SFO777

After last week's Alaska flights to/from Anchorage, I was convinced that Alaska had the worst food and inflight service in North America. But now, after two Air Canada transcon flights this week, how wrong was I? My bad. It's been at least a year since I'd flown with my former national carrier and wow, "Worst in North America" pretty much sums it up.

Like Alaska, it's seems like the only reason to fly Air Canada is for the nonstop service. And even then, I wish I had connected today. But cheap 25K saver awards were plentiful and seat 2A was available so I gave it a try. AC operates out of T-2 which is terrible even with the make-over.







The LAX Maple Leaf Lounge is a big meh with even the Admirals and United Clubs now better than this sucker, and with better food options.

















LAX-YUL
AC 778
A319
9:45a-6:07p
August 2, 2016
Breakfast

Then there was the gate with it's gong show boarding...



... and annoying DYKWIA vacationing Montrealers returning home. Two of these clowns were assigned 1F and 2F and decided to just sit in 2D and 2F. Mr. 2D showed up and the wimp agreed to take 1F.



If I have to fly Air Canada, I like seat 2A on the A319... lots of leg room. Although the seat cushion is pretty worn out and squished down to the frame on this one.



And then there's the dreaded Starbucks seat mate. Yes, I just love to have you next to me and being so clueless that you don't even think about holding on to your effing Starbucks cup during take-off.



Unlike any other airline in the civilized world, 9:45a flights apparently mean Breakfast to Air Canada. What kind of an idiot thinks that breakfast at 11am makes any sense? Oh yeah, Air Canada bean counters who know that it costs more to cater lunch. If I'm not mistaken, this looks like the same menu as 5 years ago. Way to be creative AC! Have to chuckle at the Flexible meal option for those that want to wait until after noon for breakfast. LOL.





Taxiing out to runway 24L on the north side of LAX.



For CAD$20, Gogo worked reasonably well.



At 10:42a, 35 minutes after wheels up, our challenged FA starts service, not with beverage service but with the breakfast tray. Hmmm, let's see how long it takes to get a drink.



"White or wheat bread" with no offer of jam or honey, although apparently those were at the bottom of the basket. Tick-tock-tick-tock, still no offer of a beverage.



At 10:50a, FA delivers meals to 1DF again with no offer of beverage, and comes to take my fruit plate. I asked her for water and OJ which she finally brings a couple minutes later, of course with no napkins.



At this point, she still hasn't asked anyone else in the cabin if they wanted a beverage. And unlike FAs on most of my other AC flights, doesn't bother to close the galley curtains.



Yep, this tastes just like it did a few years ago. It was OK if you only have it every couple of years. But man, I'd hate to be a regular AC flyer and get this every week for my entire life.



Mid flight snacks.





And about 3 hours into the flight, she finally remembered to offer today's newspapers. I will give her credit for trying to be creative or perhaps trying to relieve the boredom as she concocted and offered a KitKat/cashew mix, that looked better than it tasted. On 2nd thought, that does look pretty gross.





On a positive note, we arrived on time... although at the half-way-to-Ontario Gate C85... and there was no one else at the NEXUS kiosks while the regular line was nice and healthy.



After dinner Tuesday and a full day of meetings on Wednesday, I headed off to visit family. Just a little warm today.



... and a new hot spot, Restaurant Parm in Westmount. Really good and the best Veal Milanese in a long time.







Then back to the in-terminal Airport Marriott, one of the most conveniently located in terminal hotels. It typically takes me only 7 minutes to get from the hotel thru security and CBP to the transborder departures gates. Slow security and 15 or so pax in front of me in the NEXUS lane added another 10 minutes today. Off to the YUL Transborder Maple Leaf Lounge.



Only one other person here at 6:45a.





Same old weak food offerings as at LAX.







Nineteen minutes before departure and there is no plane at our gate C74.



Sure, it's on time. LOL.



The plane was finally towed over at 7:50a where the cleaning crew then boarded to clean it.

Montreal-LAX
Air Canada 797
A320
8:00a-11:03a (sked)
8:25a-10:55a (actual)
August 4, 2016

Today's flight was on an A320. Same cabin as the A319. Same flimsy cabin divider between Business and Economy.





A lot less legroom on the A320, but the cutout in the forward closet means one doesn't have to stow everything in the overhead.





Today's flight attendant was only slightly better that our LAX-YUL one. Unfortunately, the same breakfast menu as Tuesday and apparently every other AC breakfast flight in the last 5 years.



Once again, "service" started with the breakfast tray, not beverage service. Fruit starter was a little better than the ex-LAX one but not even close to UA or AA.



Once again, I had to ask for my ice water. Apparently, our FA thought I meant water with one cube of ice. Indeed, loading two bags of ice for the entire plane costs more than two bags.



Since I had the omelet on Tuesday, I made the mistake of ordering the pancakes. OK, this was quite possibly the worst meal I've had in the last couple of years. And I thought AA's pancakes were bad. They've got nothing on this AC garbage.



