Aug 26, 2022, 5:21 pm
Last edit by: Adam Smith
AC link:
UPDATED HERE January 2, 2022
Boarding Process
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...g-by-zone.html
Pre-boarding: Customers who have requested wheelchair assistance
Zone 1: J and SE customers
Zone 2: 75K, 50K, 35K, 25K, Star Alliance Gold, Premium Economy, Latitude and Primary or Secondary Cardholder on Aeroplan black credit cards
Zone 2.5:
- Passengers travelling with children under the age of 6 or who require additional time to board the aircraft
- Passengers travelling with a musical instrument as part of their carry-on baggage
Zone 3: Comfort fares, passengers who purchased preferred seats in advance
Zones 3, 4 and 5: General boarding (back to front). AC Express flights will not have Zone 5.
Zone 6: Economy Basic
Companions travelling on the same PNR as an Aeroplan Elite/*Gold member will receive the same priority boarding zone.
UPDATED HERE January 2, 2022
Boarding Process
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...g-by-zone.html
Pre-boarding: Customers who have requested wheelchair assistance
Zone 1: J and SE customers
Zone 2: 75K, 50K, 35K, 25K, Star Alliance Gold, Premium Economy, Latitude and Primary or Secondary Cardholder on Aeroplan black credit cards
Zone 2.5:
- Passengers travelling with children under the age of 6 or who require additional time to board the aircraft
- Passengers travelling with a musical instrument as part of their carry-on baggage
Zone 3: Comfort fares, passengers who purchased preferred seats in advance
Zones 3, 4 and 5: General boarding (back to front). AC Express flights will not have Zone 5.
Zone 6: Economy Basic
Companions travelling on the same PNR as an Aeroplan Elite/*Gold member will receive the same priority boarding zone.
Original thread covering 2014-2019 can be found here
Zoned Boarding (2020 onwards)
Oct 19, 2022, 2:33 pm
#466
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,803
LOL... well, from another post, I got eUpd at the gate to Business, but my wife didn't, so I waited until she was able to board, and gave her my seat. I didn't want to wait any longer.
To answer your next question, they specifically called out "Business Class only", and then rows 12 thru 2x... economy starts at row 12 on this Airbus. I've never seen them do that before
To answer your next question, they specifically called out "Business Class only", and then rows 12 thru 2x... economy starts at row 12 on this Airbus. I've never seen them do that before
Oct 19, 2022, 3:06 pm
#467
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SEMM / HH Diamond
Posts: 3,161
Sadly that included me
but once the economy cabin was available, they did resume boarding by zone number - so I had no complaints.
Oct 19, 2022, 3:13 pm
#468
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: YCD
Programs: AC 75K, HIlton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold Elite, Radisson Rewards Gold
Posts: 512
I have actually seen them call "business class only" before - but in that case they were actually very explicit about it, and even the reason. I forget if it was a maintenance issue or residual grooming, but there was some activity concluding in economy that meant that they did not want any passengers going back there -- so the announcement was very clear that "only those seated in the business class cabin for now. Those passengers in zone one who are seated in economy, please wait".
Sadly that included me but once the economy cabin was available, they did resume boarding by zone number - so I had no complaints.
Sadly that included me
but once the economy cabin was available, they did resume boarding by zone number - so I had no complaints.By the time we were cleared to enter the maintenance crew was walking off
Oct 19, 2022, 3:39 pm
#469
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,186
I have actually seen them call "business class only" before - but in that case they were actually very explicit about it, and even the reason. I forget if it was a maintenance issue or residual grooming, but there was some activity concluding in economy that meant that they did not want any passengers going back there -- so the announcement was very clear that "only those seated in the business class cabin for now. Those passengers in zone one who are seated in economy, please wait".
Nov 5, 2022, 3:42 am
#470
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K, AC-3MM, Marriott- LT Titanium, SPG RIP
Posts: 2,958
AC 10 NRT -YYZ , Boarding process was a complete gong show. The Narita organization skills of old, including Concierge, is no longer. Hope they get it back to “normal” eventually.
Last edited by Adam Smith; Nov 6, 2022 at 10:57 am Reason: Move content to appropriate thread
Nov 6, 2022, 6:57 pm
#471
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,199
Having said that, I did encounter the rudest NRT agent I've ever encountered working an AC flight, wearing an AC uniform (I assume a station manager or supervisor).
