was traveling during the holidays.

The lounge features high speed internet, ample seating, a relaxation room, conference rooms, private rooms, showers, workstations and a printing station. The decor was neutral and rather uninspired compared to some of the premium airline lounges we’ve visited internationally, like Etihad, Lufthansa, and Emirates lounges.

The lounge had a limited selection of food and beverages, which was somewhat disappointing before a long-haul international flight. Food options included bread, croissants, yogurt, cereal, and waffles. Drinks included coffee, tea, wine, beer, soft drinks, and juice. Service was good and staff quickly restocked empty dishes.

Air Canada Business Class 787 Cabin

The Air Canada Business Class B787-8 cabin features 5 rows of 4 seats arranged in a reverse herringbone 1-2-1 configuration. The seats are called “executive pods” on the Boeing 787 Business Class. These premium Air Canada seats feature lumbar support, massage functions, and convert to a fully flat bed. They are some of the best business class seats available today.

The Air Canada Boeing 787 interior has a neutral color scheme with an occasional accent of red where the logo is displayed at the back of the cabin. The white and grey palette was a stark contrast to the warm rich tones in the luxe Emirates First Class cabin, which we had flown earlier in the year. The cabin features celeste blue lighting that is in sync with time zones to help alleviate jet jag (like our Ayo light therapy glasses).

All the seats in the 787 Dreamliner Business Class Cabin have direct aisle access so you don’t have to worry about straddling a stranger for bathroom breaks. That’s always welcomed when traveling solo, which I happened to be on this trip since the kids were in school.

There is a single bathroom for the Business Class passengers at the front of the cabin. There are also 2 bathrooms behind the Business Class cabin that are shared with Premium Economy passengers.

Traveling couples or solo travelers who elect to sit in the middle seats can raise or lower the privacy wall depending on their mood. The business class seats offered adequate privacy despite not being fully enclosed.

Post from RICOH THETA. – Spherical Image – Air Canada B787-9 Business Class Cabin

Welcome Drinks

As soon as I was settled in my seat, a flight attendant came by to offer me a welcome drink and menu. I opted for champagne and orange juice. Air Canada Business Class serves Laurent-Perrier champagne as well as wine chosen by their sommelier Veronique Rivest. My flight offered wine from Canada, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and South Africa.

The drink menu included spirits and liqueurs, beer, wine, juice, soft drinks, coffee, tea, and a signature cocktail. The signature cocktail was made with Crown Royal Canadian Whisky, gin and cranberry juice, although I did not try it.

Shortly after takeoff, I asked for Baileys on the rocks and mixed nuts, which were promptly delivered by a cheerful flight attendant.

Air Canada 787 Signature Class Executive Pod

The executive pod seat on the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 was very comfortable and well-appointed. Signature Pod seats have a lot of counter space and storage. The tray table extends from below the entertainment display screen.

The large 18” entertainment display screen provides flight information and offers a huge selection of movies, games, and music. I’ll share more on that below. You can also order food and drinks directly from the TV, which is extremely convenient.

The seats have some extra bells and whistles making them extremely comfortable during long-haul flights. The seats have back support and an adjustable pneumatic cushion with a head and neck massage function. You can adjust the firmness of the mattress, which is a nice touch.

The Signature Pod offers an adequate amount of storage throughout. A storage cubby on the counter houses the remote for the inflight entertainment system, a power outlet, USB port, and the headphone port. You can store smaller items like cell phones, wallets, glasses, and cameras here.

There is another small storage space under the adjustable elbow support on the outside of the seat.

The armrest has a touchscreen display with seat controls to adjust the position of your seat. It is easy to reach and use.

The universal power station is inside the storage cubby, so you can conveniently charge your devices while storing them.

On the other end of the cubby is the USB station and port to plug in the Air Canada headphones they provide.

At 53.3 cm (21″) width and 203.2 cm (6’7″), the fully lie-flat Signature Class pods were spacious enough for me to sleep comfortably. As a 6’6 man with broad shoulders, it is rare to find seats long enough for me to fully extend my legs and wide enough to feel at ease. The Air Canada Business Class seats are among the largest business class seats available.

 

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The footwells are usually not big enough for me either, but I did not have any issue getting comfortable. On some airlines I’ve had to twist and contort in awkward angles, but I could sleep with my feet straight ahead. There’s space underneath to store your shoes or small bag.

Air Canada Amenities

The Air Canada Business Class Amenity kit is designed by WANT Les Essentials and comes in a black faux leather bag. It contains inflight essentials including a sleep mask, socks, earplugs, dental kit, Vitruvi skincare products, and a bag for glasses. Other inflight amenities include noise-cancelling headphones, a quilted mattress pad, duvet, and pillow.

Air Canada Business Class Menu

Business Class Air Canada meal options included lunch shortly after takeoff and a light meal before landing. The lunch menu offered an Express Light Lunch served after takeoff with appetizer, salad, cheese and fruit presented at once. I was in no hurry to sleep so opted for the full 5-course lunch menu which had an appetizer, salad, main course, cheese, and dessert.

The appetizer was fregola salad, smoked salmon, and caper berries with lime creme fraiche. It was served with salad and bread. I paired my meal with the red wine suggested by my flight attendant.

After devouring the appetizer, I had the Spicy Asian marinated chicken, steamed jasmine rice, and sautéed baby bok-choy. I was satisfied with the meal and wine recommendation. The gourmet cuisine is by award-winning chef David Hawksworth.

Next the flight crew served cheese, crackers and grapes.

Finally for dessert, I overindulged with fresh seasonal fruits and 3 scoops of ice cream. The flavors were Belgian chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio. My entire meal was delicious and filling.

Customers in Signature Class cabin can dine on demand if they want to eat outside of the scheduled service times. This is especially helpful for long flights when you want to sleep but don’t want to miss the meal.

After comfortably resting for a few hours, I requested the light meal. This meal was a cold plate of chicken, arugula salad, and tomatoes served with orange slices and Neuhaus chocolates. It was tasty and just the right amount of food before landing.

Air Canada Wifi and In-flight Entertainment

After lunch, I decided to check out the selection of movies on the in-flight entertainment system. Air Canada offers hundreds of hours of entertainment. They had a generous selection of recently released Hollywood movies, international movies, documentaries, TV shows, audio books, music, podcasts and more. There’s something for everyone.

Unfortunately there is no Wi-Fi onboard the Boeing 787-8. This is one place where Air Canada can improve, given that most of its counterparts offer it to their passengers. It wasn’t a big deal on my 7.5 hour long flight but it could be an issue for those who need to get work done. However, Air Canada is working on adding Wi-Fi to their fleet. So far none of their Boeing 787-8 aircraft offer Wi-Fi.

Air Canada Service

The flight attendants and pursers in Air Canada Signature Class did an amazing job. The crew was friendly, warm and attentive. They addressed any questions I had during the flight and made sure I had everything I needed. Overall it was an enjoyable experience and I would happily fly Air Canada again. Canadians are some of the nicest people we’ve met while traveling. It was no surprise that Air Canada customer service came with a genuine smile and warmth.

Last thoughts on Air Canada Business Class 787 Review

I would definitely consider Air Canada Signature Class again for transcontinental flights. Air Canada Business Class seats on the Boeing 787-8 are spacious, comfortable, and long enough for my 6’6 frame to sleep comfortably in the fully flat position. I enjoyed excellent service, delicious meals, and a myriad of entertainment options. Once they outfit all their flights with Wi-Fi, they should be able to score even higher on our review. That’s it for my Air Canada trip report.