Flight/Origin-Destination: #008, YVR - YYZ
Date: 14 Nov. 2011
Cabin: J
Status: None - (mere paying passenger)

Pre departure
Was check in quick and efficient? Yes - Checked in at Victoria for connecting DASH-8 to YVR.
Did you use priority security (if eligible) and if so, was it quick and efficient? Was not available at YYJ but not necessary as no queue.
Did you use the Maple Leaf lounge and if so, any feedback in regards to service, food and drinks? Yes, friendly greeting, better salad-type offerings than usual, usual good drink selection, nice chocolate chip biscuits
Was priority boarding offered (if applicable to your status) and efficient? Most passengers had already boarded when we arrived at the gate 25 minutes before departure. We went to the priority boarding area and the one gate agent immediately attended to us. He advised me that the video wasn't working at my "suite" and offered to move me to another. I said I didn't mind and would prefer to keep my original seat next to my wife.
If there was a delay, did the gate agent provide timely updates? No delay.

Onboard - J cabin:
Were the crew professional & well groomed? Yes.
If there was a delay, were you provided with timely updates? No delay.
Was the IFE activated on the ground? Yes. Despite what I had been told, the video partly worked. There were some items I couldn't get access to, including the maps and most US movies, but the latter was no loss! The audio worked fine.
Was a pre-departure beverage offered on the ground? Yes.
Did crew offer to hang your jacket? Yes.
Were newspapers & menus distributed and meal orders taken (Please specify when meal orders were taken - on the ground or in the air)? Menus were at the seat on boarding. Orders were taken in the air. It appeared that a person's status didn't matter. My wife and I both got the meal we wanted.
Did crew offer a hot towel prior to the meal service? Yes.
Approximately how long after take off did it take for the first meal service to be completed? (From takeoff to all items collected) About two hours.
How was the quality of all the meals? Reasonably good. The chicken I had on a flight from YWG to YVR a few days earlier was better than the salmon I chose on this flight.
Did the cabin crew continuously top up the beverage of your choice throughout the flight? Yes.



Post departure
If you have checked baggage, did it arrive within reasonable period of time? Considering the size of this plane, it was reasonable. The priority luggage did come out first, about 30 minutes after touch-down.

Overall experience/any other comments This was my first flight on a "77W" and I was impressed with the J-cabins. I would not have been pleased with the Y layout (3-3-3) which looked horribly cramped. The crew was excellent. Despite my non-status I was addressed by name by the FD.