In order to save my employer about $1000, I ended up taking a connection on my flight home from Ottawa to Vancouver. This flight would route me Ottawa – Toronto – Vancouver. I would end up experiencing the Air Canada Café in Toronto, in addition to a large Air Canada Signature Business Class pod for no extra cost. Read on to see how this short flight fared.

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This post is one chapter on a spring trip to Ottawa, Canada. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status, Air Canada Aeroplan and Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. For parts of the trip, please see this index.

If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter “X” or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.

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Review: Air Canada Business Class B737 – Max 8, Ottawa International Airport – Toronto Pearson International Airport

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On my return segment flight back home from Ottawa to Vancouver, I ended up routing myself through Toronto. This was an order to take advantage of a cheaper airfare for my employer. While I would add a little extra time to my trip, I would also get to fly home in an Air Canada Signature Class suite for no additional charge. In fact it was actually a cheaper airfare than flying nonstop on a 737 max.

Checking into Air Canada Business Class:

I had a very early 4 AM wake up from the Delta Ottawa City Centre hotel. I was in the rental car by 4:30 AM in the morning, headed towards Ottawa International Airport.

Having gassed up the car the night before, I dropped the rental car off at Hertz through the night deposit and headed into the terminal. Ottawa International Airport was deserted at this hour of the morning. As I was carrying travelling with carry-on only, I quickly bypass the check in kiosk booths and headed over to the secure side.

After descending the escalators after security screening, I turned right and headed to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Ottawa. The Aspire Lounge Ottawa, which was accessible through Priority Pass, was not open at this 5 AM hour.

I have visited the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Ottawa previously, so I won’t be reviewing it again on this particular trip. If you’re passing through Ottawa on an Air Canada Business Class ticket, access to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is complimentary with your ticket.

At approximately 6:30 AM it was time to board the aircraft. I headed down towards gate 15 where my Air Canada Boeing 737 Max 8 was sitting parked at the gate.

Air Canada
AC 342 – Business Class (Z)
YOW – YYZ (Ottawa International Airport – Toronto Pearson International Airport)
April 30, 2024
7:00 AM – 8:08 AM
Booked: Boeing 737-Max8
Flown: Boeing 737-Max8

On Board Air Canada Business Class:

I have reviewed the Air Canada Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft on several previous occasions. Please see the following posts if you’d like a little more description of the features of the cabin.

• Air Canada Business Class: Vancouver – Phoenix
• Air Canada Business Class: Calgary – Vancouver
• Air Canada Business Class: Vancouver – Ottawa
• Air Canada Business Class: Ottawa – Vancouver

The Air Canada Business Class seats on a Boeing 737 Max are the newer slim line generation of seats. They offer a little more room, although you’ll never mistake them for a pod styled seat with a fully flat bed.

As in the past, I’m happy to report on the Air Canada Boeing 737 Max seats are actually more comfortable than their older Air Canada Airbus Series Business Class barcalounger style counterpart. I also found them more comfortable than the comparable puffy seat found in the Alaska Airlines First Class product.

I was seated in 2A today, a window seat on the left hand side of the aircraft. I was travelling with carry on luggage only, and had no issues stowing my luggage vertically in the overhead bins.

The Air Canada Business Class Boeing 737Max seat offers a little foot rest. Although the foot rest is a lot sturdier than versions that I have seen on the Airbus series of aircraft, it’s of limited use from a comfort perspective for a tall person like me.

The Air Canada Advanced Video on Demand Entertainment system showed photographs of the flight’s destination. In this case, we had photographs of Toronto, ranging from Lake Ontario to skyline photographs of downtown. As simple as this is it’s a nice mood lifter to give you something to look forward to as we travel towards your destination.

The seat featured Empower charging based on a North American plug, and also offered a laptop storage contained underneath the centre arm rest.

The Seat Featured a recline option and a foot rest option. These features were accessed through level buttons on the wall of the seat itself.

There is also a seat extender for reclining comfort. You won’t mistake this for a fully flat seat, but it might make relaxing a little more comfortable.

The Boeing 737 Max featured individual air nozzles above the travellers seat. This is something that I always appreciate, since you’re able to control your own air flow, and make your flight just that more comfortable.

Pre Departure Services:

We had a pretty tame pre-departure beverage service. While it’s usual that you get an offer of water of juice from a tray on other carriers, or perhaps an open bar beverage in the United States, today’s pre-departure services consisted solely of a bottle of Naya Water waiting on the seat for me.

Perhaps this was a result of service delivery being slow to resume after the pandemic, but the pre-departure beverages were economized out of the system.

The flight attendants stopped by and droppe

Departing Ottawa International Airport:

We had an on-time departure at 7 AM from the Ottawa International Airport.

After taxiing out to the runway, we took off behind a Flair airlines aircraft and headed towards Toronto.

We had a brief 44 minute flight time from Ottawa international airport to Toronto Pearson international airport. It’s a frequent route that I’ve travelled on several occasions and is just long enough for a quick meal service.

The Meal: Breakfast

With a brief 44 minute flight, it’s a speedy process to get a meal service completed.

Today is Air Canada flight offered a small fruit plate, along with a cranberry biscuit loaf and on Iögo yogurt. This was presented all at once.

The service on board was the usual Air Canada politeness; pleasant but not super interactive. Breakfast was cleared very promptly given our short flight time.

Landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport:

After the short flight time, it was time to descend to Toronto International Airport. I have the usual views of scenic Ontario countryside, followed by industrial views the closer we got to Toronto, Canada.

We arrive to the gate park next to an Air Canada Boeing 777 – 300 that was getting ready to depart for Vancouver International Airport.

Since I was seated in row two, I was among the first off the plane. I was in the Toronto Pearson International Airport – Terminal One before I knew it.

I headed off to the Air Canada Café – Toronto, before heading out on a Air Canada Signature Business Class Toronto – Vancouver flight.

The Bottom Line: Air Canada Business Class

The Air Canada Business Class rapid air flight between Ottawa and Toronto was pretty straightforward. For a 44 minute flight, Air Canada manages to pack a full meal service into the flight, which is a definite “value add”.

While it is inconvenient to take a connection when there’s a nonstop flight available, in this case it saved my employer about $1,000 over the nonstop offering. Coincidentally, it also allowed me to enjoy an Air Canada Signature Business Class Suite for most of my way home at substantially less cost.

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If you’ve flown Air Canada Business Class, how do you find the Boeing 737 Max 8 product ?

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