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)
Mar 11, 2024, 2:12 pm
#1021
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,353
I had some great experiences this past weekend.
SFO with the combined 1/2 lane was great as usual.
In YEG, they had all 5 lanes. I got there when they were on 3 or 4, went in the zone 1 lane, and the agent immediately said "next zone 1" and pulled me up.
YVR (to YYJ) unfortunately was the one "bad one" where they called 1+2 together. But she turned away someone in zone 4.
YYJ called zone 1 on its own. A woman in zone 2 then took a step back, so no enforcement was necessary. I think there were only three of us in zone 1, but we didn't have to fight to get through.
SFO with the combined 1/2 lane was great as usual.
In YEG, they had all 5 lanes. I got there when they were on 3 or 4, went in the zone 1 lane, and the agent immediately said "next zone 1" and pulled me up.
YVR (to YYJ) unfortunately was the one "bad one" where they called 1+2 together. But she turned away someone in zone 4.
YYJ called zone 1 on its own. A woman in zone 2 then took a step back, so no enforcement was necessary. I think there were only three of us in zone 1, but we didn't have to fight to get through.
Mar 14, 2024, 9:21 am
#1023
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 122
Orlando is a zoo. I was there recently and they were using the Face ID things. Which, of course, are terrible for small kids (I’d have to lift the kid up to be seen - and who knows how accurate it is). But at the start of boarding zone 2 they announce that families can board but have to see the agent. So families with young kids are coming from all directions to squeeze through the zone 2 line + the crowd.
Screaming, tears, pushing, people everywhere - I thought I was back at Disney Land!
Screaming, tears, pushing, people everywhere - I thought I was back at Disney Land!
Mar 15, 2024, 4:51 pm
#1026
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: YLW
Posts: 117
AC112 today, boarding seemed pretty organized. Standing in zone 1 when some “blow-hard” walks up past the front of the line and tries to board before they have started. He continues to stand there and I explained zone 1 was lined up …. So get in line like the rest of us. Just got the shoulder shrug. I’ll give him credit for not giving a crap.
Last edited by Adam Smith; Mar 15, 2024 at 5:06 pm Reason: Profanity
Mar 31, 2024, 7:07 pm
#1027
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: YOW
Programs: AC P(easant)25K
Posts: 223
Flying in the back with tight connections, sitting at 12A and B boarded after general boarding was called.
Somehow the overhead bin directly above was full, need to go all the way to near the overwing exit to find a spot for both of my bags.
Had to wait for everyone to disembark to retrieve my bag....
Someone sitting at the very back decided to put their stuff at the first available bin space? (there were a lot of spaces in the back, there's no excuses... )
Somehow the overhead bin directly above was full, need to go all the way to near the overwing exit to find a spot for both of my bags.
Had to wait for everyone to disembark to retrieve my bag....
Someone sitting at the very back decided to put their stuff at the first available bin space? (there were a lot of spaces in the back, there's no excuses... )
Apr 1, 2024, 12:30 am
#1028
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE 100K MM; Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 1,082
Flying in the back with tight connections, sitting at 12A and B boarded after general boarding was called.
Somehow the overhead bin directly above was full, need to go all the way to near the overwing exit to find a spot for both of my bags.
Had to wait for everyone to disembark to retrieve my bag....
Someone sitting at the very back decided to put their stuff at the first available bin space? (there were a lot of spaces in the back, there's no excuses... )
Somehow the overhead bin directly above was full, need to go all the way to near the overwing exit to find a spot for both of my bags.
Had to wait for everyone to disembark to retrieve my bag....
Someone sitting at the very back decided to put their stuff at the first available bin space? (there were a lot of spaces in the back, there's no excuses... )
There is no entitlement to space in the bin directly above your seat/row, first come/first serve on this thing called Public Transportation.
Apr 1, 2024, 10:50 am
#1030
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,353
741 YYZ-SFO today, ~50% full 7M8, started boarding right on time, and had 4 (!!!) agents at the gate. One was just standing there policing the lines, which was quite useful when I walked up.
Apr 1, 2024, 1:09 pm
#1031
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: YOW
Programs: AC P(easant)25K
Posts: 223
Since you say you had to wait for everyone to disembark so did you not see who collected their bags from the bin? Is it possible that it was someone else in Row 12, or 13, or?
There is no entitlement to space in the bin directly above your seat/row, first come/first serve on this thing called Public Transportation.
There is no entitlement to space in the bin directly above your seat/row, first come/first serve on this thing called Public Transportation.
Just note to self, Zone 2 boarding is probably one of the most valuable perk on planes with limited overhead bins (although in some cases, especially with premium CC offering the same perk, often more than half of the plane are boarding in zone 2... )
Apr 4, 2024, 4:13 pm
#1032
Join Date: Sep 2023
Posts: 378
153 YYZ-YYC at gate 38. We arrived just after boarding started. It was a free for all. They did have 3 agents boarding, one with a hand held scanner. The lines and zone signs appeared to mean nothing. We boarded in the zone 3 line which was shorter than than the 1-2 line.
Last edited by Wigg; Apr 10, 2024 at 9:27 pm Reason: Typo in zone #
Apr 6, 2024, 3:54 pm
#1033
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: AC*SE
Posts: 1,924
My favourite the other day was a giant 1/2 line, that eventually people seemed be letting the 1s go ahead but sort of forming an extra in-place 2 line up. But then watching people cut in at the front but once realizing they were 2s just standing there awkwardly blocking the line. I mean, who cuts in line to begin with, and then to just stand there in the middle of it? Super weird. But the GAs were turning people away if they were in the wrong zone so that was good to see.
Apr 6, 2024, 4:02 pm
#1034
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: YCD
Programs: AC 75K, HIlton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold Elite, Radisson Rewards Gold
Posts: 513
My favourite the other day was a giant 1/2 line, that eventually people seemed be letting the 1s go ahead but sort of forming an extra in-place 2 line up. But then watching people cut in at the front but once realizing they were 2s just standing there awkwardly blocking the line. I mean, who cuts in line to begin with, and then to just stand there in the middle of it? Super weird. But the GAs were turning people away if they were in the wrong zone so that was good to see.