Excellent service, but is this premium seat really worth twice the price?

The airline: Air Canada

• Route Vancouver to Brisbane, flight AC35
• Frequency Daily
• Aircraft Boeing Dreamliner 787-900
• Class Premium economy, seat 13A (window)
• Flight time 14 hours, 45 minutes

Air Canada flies Boeing 787 Dreamliners between Vancouver and Brisbane.Credit: iStock

Checking in

It’s nearly 8pm Tuesday when my Uber driver, coming in hot after sharing a thorough expose of India’s hip hop scene, drops me dazed on the kerb outside Vancouver Airport. Inside, the check-in counters are swamped with long queues, but premium economy passengers are given priority. I’m promptly checked in with only my passport required.

Baggage

Up to two pieces of checked luggage (23kg each) is permitted, alongside one personal item and one carry-on bag. There is no weight limit for carry-on luggage, but it must be light enough for you to fit in the overhead bin without assistance.

Loyalty scheme

Air Canada is part of Star Alliance and its free frequent flyer program, Aeroplan, was relaunched in 2020 to give members more flexibility when it comes to using points, which can be spent on smaller redemptions such as Wi-Fi, gift cards, drinks and upgrade bids.

The seats

The extra legroom in Air Canada’s premium economy is appreciated.

There are 21 premium economy seats laid out in a 2-3-2 formation. My window seat, which is 19 inches wide (49.5cm) and reclines seven inches (17.8cm), only slightly different from economy, but the seat’s additional pitch (38 inches/96.5cm compared to 31 inches/78.7cm) is immediately noticeable. I’m 182 centimetres tall so the extra legroom is appreciated. An amenity kit containing a toothbrush, toothpaste and socks is waiting. There’s a small nook on the inside of the arm rest where I can stash smaller items, like my hearing aids, that is so discreet I forget to take them with me. The crew save the day by returning them to me in Brisbane.

Entertainment + tech

A broad range of movies, TV shows, games, podcasts and music is available on the 11-inch screen, which is two inches larger than economy. Aeroplan members can text each other onboard free using their phone. Wi-Fi is available for a fee. The USB charging port does an admirable job of keeping my Nintendo Switch powered up despite heavy use.

Service

I find Air Canada’s crew to be attentive, warm and professional. After boarding, it quickly becomes apparent the man seated next to me is deaf and communicates entirely using sign language. I’m impressed when the flight attendants locate a notepad and pen for him to communicate with, and don’t try to ignore or avoid him during the flight.

Food

I pick at my starter, an uninteresting celeriac salad, for a few minutes before moving on to the main: a choice of saffron roasted chicken with rice and sauteed greens or beef stew with truffle mashed potato and carrots. Haunted by the memory of past inflight mashed potatoes, I choose chicken, to be rewarded with an aromatic, saucy dish that feels closer to a curry, followed by a delicious carrot cake. Breakfast choices are scrambled eggs or oatmeal pancakes with fruit compote; I opt for the latter. Dinner is served on white plates with silver cutlery, but breakfast is a comparatively sad affair with plastic wrapped pancakes and bread rolls.

Carbon emissions

0.98 tonnes for flying premium economy. Air Canada has a voluntary offset program and has committed to net zero emissions by 2050.

One more thing

Earlier this year, the airline revealed a new onboard menu championing Canadian chefs and produce in 100 seasonal, rotating dishes, alongside wines selected by world-class sommelier Veronique Rivest.

The price

From $4680 return for premium economy. *

The verdict

Props to the crew for their attentive and professional service, but I wonder whether extra legroom and an elevated dinner service warrants paying more than double the price of a standard economy seat.

Our rating out of five

★★★½

The writer travelled as a guest of Indigenous Tourism British Columbia, Destination British Columbia and Destination Canada. See aircanada.com.

*Fares are based on those available for travel three to four months from the time of publication and subject to change.