I have a question for the AC reps in regards to Rouge and AC's plans for Business Class. I typically travel Business Class as I'm a bigger guy and I find the Business Class seats far more comfortable than the very narrow Economy seats. I recently travelled from CUN to YYZ (Oct 23) and was appalled to see Premium Rouge as the replacement for Business Class (I paid for a Business Class ticket on what I thought was a mainline flight). I remain quite displeased with this forced downgrade and my reservation said nothing about this flight being a Rouge flight. The Premium Rouge seats are no different than regular Economy seats, with the exception of some additional pitch and the vacant middle seat. With the rapid proliferation of Rouge on more and more routes, and the threat of using Rouge on domestic routes, it seems that being able to buy a normal Business Class seat on an AC flight is going to get increasingly difficult.
Is it Air Canada's intention to make the Premium Rouge style of seating represent a new Business Class standard, eventually replacing the normal Business Class seat on all but long International routes? It seems like this is the case as Rouge takes over more and more routes.
What I'd advocate for would be a normal, modestly-sized Business Class section in the front of the plane (with normal Business Class seats), with Premium Rouge being the intermediary between Business and regular Rouge (like Rouge Plus is now). This preserves the ability to purchase a normal Business Class-sized seat, even on Rouge flights, for those who want it (and are willing to pay for it). This also keeps Business Class travelers from having to seek other solutions, like travelling on United, which has become the only viable Star Alliance carrier that continues to offer a regular Business Class to most of their destination.