Oct 3, 2016, 9:53 pm
Last edit by: YVR72
Note: please keep this thread to information on the refurbishment program and its progress; for discussion of which seats are best and other details about the interiors, please visit the seating information thread.
A330-300 Fleet Overview
AC currently has two configurations of 333:
A330-300 Fleet Overview
AC currently has two configurations of 333:
- Dream Cabin (16 aircraft): Latest 3-class configuration in line with the 787 and 777 fleets (seat map)
- The "Merlions" (2 aircraft): ex-Singapore Airlines 2-class configuration (seat map), which are expected to be reconfigured to the Dream Cabin.
- Important note: the front cabin on these aircraft is an angle-flat product in a 2-2-2 layout that was SQ's "regional" business class. On flights within North America, AC sells it as J; on international flights, they sell it as PY. These aircraft do not have the standard AC PY cabin
- Since October 2023, these aircraft primarily operate YYZ>BOG>YUL triangle, and YUL<>LAX.
Code:
32J 24O 241Y: 297 pax C-GFAF (931) Completed @HKG, Oct 01/23 - Dec 09/23 [69 days] C-GFAH (932) Completed @QPG, Aug 10/21 - Oct 05/21 [56 days] C-GFAJ (933) Completed @QPG, Nov 24/21 - Jan 12/22 [49 days] C-GFUR (934) Completed @QPG, Oct 08/19 - Feb 28/20 [143 days] C-GHKR (935) Completed @QPG, Oct 04/21 - Nov 25/21 [52 days] C-GHKW (936) Completed @HKG, Nov 27/21 - Feb 21/22 [86 days] C-GHKX (937) Completed @RFD, Sep 02/20 - May 30/21 [271 days] C-GHLM (938) Completed @HKG, Sep 30/22 - Dec 11/22 [72 days] C-GEFA (939) Completed @RFD, Dec 31/20 - Mar 29/21 [89 days] C-GEGC (940) Completed @QPG, May 17/22 - Jul 21/22 [67 days] C-GEGI (941) Completed @QPG, Jan 10/22 - Mar 11/22 [60 days] C-GEGP (942) Completed @QPG, Nov 06/19 - Jul 01/20 [238 days] C-GHKC (943) Completed @HKG, Feb 21/22 - May 05/22 [73 days] C-GKUG (944) Completed @QPG, Mar 02/20 - Feb 10/21 [345 days] C-GKUH (945) Completed @RFD, Oct 08/20 - Jan 12/21 [99 days] C-GOFV (946) SQ configuration C-GOFW (947) Completed @QPG, Feb 03/22 - May 20/22 [107 days] C-GXZD (948) SQ configuration
Air Canada Airbus A330-300 refurbishments
Apr 25, 2023, 2:30 pm
#1351
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: SE 100K
Posts: 935
Having been the victim of a last minute C-GFAF substitution recently, I have to say I strongly disagree.
1. The lack of storage and workspace is terrible. I like being able to eat and work on my laptop at the same time. And being able to leave my seat with ease with a meal tray already served. Both extremely challenging in the Dream cabin.
2. The angling of the seats away from the windows. Hate it.
3. The general age of the product showing after a decade of wear and tear.
The experience is so drastically different from the current Signature product it honestly feels like bait-and-switch when you end up on this bird.
1. The lack of storage and workspace is terrible. I like being able to eat and work on my laptop at the same time. And being able to leave my seat with ease with a meal tray already served. Both extremely challenging in the Dream cabin.
2. The angling of the seats away from the windows. Hate it.
3. The general age of the product showing after a decade of wear and tear.
The experience is so drastically different from the current Signature product it honestly feels like bait-and-switch when you end up on this bird.
Apr 25, 2023, 3:08 pm
#1352
Join Date: Apr 2023
Location: YUL
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 138
Agree on all 3x counts. Personally, would add that I hate the lack of privacy with the XM pods. After primarily flying the current J product on 777, 787, and the re-furb'd A333's, it feels odd and open sitting in the old configuration being able to look around and see all the other pax.
So, not a lot of support from Team XM here. Maybe it's just me after all. Well I'll be side-sleeping at a 5-degree incline with a tray digging into my hip and a blanket wrapped awkwardly around my legs this weekend, but I'll take it like a man.
May 8, 2023, 4:36 am
#1353
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Programs: AC*SE100K , HH DIAMOND, MARRIOTT PLATINUM
Posts: 332
YUL-BOG
Flying YUL-BOG-YUL in March for spring break next year, couldn’t book business as it’s one of the SQ birds scheduled on the route right now, so I am booked in premium economy.
Has AC communicated a plan two upgrade these two birds?
Has AC communicated a plan two upgrade these two birds?
May 8, 2023, 7:22 am
#1354
Join Date: Apr 2023
Location: YVR
Posts: 91
Finally flew on these birds. May 5 AC94 YYZ-BOG. Was showing the old configuration till the day before my flight. Was actively monitoring if I would get C-GFAF roulette. It changed to the new configuration about a week out but then changed back to the old config few hours later and stays that way till the day before. I was ready to board C-GFAF but then things changed and was boarded on C-GHKW.