By contrast, here are some current delicious domestic breakfast options on United which, by comparison, is like dining at a Michelin star restaurant.

Hawaiian eggs with chorizo.



Excellent quiche with sausage and asparagus (2 hour flight).



Wonderful French Toast (2 hour flight)



And what's with the cheap and awful soft AC "bread". You're based in Montreal, home of great bagels. And you offer a choice of white or wheat bread?

Meanwhile at United?? Biscuit and much better fruit plate. And beverages with my meal. Wow, what a concept!



Or cinnamon bun.



This flight is well over 5 hours (6:03 block time) and breakfast is not going to cut it by the time we get west. A couple hours later, our FA came around with cashews and then AC snack basket which contained absolutely nothing remotely healthy... potato chips, more cashews, and chocolate, KitKat and chocolate bars. Seriously? That's it?

I asked our FA about more healthy BOB options, offering to pay for whatever he could find for me. After describing a few things, he asked if I'd like a menu. LOL. @:-)











I ordered the Carrots, Lettuce and Ranch and the Chipotle Chicken Wrap. In a nice gesture, he declined to take my credit card.





Hmmm, that doesn't quite look like the menu pic. LOL.



The Chipotle Chicken Wrap was actually pretty good, once you got past all the wrap stuff.





Mercifully, we landed on time and my AC experience is over for what I hope will be a long time. Even though I go to Montr�al every couple of months, I'll pass on Air Canada and opt for a connection on an airline that actually provides service.

quirrow

The food served on Air Canada is indeed not great, especially on the narrow body aircraft. Might be better on their wide body fleet, as I remember a warm cookie served with ice cream onboard YUL-YVR/YYZ-YVR.

AC has a wide body service from LAX-YYZ and that might be better with at least a lie-flat bed.

JHIN

SFO777 I gotta say for all your reviews that I like to read this was the worst

For all those that cant be an F or J flyer me think thou protests too much #firstworldproblem

SFO777

I'm sure the 767 hard product is a lot better but I just don't want to connect in YYZ and have to endure a 2nd non-PreCheck security on a one way.

Ouch. Sorry you feel that way JHIN. Certainly, compared to Economy, it was great.
But my frame of reference is other domestic carriers. And AC just doesn't compare well these days.

cavemanzk

Not sure why AC didn't refit that LAX Lounge space when they took it over from NZ, they must have got an great deal to keep the current fitout. Pretty average compared to the service level that NZ used to be able to offer in that space, along with much better food.


I know NZ would serve breakfast at that time of the morning on short-haul business class. They have AKL-SYD/BNE/MEL 777/787 services that leave AKL around 8.40-9.30am everyday and they serve breakfast on these flights which are 3-4hours and arrive between 10-11am.

Being said they offer decent meals in the lounge, so most people eat there.

seat38a

You have just made my upcoming UA meals in FC/BC seem so much more gourmet and luxurious

hkskyline

That's a long transcontinental flight in such a bad J seat!

I recall having those pancakes as a Y meal on YYZ-LHR many years ago.

djjaguar64

Good report, but hey, AC is AC is AC, All Crummy!

DanielW

I guess AC is now not the frontrunner for the SFO777 North American airline of the year award?

Just sussing out some flights to Montreal myself from Dubai. Unfortunately the Canadian government has a beef with the ME3 so only lets them fly three times a week into Canada so doesn't give a lot of others unless I want connect. If AC were half-competent maybe the government wouldn't be so afraid to let them compete directly with the ME3?

cmd320

Wow, that does look like a pretty pathetic offering, especially on a flight of that length. The catering on the outbound flight didn't look too bad, but that pancake crap from the return flight looks as though it belongs in a pig trough. Also completely unacceptable that drinks weren't offered prior to meal service, that just strikes me as a lazy, uninterested, unrefined, and/or poorly trained crew.

In terms of hard product, wow those seats look wretched. They appear as though they've been taken from a mid-90s Ford Taurus and had a headrest slapped on top.

Excellent reporting as always, and thank you for saving me the trouble of enduring AC on a flight of that length in the future. I don't really go to Canada often, and haven't flown AC in a number of years now. I would almost try to fly up to YVR and transfer to widebody equipment or something rather than take one of those A320s on a 5.5 hour flight.

Madone59

I always thought the direct SAN-YYZ would be a fast way to visit family in Upstate NY. Thanks for helping me avoid that hot-mess!

AndrewE

it never changes , here is the menu from AC 794 three years ago !


I had the misfortune of selecting the 'pancakes'

TheBOSman

Tell us how you really feel .

AC operates to AUS, though only a CR7 to YYZ. I now have zero interest in taking it even in F .

Dieuwer

Surely, if you can plant your water bottle on the mini tray, the person next to you can plant his/her Starbucks on his/her mini tray?

Eastbay1K

One tragedy after another! Someone should start a collection plate for the OP, to be filled with nothing but WN peanuts, so he can eat them sparingly during his streak of tragic near-starvation-inducing front cabin flights.

I'd cry him a river, but I've got a 2 cabin AA transcon coming up soon and I need the tears for myself.