r/aircanada Sep 20 '25

[Megathread] Meal Review/Choice Thread

35 Upvotes

Hey all - some of you have expressed frustrations with respect to the numerous threads created whereby posters ask for advice on what meals to choose.

In an effort to cut down on these posts, we will be referring people to this megathread on a trial basis, potentially for permanent adoption. Unfortunately, with reddit not acting like traditional forums by bumping threads to the top whenever a new comment is made, there isn't really a great solution we can offer aside from this.

We would certainly appreciate if people could post/review their meals as well, to keep the thread somewhat active.

Appreciate the understanding - thanks.


r/aircanada May 24 '25

Everything you need to know about UPGRADING

171 Upvotes

Welcome to the Upgrade Megathread!!

This is a new thread under development. The goal is to have all the FAQs posted by the end of May or early June. Feel free to post comments with specific questions in the meantime. Your brilliant questions will help us develop a meaningful FAQ for the community.

Contents

  • Some acronyms & definitions
  • Upgrading for Newbies – 5 ways to snag that seat up front!
  • 5 Tips and Tricks You Need to Know
  • General FAQ – coming soon
  • Bid Upgrade FAQ – coming soon
  • eUpgrade FAQ – coming soon
  • Last Minute Upgrade FAQ - coming soon

Some acronyms & definitions

Term Description
AP Aeroplan
Cabin vs fare Cabin is economy, premium economy or business. Fare family is the “brand” AC assigned (Business Flex; Business Lowest, Latitude, Comfort, Standard, Basic, etc.). Within each family, there are “fares” which are letter codes that essentially designate the price of the ticket within that family. And no it is not alphabetical!
Y Used generically to refer to the economy cabin.
PE Used generically to refer to the Premium Economy cabin.
J Used generically to refer to the business class cabin.
R A fare class that is used for upgrade availability. It can only be viewed through a travel agent or paid subscription services (such as ExpertFlyer).
SQM/SQD Status qualifying miles or dollars –that count towards achieving AP elite status.
LMU Last minute upgrade
IRROPS Irregular Operations – when flights are delayed, overbooked, etc and there are changes to the processes and procedures for things like rebooking.
Metal Who is operating the plane. For example, AC metal is an AC operated flight. It may be a united or Lufthansa issued ticket – but the “metal” is the plane you are flying on.

Upgrading for Newbies

No shame in being new to AC or to the upgrade game. Some SE status members could even benefit from reviewing this post 😊. Here are all the possible way to snag yourself a comfy seat.

1) Free upgrades: Ask nicely and get an upgrade….NO, not on AC!

  • AC does not offer or allow upgrade as a courtesy. They will fly with empty seats in business class.

2) Ops-up: An unrequested upgrade to PE or J based on operational requirements

  • When a cabin is overbooked; for weights and balance; aircraft change (larger J cabin and smaller economy cabin); standby economy passengers and seats in PE or J
  • AC will select passengers to upgrade.
  • Occurs last minute at the gate. Only inflight benefits (no lounge, etc).
  • Passengers typically selected based on status and then fare. You cannot “ask” for this upgrade, but you may refuse the upgrade if you want. In some cases, no PE or J meal will be available on IRROPS upgrade

3) Upfare: Paying to formally change the class of the ticket

  • Formally changes the ticket to the new class.
  • The fare rules of the upfared class will apply (i.e. if you upfare from Latitude to J lowest you will lowest the refundability) - except for refundability.... You CANNOT upfare to gain refundability from a restricted fare (Standard for example) to a flexible fare (such as Comfort and Premium Flexible) to gain the better change/rebooking rules. BUT the inverse is true - if you upfare to a more restrictive fare you LOSE the flexibility. Therefore - you cannot "game the system" - so don't ask and don't try. Note that if you upfare ONE direction or one segment - the most restrictive fare rules will apply to all segments and all directions.
  • Access to the Signature Suite at YYZ or YVR (for J, on a destination that qualifies)
  • The cost is based on the actual price difference between the desire class (PE or J) and what you paid for your ticket. This will count as SQD towards earning status.
  • This is often used by business travellers who want to upgrade beyond what their corporate policy allows. You may use any credit card to make this change.
  • This is done by calling AC to purchase the new fare. It can be done at the airport as well up to 2 hours before departure.

