Trip Report: Air Canada, Toronto to Washington, D.C. (October 2021)

   Trip Report: Air Canada - Toronto to Washington, D.C.
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I was booking my flight from Washington, D.C. to Toronto and return.  On the outbound the best flight and connection I found was with Delta and on the return the best connection, flight time and price I found was with Air Canada.  This routing would take me from Toronto to Washington Reagan via Montreal.  I found the flight on Google Flights but went to AirCanada's website directly to book the ticket.  It was quick and easy to book the ticket online, select my seat, and get my reservation.

My original flight had me departing Toronto at 4pm with an 1hr layover in Montreal and then arrive into Washington. D.C. at 8pm.  I arrived to the airport a little more than 2-hours in advance because I thought I had to stand in line for my documents to get checked.  In line they said that if I received my mobile boarding pass then everything was clear and nothing needed to be shown/checked so I proceeded to security.  Since I was going to Montreal it was treated as a domestic flight so I did not need to clear immigration and because of that, I got to the gate really quickly.  When I approached the gate, the earlier flight to Montreal was on 'last call' and they asked me if I was part of that flight.  I said I was part of the later flight and they asked if I wanted to take the earlier flight; since I had only hand-carry I said yes and I was able to take the 2pm flight to Montreal onboard a Boeing 787 dreamliner.  

This flight generally departs Toronto at 2pm and arrives into Montreal at 3:14pm.  The flight was

operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and it was great to experience this Dreamliner plane on a short domestic flight.  The plane was laid out in a 3-3-3 configuration in economy and the seat width and seat pitch were very good; I am tall and the legroom was excellent.  Yes it did help that no one was next to me but despite that I thought the legroom was great.  The seat was very comfortable to sit on and had a lot of features including a seatback PTV with a USB port and headphone jack; underneath that was a full-size tray table; and below that was a seatback pocket.  Universal power outlets were also available.  The amenities were nice for the short domestic flight but given how everything was laid out, I would not hesitate to take the flight long-haul.  Shortly after we reached cruising altitude inflight service commenced.  I was surprised that Air Canada was doing a full drink service and pretzels on this short flight; yes the entire cabin was not full but flight time was only 1hr15min and that is not a lot of time to get through the service.  The FA's were really good about being efficient but also decently friendly; they were definitely friendlier and better as compared to some American FAs.  We landed in Montreal and because of my earlier flight I now had 3-hours in Montreal. 

Unfortunately, due to COVID there was only one or two shops that were open in the entire airport.  I understand it was a pandemic but there were A LOT of people and not enough services provided so either more services needed to be available or less people needed to be transited through Montreal.  I bided my time and then proceeded downstairs to the basement where my next flight would be departing from. 

My flight to Washington, D.C. would be operated by a CRJ2 which is a small regional jet with a 2-2 configuration.  The plane was very small, tight, and not a lot of leg space.  There was an open seat available and I asked the FA if I could move, but there was a main FA and a FA in training and they had taken up those seats even though not of them sat there throughout the flight (not great customer service).  The service and experience on the CRJ2 experience was in complete opposite of the my previous experience - the plane was smaller and extremely uncomfortable, the FAs were not nice nor customer friendly and overall it was not a good experience.  Once airborne, inflight service of a drink and pretzels were provided and then it was not long before we landed as it was only a 1.5hr flight.

In the end, it was an interesting flight with AirCanada.  During my first flight from Toronto to Montreal I got to experience their long-haul fleet and that seemed comfortable so something I would want to try and experience.  On the second flight, from Montreal to Washington D.C. I got to experience their regional jets and FAs which were not nice and very uncomfortable.  I have flown on AirCanada's Embraer from Toronto to New Orleans (link here) and it was a very comfortable experience so I will try and remember that experience versus this one.

