Changed from normal 777 to HD.
 

Air Canada has been so inconsistent these days. Just checked online to confirm my flights and seats and find out they changed the aircraft from a 2-class 777 to an HD. Route is CDG-YUL.
I did not receive an email, and by the time I try to select my seat all the single ones were gone. Then had to call as seat selection was not working online.
What really irks me is I chose this route to avoid the HD, yet long and behold this happens.
Will write AC, as I view this as similar to a fare downgrade.

YUL-CDG is one of the routes the HD was designed/acquired for... Not surprised in the least.

The single ones are reserved for SE.

Try call in to book a seat in row one. Eg. 1D. Way more space than the other HD J seats

They are usually blocked off on the Internet but you can call in to book those.

I thought YUL-CDG was always HD, it was one of, if not the first route this
bird was put on.

I would switch to CDG-YYZ, then connect to YUL I will never take the HD again.

Yes, YUL CDG was and still is a HD designate... I avoid YVRLHR YULCDG and other HD pairings like the plague.

Having a regular 777 J config YULCDG should be considered "the" one off, and not the other way around.

Nice that YVR is getting a Dreamliner when it goes double-daily for the summer.

Yep. Looking forward to it. :)

No, they're reserved for all Altitude members and "revenue J" (which I think means "JCDZP", excluding "RI").

CC's post clarifies who they are blocked for. In any event, OP shows SE status so this should not be the cause of the issue.

I'll still opt for the competition's 380.

Huh? Did this change at some point?

I believe it silently changed at some point last year.

As others have said, YUL-CDG is one of the routes the HD operates on a regular basis.
If you want to avoid the HD, you need to fly YYZ-CDG.

I think the regular 777 seat map you saw was a one-off, and unfortunately it sounds like it eventually came back to the normal HD seat map.

In November I was able to select one of the single seats on the 777 YVR->YYZ as P25k. In fact, that's where it automatically assigned me as an "Altitude member".

That is the only official explanation I've ever seen.

My understanding was it was always that way.

I've been told twice they are reserved for SE's until all non-throne seats are occupied. Granted, this was waaay back when these seats were first showing as blocked. Also know of an E75 who could not choose one last fall.