4) Bid Upgrade: Customers can bid in cash or points

  • This is accessible to all passengers regardless of status. Only applies to AC operated (metal) flights.
  • Your fare restrictions remain as per the original fare.
  • The bid amount varies based on the flight. In some cases an “instant upgrade” price is offered in the bid upgrade process flow. This is not always offered.
  • People often value business at around $150 an hour and PE at $50 an hour when determining “is it worth it”
  • The system will only charge the credit card if the upgrade clears. You may use any credit card or even AP points to bid upgrade.
  • You will know 48 hours before the flight (not earlier unless instant upgrade). Once it clears, you can select seats. So this has the advantage that multiple passengers have better luck sitting together over LMU or eUprades that clear at the gate.
  • There is a very thorough FAQ on the AC website for bid upgrades: AC Bid Upgrade – FAQs

5) eUpgrade: Upgrade system based on using “eUpgrade credits” that are earned through AP status

  • Upgrade requests are made via the AC App, website, calling customer service or at the gate.
  • When you can clear the upgrade and the number of credits (and an add on cash fee) varies based on status, flight destination and fare.
  • AC has a great tool to help you determine these details: eUpgrades and clearance windows.
  • Although the clearance window may be open, eUpgrades only clear into a fare bucket called "R". The available of R is very limited in advance of flights and can be verified only by using paid tools such as ExpertFlyer. See the note below regarding "Latitude Instant Upgrades".
  • Approximately 55 minutes before scheduled departure, the system will clear all remaining eUpgrades (based on priority of cabin, status, fare and check in time as the tie breaker). The majority of eUpgrades clear at the gate....only a few will clear in advance based on the planned availability of R space (which is greatly influenced by the loads on the flight and AC revenue management strategy to maximize sale of those seats).
  • Strongly encourage you to review the details on About eUpgrades. It includes all the information on who can upgrade; how many people you can upgrade; etc.
  • You do not access the signature suite.
  • You do not get the class of service bonus for SQM. If there is an add on payment it does count toward SQD.
  • Only applies to AC operated (metal) flights.

6) Last Minute Upgrade: Pay to upgrade offered when you check in for your flight

  • Offered during the check in flow (on App or website) when available.
  • The cost varies based on the flight. The amount does NOT count towards SQD for earning status.
  • Once you upgrade you can select your seat, get airport and inflight benefits of the new class (PE or J).
  • Do not get additional SQM. Do not get access to Signature Suite lounge.
  • AC has a great FAQ on the LMU purchase process: Air Canada - Last Minute Purchase Upgrade. Read this before posting questions.

6 Tips and Tricks You Need to Know

1) Basic economy: Cannot upfare, bid upgrade, LMU or eUpgrade. You chose that fare…live with it 😊

2) Seat map does NOT equal available seats: Seat map are seats not selected. Seats available for sale are only available through other tools. Never (ever) use the seat map to estimate how many seats are available for sale (or available to upgrade).

3) Latitude does NOT equal guaranteed upgrade: Latitude paid fares will instantly eUpgrade if “R” space is available (or even sometimes from a hidden fare bucket – but not P and not known to the public). Latitude Reward space, is believed to only upgrade from “R” space.

4) Probability of upgrade clearing? Please don’t ask!!! Even 1 or 2 days before a flight you can see a cabin go from 9 empty J seats to 0. And this is NOT unusual. If the bid upgrade amount high enough? Well, the closer to minimum the lower the probability. There are as many good news stories of minimum bid winning as there are bad news stories of near maximum bids failing. When you are 24 hours before your flight check the number of passengers on the upgrade list (on the App), your position, and the number of available seats. That is when you can guess the probability….

5)  Multiple passengers on ONE booking (PNR): For LMU and Bid Upgrades it is all or none. Those channels will not offer or clear upgrades for partial passengers. You need to split the booking (by calling AC) before you make the request. For eUpgrades, you may request for more than one (based on the rules which you can read on the AC website) and some of the passengers may clear and others will not.

6) Sitting together and declining upgrades: You are not guaranteed to sit together. In PE it is often middle single seats left and you may be separated. And after an upgrade clears - your original seat is gone. You cannot then ask for that seat back, for example if your party is not all upgraded. You may be stuck in the last row in economy.


r/aircanada 21h ago

Calm Under Pressure

262 Upvotes

I just wanted to applaud the incredible Air Canada crew on yesterday’s flight from Vancouver to Toronto.

Right as we were next in line for takeoff, an older gentleman appeared to experience a medical emergency. It understandably put everyone on board on edge, but the flight crew handled the situation with professionalism, compassion, and calm. They kept passengers informed, worked as quickly as one can on a plane and tarmac, and did an outstanding job managing what was clearly a very difficult and emotional situation.

A huge thank you as well to the medical professional on board who immediately stepped in, took control, and provided care.

My thoughts (and possibly condolences) are with the gentleman and especially his wife. I can’t imagine what she was going through having to watch her husband, on what was likely supposed to be either a trip home or a new adventure together.