Trip Report: Air Canada, Toronto Pearson to New Orleans (June 2018)

Trip Report: Air Canada, Toronto to New Orleans
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I was traveling from Africa back to America and was connecting in Toronto for my last flight.  My first flight was operated by Ethiopian Airlines and I was connecting to Air Canada.  Since both flights were booked on one ticket, and both are Star Alliance members and thus have a partnership, it would be a seamless transfer in Toronto.  My bags were tagged in Africa and I received my Ethiopian-issued boarding passes for my flight, so in essence all I had to do was 1) collect my bags and hand them to Air Canada or 2) just transfer and go to Air Canada to receive their boarding pass.  When I landed, the process could not have been smoother – I did not have to collect my bags and had them to Air Canada as all I needed to do was transfer from one get to another (and clear U.S. security).

I had received my Air Canada reservation number prior to my departure and had downloaded the app where I could manage my reservation.  There was a charge for pre-selecting my seat, so I waited until I got to Toronto to see if I could change my seat.  Even though I was already checked-in, I talked with an Air Canada representative who said I could use the kiosks or the app to change seat and receive my Air Canada-issued boarding pass (I also spoke with them to ensure my bags had been transferred successfully).  The entire process could not have gone smoother.

The flight was scheduled to depart Toronto at 1:15p and arrive into New Orleans at 3:05p.  The flight was operated by an Embraer RJ-175 with a scheduled flight time of 2hr50m.  As I had a long time between my flights, I was waiting near the gates well before the scheduled departure time.  I am glad I downloaded the app because it was through the app that I found out that the gate had been changed (an announcement happened later on); from my understanding this happens a lot with Air Canada at Toronto (another reason to download the app).  All the passengers made it to the right gate well in time before departure.  Boarding started around 12:45p, which I thought was a bit late but it was fine considering it was a small plane the load was light.  The plane was configured in a 1-2 business class and a 2-2 economy class.  The first few rows of economy were designated as ‘Preferred Seats’ which meant they provided additional legroom and earlier boarding.

First impressions of the cabin were very good as the plane looked like it had been well-maintained and recently updated.  The seats looked like they were new-ish slimline seats and each seat had its seatback PTV.  In Africa, I was initially assigned a seat in the back of the plane but through the app I changed my seat to an aisle seat in the middle of the plane.  The seat itself was decent in terms of size and comfort, it was not too small but not too large, and the legroom was decent. I am a tall man (6ft) and my knees were not hitting the back of the seat in front of me (a good sign).  As with regional jets, the overhead bin space was limited so this was the only negative thing.  The seat itself had a personal PTV screen (which was a decent size and looked updated) and had a USB port next to it.  Below the screen was the foldout tray, and below that was the pocket with the airline magazine, duty free magazine, and air sickness bag.  As I said, overall first impressions were very good (especially since most U.S.-based regional jets do not look anything like this at all!).  The plane was about 70% full which meant that those of us in the back each got a row to ourselves.  As weight distribution is a key factor, especially for regional jets, before the boarding door closed the gate agent came to move passengers around.  I was moved from my seat in the middle to one of the Preferred Seats right behind business class.  This was a bulk-head seat which meant that my bags had to go in the bin for take-off and landing, but the legroom in this seat was really good.  The seat was still not as wide as I would’ve liked it, but it was a very comfortable seat. 

We pushed back, a safety video was shown on the screens, and we made our way to the runway for our on-time departure.  Once we reached cruising altitude, the crew started with their service.  For this flight (and most flights within Canada and the U.S.), Air Canada provided complimentary water, soft drinks, tea or coffee and pretzels but everything else needed to be purchased.  Despite the long flight, drinks were served in glasses and not cans although later on in the flight the attendants came with water.  After the service, passengers sit back and either talked, read, or watched the PTV screens.  The screens were a decent size, were very responsive to touch screen, and had a good selection of movies.  The only negative about the entertainment was that it would not remember where you were, so if you paused it or stopped it, it would start from the beginning instead of asking you to resume where you left off (as I have seen other airline entertainment systems do).  This was a small issue as overall the system was responsive and had a good selection.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Air Canada service.  Given my experience with U.S.-based airlines and regional jet service, I had very low expectations and Air Canada exceeded those.  The seats were comfortable, the legroom was decent, and PTVs as well as USB ports were provided.  The service was decent as one flight attendant (the one in business class who came back to help) provided much better and pleasant service versus the one who was based in economy.  Based on this experience, I would not hesitate to fly Air Canada short- or long-haul. 