Nov 7, 2022, 6:06 am
#472
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K, AC-3MM, Marriott- LT Titanium, SPG RIP
Posts: 2,958
I found it odd also- I have flown AC out of NRT more than 60 times and have not seen it so bad. Maybe staffing issues due to COVID is hitting ANA also. On a separate note many shops and restaurants at the AC end of NRT, including the ANA lounge, are still closed. I don’t recall seeing anybody in an AC uniform.
Nov 7, 2022, 7:00 am
#473
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Bonvoy Plat, Hilton G,Nexus, Amex MR Plat,IHG Plat
Posts: 4,422
Boarding YYZ-SFO yesterday, a family with a very young child (less than 2 yrs) tried to board before Zone 1 because they thought that every airline boarded young kids first. A GA was boarding them, GA seemed new. Another GA came over, explained the rules to the customers and GA and asked them to step aside till Zones 1 and 2 were done.
Nov 7, 2022, 12:18 pm
#474
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: AC 50K, WS Gold, MB Titanium, National EE, UA Silver
Posts: 237
Boarding YYZ-SFO yesterday, a family with a very young child (less than 2 yrs) tried to board before Zone 1 because they thought that every airline boarded young kids first. A GA was boarding them, GA seemed new. Another GA came over, explained the rules to the customers and GA and asked them to step aside till Zones 1 and 2 were done.
Dec 18, 2022, 4:44 pm
#475
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 47
AC 97 GRU > YUL Dec 16 - Young children and those needing assistance were boarded before zone 1. I counted over 13 families with babies (mostly with a large entourage of hangers on - does it really take 7 adults to get a baby seated?) and lots of passengers who looked to be in their early 50's and only needed assistance or extra time because they were packing several more carry on items than they had hands for.
I'd estimate between the families and those needing extra time around 100 passengers boarded before zone 1.
The end result was the onboard staff rushing very hard to complete Pre-Departure drinks before push back. The Champagne doesn't taste quite as good sloshed into a plastic glass 1 minute before push back. I wouldn't call that "Signature Service"
I'd estimate between the families and those needing extra time around 100 passengers boarded before zone 1.
The end result was the onboard staff rushing very hard to complete Pre-Departure drinks before push back. The Champagne doesn't taste quite as good sloshed into a plastic glass 1 minute before push back. I wouldn't call that "Signature Service"
Dec 18, 2022, 4:46 pm
#476
Join Date: Oct 2022
Programs: Aeroplan SE; Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador
Posts: 1,551
Dec 18, 2022, 4:53 pm
#477
Join Date: Dec 2019
Programs: Air Canada - Super Elite, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 607
Was on the YYZ to PUJ on Friday.
Great to be in warm weather so maybe any issues with boarding melt away. That said, I went down from the MLL at boarding time to find all boarding lines simultaneously being boarded. I asked the GA if they weren’t doing zoned boarding that day for some reason. She mumbled back something about calling zone 3… not quite sure what she meant by that, but hey it’s vacation and I guess island time just started before departure.
Great to be in warm weather so maybe any issues with boarding melt away. That said, I went down from the MLL at boarding time to find all boarding lines simultaneously being boarded. I asked the GA if they weren’t doing zoned boarding that day for some reason. She mumbled back something about calling zone 3… not quite sure what she meant by that, but hey it’s vacation and I guess island time just started before departure.
Dec 18, 2022, 5:22 pm
#478
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: YCD
Programs: AC 75K, HIlton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold Elite, Radisson Rewards Gold
Posts: 512
Our flight today from YYZ to CUN, just before they started boarding us in Zone 1 (gate 74):- They announced a new zone for those with kids under 6 - they said to go line up in gate 75 next to us...thankfully boarded after zone 1- They did board two families with wheelchairs first, made total sense- Someone (a credit card holder?) complained they wanted to join us in zone 1 since they had "priority boarding"), someone from Zone 2 yellld at them "so did everyone else" lol
Last edited by theranj; Dec 18, 2022 at 5:58 pm
Dec 18, 2022, 6:32 pm
#480
Join Date: Oct 2022
Programs: Aeroplan SE; Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador
Posts: 1,551