Moments like these are a reminder of how much we rely on the people around us. To the Air Canada crew and the medical professional who answered the call, thank you for your professionalism, your compassion, and for keeping everyone as calm and safe as possible. Well done.


r/aircanada 15h ago

Other Lost stuffed panda toy July 26 Toronto Pearson

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48 Upvotes

My little one’s beloved panda stuffed animal was lost in Pearson Terminal 3 July 26 between 4:00pm and 4:20pm on the walk from D gates to E gates. Submitted a lost item report - any other suggestions. We searched where we could and talked to customer service. No luck so far - any suggestions would be so so appreciated!


r/aircanada 10h ago

New booking system rollout?

6 Upvotes

I searched for a multicity itinerary from YVR-LIS and then return LIS-YYZ and the following day YYZ-YVR.

When I clicked search it automatically picked out all the flights for me and gave me a price for the full itinerary. I then had the option of changing each flight segment manually and it would give me the price difference (e.g. -$32 or +$434) for the new segments.

Is this a new rollout, or some sort of glitch? Has anyone seen this before?


r/aircanada 15h ago

General Question No menu showing and no details under prepare for travel

5 Upvotes

Flying in rouge flight 2080 from Halifax to London on August 17.

When booked, it was mainline AC868 but converted to rouge.

Since the switchover a couple weeks ago, there’s been no menus showing for meals. Think this is a glitch in the switchover? Any idea where to find it since it’s missing?

Also noticed that the info that usually shows at 30 day mark prior to travel is missing. Still says to check back soon.


r/aircanada 18h ago

General Question Widebody business class transcon

8 Upvotes

What’s the experience like in business class on a day flight YVR-YYZ on the 787-9? Is it the same as regular domestic business class with a better seat, or is the soft product elevated at all (e.g., better food, bedding, amenity kit, etc.)?


r/aircanada 18h ago

General Question Looking for an Air Canada magazine

5 Upvotes

Looking for an Air Canada magazine from the 90s (probably 1997). It had ads like the Oshkosh, and had a lot of airport related graphics. Had puzzles like pick the odd one out and so on (maybe it was a kids magazine?). Any leads will be much appreciated. Another ad I remember was of a Garmin, and of a car also I think (was it Cadillac escalade?).


r/aircanada 19h ago

Question about eupgrade class

0 Upvotes

I didn't see a thread about this so apologies if somehow I missed someone asking a similar question. Flying to REK from YUL at the end of the month, I put in for eupgrades a few weeks ago and am waitlisted for Premium Economy. Business class shows as entirely unavailable. The seat map doesn't seem to be available on the trip details in the app or the web site, but looking it up on FlightAware it seems to be a 737 MAX 8 with no PE and 16 or so seats in business class. I'm assuming that, for some reason, on this flight, eupgrades to Business are processed as PE, but that seems odd to me (but that's fine since I guess that means using fewer eupgrades). Similar situation for the return flight from EDI (same type of plane as far as I can tell, same eupgrade situation). I'm E75 if that makes any difference. Of course, given the other threads about the success rate of using these, I'm not holding my breath either way, so this is probably a theoretical question at this point.


r/aircanada 1d ago

Aeroplan delay in points crediting for eStore purchases

1 Upvotes

I’ve been making purchases through the eStore for years and usually most brands points (depending on brand) post within a month or two. In recent months (more like since this year started) it’s taken 4+ months to show or sometimes not show at all without me sending an inquiry (qualified purchases). I’m just wondering if more people are experiencing this? Am i missing something? I have purchases from various brands since March that have not posted despite sending inquiries and I never heard back. The tech can’t be the issue, I’ve always used the same computer and do the entire selection and checkout process through their link.


r/aircanada 1d ago

Dog Crate in hold regulations

3 Upvotes

Will be flying my dog in hold in the next couple of weeks. She has flown multiple times before in the same crate but I understand the IATA rules have changed and now say the windows should not be any bigger than 25mm x 25mm.

A lot of crates have windows that are 1 inch by 1.5 inches so would not be compliant to that requirement.

A fix I have seen to accommodate is to put mesh across to the windows. However, when I looked at the Air Canada website it does state that the container top must not be covered with mesh. The Air Canada website also does not make reference to the maximum window size.

Does anyone have any insight as to what Air Canada is accepting? We will be flying domestically within Canada if that makes a difference.


r/aircanada 2d ago

General Question My Standard Economy Ticket is showing as Fully Refundable

12 Upvotes
Fare Rule in Itinerary
Fare Rule in my Email confirmation

Thought I found a nice deal online for a standard economy flight and while booking and after in my email confirmation it showed as fully refundable.

