nascar99

Intro:

Every year in March my Dad and I take a trip to Whistler for a week of skiing. As we are Air Canada Elite 50K/Star Alliance Gold we always make the trip on AC. We booked the trip at the end of December as we were able to snag a boxing day 25% off discount code. We booked the flights in Y and were planning on using our eupgrade credits to upgrade to J on the YYZ-YVR and YVR-YYZ segments as they are on the 777-300ER. We put in our upgrade request 5 days before the flight and we were waitlisted for the upgrade.

The Trip:

We had a 5:30am departure time from YHZ to YYZ so we left the house at 3:50am for the half hour drive to the airport (I'm not a huge fan that YHZ is located so far from the city of Halifax). Once at the airport checkin was easy as there was nobody in the priority lane at the time. The checkin area at YHZ was under construction at the time so it was looking pretty bare. Security in YHZ can be very busy or totally empty depending on the day. As it was march break it was packed. In YHZ there is no sign for a priority lane but if you show the person scanning boarding passes that you have elite status or are in J they will put you in a special line to skip the crowd. Of course we visited the Air Canada Lounge, relaxed for a few minutes, and headed to the gate.

Flight: AC603
Route: YHZ-YYZ
Departure Time: 5:30am
Arrival Time: 7:02am
Date: March 18th 2014
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Cabin: Y
Seat: 12A

[IMG]IMG_3403 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]
preparing to leave the gate.

The flight was rather uneventful. The usual onboard cafe snacks were being sold but I decided not to buy anything because if the upgrade did happen to clear for the next flight they would serve breakfast.

[IMG]IMG_3420 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]
sun rising on the way to YYZ.

[IMG]IMG_3428 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]
on approach into YYZ.

We landed in YYZ on time and I proceeded right away to gate D39 for my flight to YVR which had already began boarding. We went up to the podium and asked the gate agent about upgrades and she told us that only my upgrade cleared. I discussed with my dad whether I should take the upgrade or give it up and sit with him in Y but he told my to take the upgrade.

Flight: AC153
Route: YYZ-YVR
Departure Time: 8:00am
Arrival: 10:07am
Date: March 18th 2014
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER (77HD high density)
Cabin: J
Seat: 1D

I was assigned seat 1D in the first row of the business cabin. I would have preferred a window seat but you can't be picky. This was one of Air Canada's new high density 777s with the new "studio pod" business class seat. The aircraft features an all new HD IFE system by Panasonic with a much improved flight map feature, and is much more user friendly than the old system. The screens are much larger than old system but don't make up for the restricted space for those who are seated in Y.

[IMG]IMG_3435 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]IMG_3465 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]
The new "studio pod" similar to Swiss Business Class. I find it has a lot less space then the "classic pod" but it is still lie flat.

Menus were handed out and there was a choice of the omelette, pancakes, or the healthy option (yogurt, fruit, and oatmeal). I chose the pancakes. The flight departed on time and breakfast was served shortly after departure. I didn't get a picture of the pancakes but they were very overcooked. They did taste alright though. Later in the flight the flight attendants offered packaged snacks such as chocolate bars and chips, which is quite disappointing because it is a major step down from the cookies and ice cream they used to serve on this flight. I decided to walk through the cabin and visit my Dad who was seated at the front of the Y cabin.

[IMG]IMG_3445 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]
the view of the rockies from my dad's window.

[IMG]IMG_3460 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]
the rocky mountains.

[IMG]IMG_3452 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]
walking through the J cabin.

The flight landed on time in YVR and taxied to gate D51 where the aircraft would be prepped to fly on to HKG. We went to baggage claim to get our luggage so we could catch our shuttle to Whistler. We waited 50 minutes for our skis to arrive from the special baggage claim so we had to run to our shuttle.

Stay tuned for pics from Whistler and the return flights!

nascar99

To get from YVR up to Whistler we always take Pacific Coach's "YVR Whistler SkyLynx" service. It is a good service that almost always departs on time and stops at all major hotels and locations in Whistler. All of their coaches have free wifi as well. The ride up to Whistler is very scenic as you drive along the Sea to Sky Highway. It usually takes 2.5 hours but it can be a little longer depending on traffic in Vancouver.

On this day the traffic in Vancouver was not a problem and after a few stops in downtown Vancouver we crossed the Lions Gate Bridge and headed for Whistler.

[IMG]IMG_3466 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]
The beautiful scenery along the Sea to Sky Highway.

After about 2.5 hours we arrived in Whistler. For the hotels that are less popular or cannot be accessed by a large coach you are put into a smaller shuttle that drives you to your hotel. That is what we had to do. We stayed at the Crystal Lodge in Whistler Village. The Crystal Lodge is a quite nice hotel. It isn't anything too fancy but it does the trick and is affordable. The best part is it is right on the village stroll (most shops and restaurants are on the village stroll) and is only a 2 minute walk from the ski lifts. We have stayed at the Crystal Lodge many times so every time we stay with them the manager gives us a handwritten welcome note.

[IMG]IMG_3474 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]
View of the village stroll from our hotel room.

[IMG]DSC07233 by ethan title, on Flickr[/IMG]
The Olympic rings in the village from the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Stay Tuned for the return flights!