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Old Feb 7, 2013, 5:46 am
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Air Canada Altitude
No longer with Air Canada
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 88
Announcing Premium Economy & new 777-300ERs

Hi everyone

As the anticipation is building for the launch of Altitude in a few weeks, we’re excited to tell you about another major product introduction – a new cabin, to be known as Premium Economy.

Obviously there is a lot of information to share, but below are some of the most pertinent details about Premium Economy on Air Canada flights:
Premium Economy will be introduced on new aircraft. We’ll launch Premium Economy on five new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that are joining our fleet over the course of the coming year. These aircraft will also feature Executive First and Economy Class (more on that further below…).

Premium Economy will be a separate cabin. Complementing our Executive First and Economy Class products, Premium Economy will be positioned in a dedicated cabin featuring 24 spacious seats with more recline, offering up to seven more inches of legroom than Economy Class. Additionally, the seats will be wider, and the cabin will be set in a 2-4-2 configuration.

Premium Economy will offer priority airport services. The purchase of a Premium Economy fare will entitle you to priority check-in, baggage handling and boarding. Additionally, there will be a complimentary checked baggage allowance of 2 bags, up to 23kg each.

Premium Economy will deliver premium amenities onboard. Premium Economy customers will enjoy pre-departure beverages, an enhanced in-flight meal service including complimentary wine & spirits, plus an amenity kit and more.

Premium Economy will be eligible for mileage accumulation. The purchase of a Premium Economy fare will entitle you to 100% Aeroplan Miles & Altitude Qualifying Miles. Naturally, any Altitude privileges to which you are entitled will also apply when traveling in Premium Economy. Two items worth noting, however:
  • eUpgrades You'll be able to upgrade from Premium Economy to Executive First with eUpgrade Credits – the number of credits required & booking window are aligned with upgrades from ‘M’ class. For launch, though, it will not be possible to upgrade from Economy Class to Premium Economy. We are evaluating how to offer eUpgrades to Premium Economy, and more information on this is to come.
  • Aeroplan Flight Rewards For launch of Premium Economy, you will not be able to redeem your Aeroplan Miles for this cabin. Again, we are evaluating how to offer this product, are more details will be shared as they become available.
Premium Economy will use a new booking class. When you purchase a Premium Economy fare, you'll notice that you are booked in ‘O’ class.

Premium Economy will launch on July 11, 2013. Beginning today, you’ll be able to book Premium Economy fares. For launch, it will only be available on a single route, Montreal – Paris, although we’ll announce additional routes in the coming months.

Premium Economy will also be available on Air Canada rouge. We’ll offer Premium Economy, known as Premium rouge, on rouge services operated by Boeing 767-300ERs (such as those to Edinburgh, Venice and Athens). More details on this at aircanada.com/rouge.
As mentioned above, Premium Economy will be launched on new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Take note of a few important details for you about these five aircraft that will be new additions to our fleet:
Executive First will feature a redesigned seat. The seat will convert into a 180-degree lie-flat bed in a staggered configuration, giving you the choice of sitting alone or with a companion. (For those who have traveled internationally in Business Class with our Star Alliance partners SWISS or brussels airlines, you may find the seat to be somewhat similar). Additionally, you can expect the same Executive First service you’ve come to enjoy on all of our other mainline flights.

All seats feature an improved entertainment system. All passengers, regardless of cabin class, will be able to enjoy a state of the art entertainment system with simplified navigation and a broad selection of movies, TV shows & music available from gate-to-gate.

These new features are a preview of what’s ahead with the 787. While we’re excited about the new products we’re bringing to you onboard these new 777s, there is a lot more to come with our 787s, including a fully redesigned Executive First seat, plus additional new features in Premium Economy & Economy Class. The new modern cabin design featuring black leather, charcoal grey and beige onboard these 777s will be complementary to the exciting new interior we'll launch in 2014 with the 787. More details on that closer to launch of Dreamliner service.
Further details about Premium Economy are available at aircanada.com/premiumeconomy.

Stay tuned for more information about the upcoming launch of Air Canada Altitude, as well – we’ll be posting additional information in the coming days.
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