Hofmann's recommendations

Air Canada - A good alternative to the USA

Air Canada has increasingly developed its Toronto hub into an international hub, especially in the direction of the USA. Reason enough to test it.

Surprisingly, Air Canada has its own new lounge in Frankfurt, flooded with light and located directly at Gate B42, where the Boeing 777-300ER to Toronto is waiting. There is a large breakfast buffet, showers are available and the walk to the gate is short.

Boarding begins more than punctually and the take-off itself is also on time. Business Class is arranged according to a special principle. This means that the seats are turned towards the aisle. However, you miss more privacy in this respect. The personal storage options are also limited to a minimum. Not ideal if you are planning to work. You can only look out of the window by straining your neck. The seat itself seems narrow. The flight attendants, as is usually the case with North American airlines, are all somewhat older.

Before take-off, the menus are handed out and shortly afterwards the menu selection is taken up. The menu promises a lot, with four main course options alone: Fillet of beef, Thai chicken curry, cod fillet and ricotta asparagus pasta. There are also promising wines, such as Drappier champagne from Reims or a Canadian Henry of Pelham Family Estate Chardonney. There is a choice of three red wines from Argentina, Spain and France. A glass of H J Fabre Reserva Malbec from Mendoza turned out to be the ideal accompaniment to the fillet of beef. In any case, the quality of the food is excellent. The fillet fully met expectations and the smell of basmati rice for the Thai chicken curry really whetted the appetite. The cabin crew know their business, friendly and experienced.

Time for in-flight entertainment: Air Canada already has an improved Business Class on other aircraft. Here you notice the ageing of the screen, for example. You can select programs via a cursor, but it takes time to get to grips with this system. Perhaps people are just more used to the large screens on other airlines. In any case, the selection of movies is sufficient. The only annoying thing is the many commercials before each movie.

Sleeping: The controls for adjusting the seat are ideally located in the side wall. Still, the personal bag has to go somewhere. There's no room, so it's best to put it under the bed. The bed itself is impressively long and guarantees a good night's sleep. We forwent the light meal before landing in favor of sleeping. The landing itself took place 30 minutes before the scheduled time.

Change of planes in Toronto: Another reason for choosing the flight was to test out the Toronto hub. And indeed, it is an airport that is very service-oriented. The distances are not too far, and there is already immigration control for the connection to the USA. Zero minutes waiting time at the security check. You shudder to think of other airports in the USA. A large Air Canada lounge makes it easy to wait for the connection. Surprising: in the other waiting areas of the airport, many seats are equipped with personal tablets.

The onward flight to Chicago in the small Embraer 175 regional jet is also surprising. It has its own First Class cabin with nine wide seats, Wi-Fi and videos on demand. A standard that you will search in vain for in Europe. There is also a hot-towel service and an extensive snack menu. The flight attendants are very friendly and attentive, making it a real pleasure to travel on the small jet.

Conclusion: The seat in Business Class on the Boeing 777 is relatively narrow, offering little privacy and few storage options. Nevertheless, the service is professional, sleeping comfort is guaranteed and all flights are on time. In contrast to other major airports such as Chicago or Atlanta, changing planes in Toronto is a real pleasure.