Definitely noticed the smaller cabin with the lack of storage. The menu holder can hold a small laptop and the "storage" where the power outlets are can hold small items like your phone, charger, earbuds, but sleep was decent. Yes the footwell is tighter than the other birds but it was manageable and I got a few hours rest on this red-eye. The downsides I found are the noise of the cabin and the wear and tear of the hard product is starting to show.
I'm interested in this as well. After Jun 30th, all the birds that fly the BOG route will be the 2 class birds. I'm not sure how logistics work as there's a limited amount of 2 class birds able to supplement the route in the event of an IRROPS? Can anyone chime in on how that would work if indeed there's a last minute plane swap and they get swapped with one with a J class.
Definitely noticed the smaller cabin with the lack of storage. The menu holder can hold a small laptop and the "storage" where the power outlets are can hold small items like your phone, charger, earbuds, but sleep was decent. Yes the footwell is tighter than the other birds but it was manageable and I got a few hours rest on this red-eye. The downsides I found are the noise of the cabin and the wear and tear of the hard product is starting to show.
I'm interested in this as well. After Jun 30th, all the birds that fly the BOG route will be the 2 class birds. I'm not sure how logistics work as there's a limited amount of 2 class birds able to supplement the route in the event of an IRROPS? Can anyone chime in on how that would work if indeed there's a last minute plane swap and they get swapped with one with a J class.
Last edited by Adam Smith; May 22, 2023 at 3:03 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by same user
May 8, 2023, 6:32 pm
#1355
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: *G^2, Bonvoyed, NEXUS
Posts: 3,516
May 21, 2023, 8:14 pm
#1356
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: YLW
Programs: AC- SE100 1MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, National Executive, Nexus/GE
Posts: 4,319
In the YVR transborder MLL and I see fin 931 come in to land and go right to the air Canada hangar. Did this bird just come in from SIN with the updated interior or it's too soon? I was just on this last month!
May 21, 2023, 8:18 pm
#1357
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,191
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/c-gfaf
May 22, 2023, 4:13 pm
#1358
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC 50K, Viporter Priority
Posts: 39
I am on FIN931 flying from YYZ to YUL (coming from YVR). Still the very old cabin. Have not flown this one since 2019. Storage is filthy. Cannot wait to see the cabin refurbished but with the summer season coming I don’t expect to get this retrofitted any time soon
May 26, 2023, 3:38 pm
#1359
Join Date: Apr 2023
Location: YVR
Posts: 91
That's rough but, end of Life of the cabin should be close. Honestly when I flew in the newer cabins they were quite dirty and worn out as well. Defintiely not holding up to its age.
Last edited by awt; May 26, 2023 at 10:45 pm
May 26, 2023, 4:06 pm
#1360
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,781
AC depreciates interiors over about 8 years, which suggests that's roughly their useful life. The XM cabins are around double that, so it's no surprise they're falling apart and look like garbage.
May 26, 2023, 7:36 pm
#1361
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE 100K MM; Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 1,090
I've recently been seeing Transcons operating YYZ-YVR that show PY but no 'lie flat seats' when it comes to J...any insight on that? What is the J product then?
May 26, 2023, 10:52 pm
#1362
Join Date: Apr 2023
Location: YVR
Posts: 91
I too am questioning what happens if one of them has a mechanical issue and need to be subbed in with a 3 class 333, how would that work? So far after June 30th, J isn't an option for some routes flying with the 333. Which kind of sucks because the more frequent route I'll fly is to BOG.
Will need to wait for their fall/winter schedule to have a better understanding of how they will allocate their fleet.
May 27, 2023, 8:00 am
#1363
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AC SE100K 1MM, FB Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,605
If it's the 2 class product then it'll most likely be the SQ/TAP seats, they're "Angle-lie flats". Not sure if there's enough of those 2 class birds flying to supplement all the routes.
I too am questioning what happens if one of them has a mechanical issue and need to be subbed in with a 3 class 333, how would that work? So far after June 30th, J isn't an option for some routes flying with the 333. Which kind of sucks because the more frequent route I'll fly is to BOG.
Will need to wait for their fall/winter schedule to have a better understanding of how they will allocate their fleet.
I too am questioning what happens if one of them has a mechanical issue and need to be subbed in with a 3 class 333, how would that work? So far after June 30th, J isn't an option for some routes flying with the 333. Which kind of sucks because the more frequent route I'll fly is to BOG.
Will need to wait for their fall/winter schedule to have a better understanding of how they will allocate their fleet.
May 31, 2023, 5:19 pm
#1364
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 34
AC 422 YYZ-YUL (May 31) on FIN941. For some strange reason, 941 still shows the old layout in AC app. All tickets were automatically readjusted according to the old layout. The plane is obviously retrofited already to a new layout, so now, during boarding, tickets need to be manually adjusted to a new layout. Already a 1.5h delay. Are bugs like this happening often on 330?
Jun 5, 2023, 3:45 pm
#1365
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
I've been monitoring the flight status for AC810 tonight closely to know whether it'll get a last minute swap to fin 931 (C-GFAF). So far, so good, but 'm struck by how often the assigned aircraft has changed in the last ~24-48 hours. I recall seeing 941, 932, 936, and now 935 assigned. Is this normal? Pretty interesting!