Air Canada will begin direct flights between Vancouver and Melbourne from December 3 in a seasonal service stretching through to February 4, 2018.
The Star Alliance member's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will run four flights a week on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday:
- flight AC38 departs Melbourne at 11.40am to reach Vancouver at 7.30am the same day
- flight AC37 leaves Vancouver at 10.45pm, arriving into Melbourne at 9.45am two days later
The 7.30am arrival into Vancouver will slot into connections from Air Canada's hub to score of destinations across Canada and the US.
While the service is designed to tap into high travel demand during the northern winter, it will also help Air Canada gauge support for potential expansion of the Melbourne-Vancouver route beyond the peak season.
"By operating the only non-stop service between Melbourne and Canada we are making it easier than ever before for Victorians to experience Canada's unsurpassed winter attractions, which include some of the world's leading ski resorts in British Columbia and Alberta," says Paul McLean, Air Canada's General Manager for Australia and New Zealand.
Melbourne is the third city in Air Canada's Australian footprint, with the airline already flying daily to Vancouver from Sydney and Brisbane.
Air Canada's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – which will also sport the airline's bold new livery, shown above – sports 30 lie-flat business class seats which Air Canada tags as 'executive pods'.
These are arranged in a 1-2-1 layout to provides direct aisle access for every passenger, with the solo seats angled towards the window while the two centre seats are angled slightly towards each other.
Each seat extends extends to an 80 inch fully flat bed dressed with a 100% cotton duvet and, for that extra touch of indulgence, an espresso and cappuccino service featuring Lavazza coffee.
Other creature comforts include an 18 inch touchscreen video panel and controller and an amenity kit featuring Canadian-made Escents aromatherapy products.
For travellers who're more budget than business, Air Canada’s premium economy cabin offers 21 comfortable seats in a 2-3-2 layout...
Passengers get a 19.5 inch wide seat with 38 inch pitch and a 7 inch recline.
Each set has its own 11 inch touchscreen panel, USB and AC power socket.
The rest of the 787 is given over to 247 economy seats arranged three-across.
The 17.3 inch wide seats have a 5 inch recline and 31 inch pitch, although their slimline design should afford a bit of extra room around the knees.
To take your mind off the squeeze there’s a 9 inch touchscreen with a USB port and shared AC sockets.
The Dreamliner's cabin has been designed for a “contemporary, sophisticated” look, the airline says, using warm natural textiles and fabrics, while the colour palette is based in slate grey “with hints of Canadian red and celeste blue”.
The new Melbourne-Vancouver services will provide for Aeroplan Loyalty Program accumulation and redemption, with eligible customers enjoying priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access, priority boarding and other benefits.
Air Canada's business class travellers, Aeroplan Altitude Elite 50K, Elite 75K and Super Elite 100K members and their Star Alliance Gold equivalents will be able to relax pre-flight at the Air New Zealand lounge which opens on May 9.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
01 Jun 2016
Total posts 60
Surprised they need to 'test the waters'... You'd think that if Brisbane works, Melbourne would also...
21 Apr 2017
Total posts 14
There is a real market in Victoria that would want travel to Canada to explore there wonderful country. It's a no brainer that they make it a regular flight. I'm sure there is also people from Canada that would also love to explore Australia.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 622
@Mattr72:
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 622
@JBL:
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Mar 2016
Total posts 169
This could make excellent sense, especially with some people now reluctant to include an LAX stopover, or indeed an American stop altogether. Canada has become increasingly common, especially with cruises, this could be a great market for AC.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 622
@ajstubbs:
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Mar 2015
Total posts 94
I had a really bad experience with AirCanada, so they are not my favourite airline, but this is a great move. They are are really dominating the Australia / Canada route. When will Qantas get in on the act?
05 May 2016
Total posts 634
QANTAS appears to be focusing on LHR, Europe and the US with their 787 aircraft on order for now. There are existing 747 aircraft that will need to be retired and replaced with 787 aircraft on a number of existing routes too with some 747 aircraft kept to operate routes that still require a four engine aircraft.
04 May 2017
Total posts 1
sorry to hear you had a bad experience 'cause i really think they're the best. i mean....they really know what to do, don't bother asking the questions, they already know your issue and they will accomodate if can. Depends if you're a demanding person or not.They are better then Emirates actuallyto my eyes.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 622
@anthony watts:
24 Apr 2015
Total posts 129
Canada 3000, launch airline for the A330-200, flew YYZ/YVR/HNL/BNE/SYD/AKL/RAR/HNL/YVR/YYZ twice a week, once in each direction until end of 2001. SEP11 killed Canada 3000. The Canadians didn't support their airlines, like the yanks did.
09 Aug 2014
Total posts 17
I know QF fly to YVR seasonally out of SYD, but with the reduced capacity if they used the 787, could they add MEL to the list & then compete with AC. The aircraft could then hop over to Perth & then maybe onto Qantas' 3rd european destination
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
13 Mar 2015
Total posts 79
Not even with points I will ever fly AC to Asia or any long haul destination. I'm size 36 pants and not that big, but those narrow seats in Economy in AC 773 and 788/9 are horrible like the ones in CA 773 (10 across).. so narrow even narrower than EK and EY dense aircrafts. Also, never pay for PE in AC is so cheap and bad... for the same price and just one short stop you have superior service to and better seats to MEL in QF and NZ (depends on One World or Star Alliance). I just flew AC and seats in the bulkhead are terrible, everyone in Economy passes to PE and take the empty seats, the food is the same as the Economy with the exception of the first Meal... JUST NOT WORTHY.
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
13 Mar 2015
Total posts 79
Also... the quality of wines, amenity kit and headsets are much inferior in AC than NZ or QF... Believe me I just flew AC Premium Economy PEK-YVR and went to the back to take some photos from a window that was empty where try the economy seat..made me take a decision of not flying AC as possible. At least their A333 still having decent economy seats and they use it on European routes.
Qantas
13 Jun 2015
Total posts 140
What a nice refresh of the AC livery!
15 Sep 2012
Total posts 96
This is a great move by Air Canada. Test tbhe watersand get route eswtablished before Qantas are in any position toto try anything! As the saying goes: 1 Canadian is a friend, 2 is a party!Known for friendly service. Flew on CP air andf Canadian before merge and they were fantastic!
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 126
This may effect the Brisbane route as not as many transferring passengers will be on the flights during that time.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Aug 2014
Total posts 506
I think they're certain this route will become a regular, they seem to be just playing it conservative just in case things don't go they way they wanted to.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 622
@RaptorNation158:
12 Sep 2014
Total posts 26
Looks like Lifemiles just became useful again.
24 Apr 2015
Total posts 129
Air Canada has a virtual monopoly of OZ/Canada flights & is generally very expensive. With real estate market completely stuffed, many will be looking for cheap fares. Just spotted some $1199 fares Syd/Sfo return fares 25Dec back mid Jan & $200 more if depart 26-31Dec. This is a much cheaper way to get to Canada, but for skiers it's now much cheaper to ski in USA than Canada, despite exchange rate.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Feb 2016
Total posts 25
Good news Air Canada.
24 Apr 2015
Total posts 129
only good news for AC if they can sell all their overpriced seats. Apparently wholesalers have know about this for a while & have booked out all the cheaper seats. If they can't use them, they simply dump them at a much later date & they won't reappear as cheaper seats.
29 Oct 2016
Total posts 35
17.3" wide seats in Y. Sheer bliss compared with the 17.0" wide seats on the re-configured B777s from Sydney.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Air Canada to fly Melbourne-Vancouver from December