Stay Report: Hilton Garden Inn Toronto Airport West/Mississauga (Canada, June 2014)

Stay Report: Hilton Garden Inn Toronto Airport West
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photo courtesy of HGI

I was traveling to Toronto for a conference, which was housed near the airport, so was looking for a hotel close by.  By American standards, Canadian hotels can be quite expensive so I decided to use points to book the hotel.  Based on reviews, location, and points availability, I decided on the Hilton Garden Inn Toronto Airport West located in Mississauga.  I have stayed at Hilton Garden Inn’s before so knew of their product – they provide nice and clean rooms with free wifi but no complimentary breakfast.

The hotel was easy to book through the HGI website, and through my website I was able to manage my reservation and add preferences (as we were arriving late at night).  The hotel is located near the airport, about a 15 minute drive away, in an office area.  As it is mostly a business area, there are few amenities within walking distance; there are many amenities within a 5-10 drive but that would require a car.  While a bit secluded, the location does provide peace and quiet at night for a restful sleep.  The hotel does provide complimentary parking and has ample parking spaces available. 

I arrived late night at the hotel and was greeted as I entered the hotel.  The lobby was nice and contained the check-in desks, the restaurant/bar, the business center, and nice sitting areas.  Check-in was quick and efficient, and we were given a welcome bag of a bottle of water, chips, and chocolate bar (a very nice touch).  An explanation of the amenities of the hotel was not provided, but in the room key packet there was a sheet detailing all the amenities of the hotel and services provided (very detailed list, but I wish hotel staff would’ve pointed it out during check-in).

photo courtesy of HGI

I had booked a room with 2 double beds and the room was a good size, not overly spacious but not cramped.  As you entered, on the right was the bathroom while on the left was the closet with a safe, an iron, and an ironing board.  The bathroom was standard HGI and was a nice a size.  This bathroom had been upgraded so it had a nice sink, a toilet, and a bathtub; it did not have PeterThomasRoth products but instead had Neutrogena products. 

Further into the room, on the left was a little stand that contained a fridge on the bottom, the coffee maker in the middle, and a microwave on top.  This is a nice and convenient addition to the hotel.  Continuing on the left hand side was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top followed by a desk.  Across from these, on the right-hand side of the wall, were the 2 double beds.  The beds and pillows were nice and comfortable, and the bed had been upgraded so you could adjust the firmness to your liking.  The beds were relaxing and provided a good night’s rest.  In between the beds was a night stand, and next to the bed was a window that, although did not provide great views, did provide natural light into the room.  Overall, the room was spacious and contained a lot of amenities, but it did not feel congested at all.  There were also many available throughout the room, and the lamp also contained plugs and ports to provide additional outlets (a plus in today's digital world).  

The hotel featured a lot of the standard HGI facilities including a pool, not a big pool but a decent size; a decent size gym; a laundry room; a business center with computers and printer (you could print directly from your room or from the business center); complimentary wifi that was a decent speed; a convenience store to purchase snacks or items you forgot; as well as a restaurant/bar that served breakfast, lunch, and dinner (although not complimentary unless that is the rate you booked).  In addition to all this, a nice touch the hotel provided were complimentary snacks in the morning and evening.  In the morning, complimentary coffee and apples were provided while in the evening complimentary oat squares (a nice healthy touch) were provided.

photo courtesy of HGI

Another facility of the hotel was the free and ample parking.  The hotel’s location is good if you have a car, and they provide a lot of free parking spaces.  If you do need public transport options, there is a bus stand located across the street from the hotel and this bus connects with the subway system (about a 25m ride).  The hotel staff were somewhat knowledgeable about the transportation access, some more knowledgeable than others; this is one thing I would recommend, that hotel staff be knowledgeable about transportation access. 

Overall, it was a nice stay at the Hilton Garden Inn.  The rooms were spacious and updated, the hotel has a lot of facilities, and the service was good.  A nice security touch was that the back door, which was directly located next to the elevators, needed a key to enter -- and this key was needed all the time! At most hotels, the key is only needed at night, meaning anyone can enter the hotel. Having key access all the time was a nice security touch.  These small touches make the stay memorable and I would recommend the hotel, as long as you have a car.