Why savvy US fliers prefer Air Canada

Air Canada operates three weekly flights between Dubai and Toronto and offers connections to more than 100 destinations in Canada and the United States. Deepu Cyriac, Country Manager – UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, tells TravTalk about the airline’s new routes and expansion plans.

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Air Canada, has turned its hubs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver into easy, fast connecting points for travellers to the US and Canada. Deepu Cyriac, Country Manager-UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, says, “Travellers clear US Customs in Canada without even having to retrieve their checked luggage. Waits are minimal. In the past, one had to reclaim luggage before US Customs clearance while entering the US and then go on to security screening. But Air Canada reversed the process. Luggage gets screened while you get screened. That slashed 15 minutes off connecting times in Toronto. After a security checkpoint, travellers wait in a holding room for their names to turn green on a display, indicating that their bags have been X-rayed and US Customs is ready to process them. Unless officials order a physical search, the bags go straight to connecting flights,”
Air Canada’s international connection push has been a decade in the making. The airline has invested heavily in new planes, highspeed moving sidewalks, ultrafast baggage belts, bigger security checkpoints and international airport clubs with showers. Getting all its flights in the same terminal in all three of its hubs has made connections quicker and easier. Air Canada operates 3 weekly flights between Dubai and Toronto and offer them connections to more than 100 cities in Canada and US. Air Canada flies to about 60 American cities and considers many of them as their strongest market as not many direct overseas flights are operated to these airports. Therefore, itineraries such as Dubai to Pittsburgh or Minneapolis via Toronto are of advantage to customers.
“During winter, Air Canada can get you from Detroit to Dubai in 15 hours 15 minutes which includes the transit time in Toronto. Geography helps with keeping flight times competitive, since trips between the US and both Europe and Middle East pass over Canada,” Cyriac adds. This year, airline rating firm Skytrax awarded Air Canada the best airline in North America. The airline offers lie-flat Business Class beds on all its long-haul aircraft with aisle access for all Business Class seats and Premium Economy on all longhaul flights. The airline has refreshed its fleet faster, largely with new Boeing Dreamliner 787s and 777s.
Air Canada’s Premium Economy offers superior comfort and personalised service. Inside this exclusive, quiet cabin, passengers have ample room to stretch out – in a larger seat with more recline and extra legroom. Premium Economy class also includes, premium dining service, 11” personal touch TV, and a variety of airport priority services. Lowest premium economy fare between Dubai & Toronto is AED 7,470 (including taxes). As part of Air Canada’s 80th anniversary, all Premium Economy passengers will get lounge access in Dubai at the Lufthansa–Star Alliance lounge. The offer is valid until October 30, 2017, for tickets issued in UAE. The airline launched 16 international and US transborder routes in the second quarter of 2017 which includes Toronto to Mumbai, Montreal to Algiers and Vancouver to Frankfurt