Aug 26, 22, 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)
Jan 25, 23, 6:28 pm
#526
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: EVA Air , * G, QR Privilege Club S
Posts: 3,765
Originally Posted by cavitron
You can board with immediate family members and one companion whether or not they are on the same reservation. On the same PNR, they will most likely get the same zone on their boarding cards.
details here: https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...by-zone.html#/
details here: https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...by-zone.html#/
Originally Posted by Bohemian1
Has anyone noticed if some stations are boarding families before Zone 1? I haven't seen it for a while, but my sample size may be limited.
Last edited by Adam Smith; Jan 26, 23 at 12:25 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by same user
Jan 25, 23, 6:37 pm
#527
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YXU/YYZ
Programs: AC SE, AMEX Plat, Marriott Gold, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 503
Originally Posted by Davvidd
Thats very odd. I never had the same zone as my family even when we are traveling on the same PNR. Yes they alway allowed us to board together after I tell them that we are a family and traveling together but always had different zones. The last two flights were about 10 days ago.
Originally Posted by Bohemian1
Has anyone noticed if some stations are boarding families before Zone 1? I haven't seen it for a while, but my sample size may be limited.
Last edited by Adam Smith; Jan 26, 23 at 12:20 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by same user
Jan 25, 23, 6:46 pm
#528
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: EVA Air , * G, QR Privilege Club S
Posts: 3,765
Originally Posted by cavitron
Agree it hasn’t always been my experience. I’m rarely on one PNR with the family but when we are it has happened that we are all the same zone. Clearly not an iron clad system. My son has the same name as me, and even when I’m not on board he has gotten zone 1/2 when I’ve booked the ticket!
Jan 25, 23, 6:52 pm
#529
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YXU/YYZ
Programs: AC SE, AMEX Plat, Marriott Gold, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 503
Originally Posted by Davvidd
Doesn't the Zone depend on the FF Status and then also on the ticket you purchase? So if you buy the ticket for him. and you purchase a higher fare ticket then he may get the earlier boarding zone?
ticket. He even had my status on his boarding pass. No idea how it happened but he was very proud of himself. 😂
Jan 25, 23, 7:07 pm
#530
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: YYZ / LHR
Programs: AC SE100k, BA Bronze
Posts: 200
I travel on AC several times a year with my family and they’ve always had Zone 1 on their boarding passes regardless of which cabin we’re in or how expensive (or not) the ticket is. They don’t have any status themselves, but we’re always on the same PNR and we all have the same surname, if that makes any difference.
Jan 26, 23, 12:09 am
#531
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: EVA Air , * G, QR Privilege Club S
Posts: 3,765
Originally Posted by SuperCargo
I travel on AC several times a year with my family and they’ve always had Zone 1 on their boarding passes regardless of which cabin we’re in or how expensive (or not) the ticket is. They don’t have any status themselves, but we’re always on the same PNR and we all have the same surname, if that makes any difference.
Jan 26, 23, 2:04 pm
#532
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,002
8785 today. An FA in uniform bypasses the standing line up to the very front. Eventually boards first.
Goes place her larger bag somewhere in the back, but leaves a smaller one in the corridor, in the middle of the front section. I push it aside with my feet so I could walk over it. She was not pleased, good for her. :-)
Sat in front. Possible that there were no upgrades requests left so possibly OK.
But I thought policy was the crews board later, definitely not before zone 1? Or is Jazz different?
(BTW I was surprised that some CR9, possibly original AC ones since it had the older small screen, has pretty small bins in the J cabin. Most people's luggage had to go in the closet.
Goes place her larger bag somewhere in the back, but leaves a smaller one in the corridor, in the middle of the front section. I push it aside with my feet so I could walk over it. She was not pleased, good for her. :-)
Sat in front. Possible that there were no upgrades requests left so possibly OK.
But I thought policy was the crews board later, definitely not before zone 1? Or is Jazz different?
(BTW I was surprised that some CR9, possibly original AC ones since it had the older small screen, has pretty small bins in the J cabin. Most people's luggage had to go in the closet.
Jan 26, 23, 2:07 pm
#533
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 338
Originally Posted by Stranger
8785 today. An FA in uniform bypasses the standing line up to the very front. Eventually boards first.
Goes place her larger bag somewhere in the back, but leaves a smaller one in the corridor, in the middle of the front section. I push it aside with my feet so I could walk over it. She was not pleased, good for her. :-)
Sat in front. Possible that there were no upgrades requests left so possibly OK.