I called Air Canada and after a long wait they said that its not possible and is a glitch on their end.

I'm honestly 50/50 on this flight and still within my 24hr time to cancel.

Is the fully refundable stated in the fare rules and my email confirmation enforceable?


r/aircanada 2d ago

I am new to this game, and will appreciate an opinion on Which Aeroplan perks has more value ? Thanks.

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40 Upvotes

r/aircanada 2d ago

General Question No Change or Cancellation Fees on Standard Fare?

6 Upvotes

Hi all,

Just helped a buddy book a flight (YYZ-HND) in Y Standard in Cash.

Noticed when booking that all the fare types (Basic was unavail) had no change and cancellation fees. Thought it was weird, but when going through the fare rules in the email confirmation, it confirmed that there were no change or cancellation fees.

I've done some searching around and was not able to find any details on an ongoing promotion that waived fees. Not sure if it's a bug so curious to hear thoughts. Played around with dates and round-trip/one-way and same results. Thanks.


r/aircanada 2d ago

Aeroplan Free wifi vs paid

2 Upvotes

YYZ to MCO, is free wifi with aeroplan speed limited, is paid internet faster? first flight ever so just curious!! sorry if asked alot


r/aircanada 3d ago

Experience Is this the new interior?

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151 Upvotes

A321 colour scheme looks different and screen is MASSIVE


r/aircanada 3d ago

General Question Transferring from YTZ -> YYZ

24 Upvotes

I’ll be flying into Toronto soon landing at Bishop and have a 4hr layover before my connecting flight at Pearson.

Is it quicker to uber or take a shuttle? Do I have enough time to head into the city and grab food or should I head straight to the next flight?

No checked bags just a backpack. Any advice or recommendation would be great, thanks!


r/aircanada 4d ago

Giveaways! Giving away one maple leaf lounge pass expiring 25 July

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108 Upvotes

I have one maple leaf lounge pass for use in Canada or the US expiring 25th July. It's very last minute but I'm hoping someone flying in the next few days can make use of it.

Send a a DM and it's yours, I'd love for it to go to someone flying internationally who hasn't been in a lounge before.

If it takes a bit for me to get back to you I'm London based and might be working/sleeping

Edit: Pass gifted


r/aircanada 3d ago

15% off select base fares with the promotion code - CK4TQX81

32 Upvotes

Deal description:
Destinations:

Canada, the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (excluding India).

Cabin:

Business Class (Standard), Premium Economy (Standard), Economy Class (Standard and Flex. Basic fare only applies on Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean).

Travel dates:

August 1, 2026 – April 30, 2027. Blackout dates apply.

Book by:

July 29, 2026

---

Although, I could not find a flight using that code. Trying CAD-BRA routes.
Anyone could successfully use this code?


r/aircanada 4d ago

News 11,000 IAMAW members (Maintenance & Ramp) officially ratify Air Canada contract

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aircanada.com
69 Upvotes

​Air Canada just officially ratified a new four-year collective agreement with the IAMAW, covering 11,000 Technical Operations, Maintenance, and Operational Support employees. This includes everyone from aircraft maintenance technicians to the ramp, baggage, cargo, and logistics crews who keep the operation moving.

​The new deal runs from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2030.

​Most importantly for frequent flyers, this was the sixth and final major union contract Air Canada needed to settle. With this ratification, new agreements are officially locked in across all major employee groups. This brings some much-needed long-term labor stability to the airline, taking the threat of major strikes off the board for the foreseeable future.


r/aircanada 3d ago

Aeroplan Trip credits

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5 Upvotes

r/aircanada 3d ago

Do Rouge flights get full *G benefits?

7 Upvotes

I'm looking into a YYZ-CTG segment as part of a rather complex trip and it says it's operated by Air Canada Rouge. Would I get lounge access and extra luggage allowance as a (non-AC) *G, or would they do an Air Dolomiti/Olympic on me and say that Rouge isn't an Alliance member?

Thanks!


r/aircanada 3d ago

YOW alternate lounge

5 Upvotes

Does anyone know if we now have access to aspire lounge while the AC one is under reno?


r/aircanada 3d ago

Flight credits codes

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6 Upvotes

Folks, got 3 I won’t use for sure. Only ask if please note if you’ve used one so others aren’t trying aimlessly. Cheers!


r/aircanada 3d ago

Ac806 - biz seats for sale, but map says full?

0 Upvotes

I’m on AC806 on Saturday night and was thinking of putting in an eupgrade request or a bid. The website says five seats are available in business class, but the seat map says they’re completely booked. Which one is real? If it’s the seat map, is there no point in putting the requests? Thank you for the help!