Air Canada to Reconfigure Rouge Fleet
Erica Berardi May 26, 2015
Air Canada plans to upgrade its business class seats on its Air Canada rouge fleet with a new configuration, more overhead storage and in-flight entertainment improvements.
Air Canada announced premium cabin upgrades Tuesday to its leisure airline, Air Canada rouge.
The Montreal-based airline will convert its premium cabins in Air Canada rouge’s fleet of 20 Airbus A319 aircraft from its current 3×3 seating configuration to two side-by-side business class seats in a 2×2 configuration. Air Canada expects to complete the changes by mid-June.
“We continue to strategically deploy Air Canada rouge on routes with high leisure travel demand as part of our strategy for sustainable, profitable growth,” said Air Canada’s Benjamin Smith, President of Passenger Airlines in a press release. “These product improvements, including business class seating offering the same or more space than equivalent seating on wide body rouge Boeing 767 aircraft, provides customers with a market-leading premium leisure product in North America.”
The new seating features more personal space, a 110-volt power plug with full-power charging capacity and a high-powered USB port at every seat. Additional upgrades include a center console, a pop-out cocktail tray between seats and a coat hook at every seat.
The company also said it plans to increase its Airbus A319 fleet carry-on space by 30 percent this summer with new overhead bin doors – dubbed “pillow doors” due to their curved shape.
Air Canada said it would offer complimentary in-flight streaming on all Airbus A319 and Boeing 767 aircraft. Customers can download a free app on laptops or mobile Apple and Android devices. The airline also offers Apple iPad rentals, free to premium rouge passengers.
Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline and serves more than 190 destinations on five continents. In 2014, the airline flew more than 38 million customers.
Air Canada rouge debuted in July 2013 with two Airbus 319 aircraft and two Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. Air Canada rouge now operates 31 aircraft including 20 Airbus 319 and 11 Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.
[Photo: Air Canada rouge]
3 x 3 reduced to 2 x 2 for seating and increased overhead storage space but stringent regulations on carry on implemented this week. Huh ? This is a beast with two heads.