But I thought policy was the crews board later, definitely not before zone 1? Or is Jazz different?
(BTW I was surprised that some CR9, possibly original AC ones since it had the older small screen, has pretty small bins in the J cabin. Most people's luggage had to go in the closet.
Goes place her larger bag somewhere in the back, but leaves a smaller one in the corridor, in the middle of the front section. I push it aside with my feet so I could walk over it. She was not pleased, good for her. :-)
Sat in front. Possible that there were no upgrades requests left so possibly OK.
But I thought policy was the crews board later, definitely not before zone 1? Or is Jazz different?
(BTW I was surprised that some CR9, possibly original AC ones since it had the older small screen, has pretty small bins in the J cabin. Most people's luggage had to go in the closet.
Feb 2, 23, 6:42 am
#534
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: YCD
Programs: AC 75K, HIlton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold Elite, Radisson Rewards Gold
Posts: 425
First flight of the year for me, doing my weekly flight to YVR. The gate crew announced the usual boarding announcement but then added "Please note there are two Priority Boarding types. Zone 1 and Zone 2..." Its a small q400 and not a lot of zone 1s but still new to hear that.
Feb 2, 23, 9:51 am
#535
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YVR - MILLS Waypoint (It's the third house on the left)
Programs: AC*SE100K, wood level status in various other programs
Posts: 5,300
Originally Posted by theranj
First flight of the year for me, doing my weekly flight to YVR. The gate crew announced the usual boarding announcement but then added "Please note there are two Priority Boarding types. Zone 1 and Zone 2..." Its a small q400 and not a lot of zone 1s but still new to hear that.
Feb 7, 23, 7:20 pm
#536
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: YYZ
Programs: SE100K, Bonvoy Ambassador, National Executive
Posts: 157
Just an FYI for all you Zone 1's out there. Boarding AC 420 today, I'm standing in the Zone 1 line (there were separate Zone 1 & 2 signs) and an entitled A-H standing to the side decided to just go to the front of the line as soon as Zone 1 was called. On Board I pointed out that there was a line up and he had butted in. Apparently (according to him) if Zone 1 and 2 are in the same line you dont need to line up, so going forward we can all just push to the front and ignore the line....
Feb 7, 23, 7:25 pm
#537
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 338
Originally Posted by MME2YYZ
Just an FYI for all you Zone 1's out there. Boarding AC 420 today, I'm standing in the Zone 1 line (there were separate Zone 1 & 2 signs) and an entitled A-H standing to the side decided to just go to the front of the line as soon as Zone 1 was called. On Board I pointed out that there was a line up and he had butted in. Apparently (according to him) if Zone 1 and 2 are in the same line you dont need to line up, so going forward we can all just push to the front and ignore the line....
Feb 7, 23, 7:39 pm
#538
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, UA Gold, Bonvoy Tit LT Sil, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Accor Silver
Posts: 41,473
Originally Posted by MME2YYZ
Just an FYI for all you Zone 1's out there. Boarding AC 420 today, I'm standing in the Zone 1 line (there were separate Zone 1 & 2 signs) and an entitled A-H standing to the side decided to just go to the front of the line as soon as Zone 1 was called. On Board I pointed out that there was a line up and he had butted in. Apparently (according to him) if Zone 1 and 2 are in the same line you dont need to line up, so going forward we can all just push to the front and ignore the line....
If I get to a gate and the combined line has 100 people waiting, I'm probably going to find a way around. Or I'll sit down somewhere. Depends on the gate.
But you said they were separate lines, but his statement was about a combined line? That confuses me.
Feb 7, 23, 7:49 pm
#539
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*S100K ACMM / HH Diamond
Posts: 2,874
Originally Posted by canadiancow
I mean I wouldn't do it like that, but I'd certainly cut in when they're about to call zone 2 if it's a combined line.
If I get to a gate and the combined line has 100 people waiting, I'm probably going to find a way around. Or I'll sit down somewhere. Depends on the gate.
If I get to a gate and the combined line has 100 people waiting, I'm probably going to find a way around. Or I'll sit down somewhere. Depends on the gate.
Feb 8, 23, 1:35 am
#540
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 690
Originally Posted by canopus27
If there's clearly a dedicated zone one line I will join the end of that.
