Air Canada A330 Business Class Review - Montreal to London Heathrow

In this  review,  I'll be sharing my experience flying onboard Air Canada's Airbus A330 from Montreal to London Heathrow. I have previously flown this route before and sad to see the experience and service has declined.

Check-in and Lounge

Once you arrive at the airport, you can head straight to the priority line to check in or drop off any luggage you may have. Air Canada business class passengers are entitled to 2x suitcases up to 32kg each. The agent will then tag your luggage and issue you a printed boarding pass. The boarding pass will have a logo indicating that you have access to the Maple Leaf Lounge (or other lounge depending on where you are departing from). At the Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, domestic and international security lines are shared however you can fast track by using the priority security line. After clearing security, had left towards the Maple leaf lounge. I wrote a full review of this lounge if you are interested. 

Maple Leaf Lounge

Business class passengers receive complimentary access.

Read Review

I hung out at the lounge for about an hour and a half and had something to eat before heading to the gate for boarding. If you are travelling outside of Canada, you can purchase your esim ahead of time on the Airalo App and install it so you're connected as soon as you land and can call an Uber and use Google Maps without searching for WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll get $3 off your first esim purchase!

Boarding

The cabin felt tight with narrow aisles

Boarding started  as scheduled and we boarded from the back of the business class cabin. Immediately upon entering the cabin, it felt significantly smaller than the Boeing 777 and a lot narrower. The aisle felt very tight and the overhead bins were so tiny that they could not fit my carry-on sideways and instead I had to put it flat which took up most of the bin above me. On newer planes with larger overhead bins, I can put my carry-on sideways which would leave enough space for another 2 carry-ons.

There was no space at all in the overhead bins in the first row as that was already taken up by the cabin crew. The passenger sitting there asked the flight attendant who said something like “it’s the configuration, it’s wrong”, “yeah it’s the engineering with the layout” and told the passenger to go put her carry-on back in row six. She seemed pretty upset about it, probably because she paid several thousand dollars for this flight. Her carry-on was a small and soft bag, not even the larger rolling carry-ons that are ubiquitous nowadays.

Seats

The A330 features Air Canada's classic pods, which are different from their more spacious and modern executive pods that have the ability to adjust the mattress and seat firmness and feature proper massage functions. These seats did not offer the ability to adjust the firmness and the massage function was more like a faint vibration that eventually turned off after a few minutes. The seats do convert into a completely lie-flat bed that are comfortable to sleep on though.

Amenities

At my seat was an amenity kit which included socks, a toothbrush, earplugs, lip balm and hand cream.  There was also a  mattress pad, blanket, pillow, and a bottle of water laid out for each passenger. Air Canada has downgraded their Amenity kits from the beautiful Acqua Di Parma Kits they used to provide in prior years.

The left side of my seat offered some counter space to store my belongings. I can’t comment on the quality of the complimentary headphones since I always travel with my own Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones that do an excellent job at turning the engine rumble and cabin noise into a quiet whisper. I was surprised to find a USB-C charging port as the plane seem quite old so that was unexpected.

The seatbelt was a little odd with an extra over shoulder strap

After boarding, we were offered a welcome drink and I chose a glass of champagne. The champagne was dry and bubbly, always a great start. Soon afterwards, we took off on schedule and headed towards the Atlantic.

Welcome drink

Food and Dining

Menus were handed out as soon as I had sat down at my seat. The menus were bilingual (Canada has two official languages) and opened from each side with one side in French and the other side in English.

I started off with an Aperol Spritz which was accompanied by a bowl of mixed nuts consisting of warm cashews and almonds. The Mediterranean mezze platter was delicious and well seasoned. For the main course. I chose the braised lamb which was very fatty and disappointing. For dessert I opted for the cheesecake which was not bad.

After dinner, the cabin crew asked if I’d like to be woken up for breakfast. This flight is so short for a transatlantic flight (at around six hours) that I recommend just sleeping through breakfast if you want to feel a little more rested on arrival. However in my case, I had an upcoming layover of almost 9 hours so I decided to have breakfast even though I’d only sleep for 2.5 hours as I’d be too hungry after landing otherwise.

I turned my seat fully flat and tucked in for the night. The A330 seats felt a lot narrower than Air Canada’s Boeing 777 or 787 business class.

Breakfast

After a short nap, the lights turned on as the flight attendants made their way down the aisles for breakfast service. On the menu today was a parsley omelette served with chicken sausage, potatoes, fruits, yogurt and a bun. The omelette was alright but I preferred the fruits and yogurt. The meal was basic airplane food with nothing memorable.

After breakfast, the flight attendants cleared my tray table and it was soon time to land.

Takeaway

Out of all my business flights on Air Canada, this was my least favourite. The food was sub-par, the airplane was old and felt claustrophobic and the service lacked a smile. However, I did appreciate the fast priority boarding, the lie-flat seats and decent entertainment system. Air Canada doesn’t hold a candle to the likes of Emirates or Etihad though.

Now off to Gatwick Airport to board my next flight to Mauritius!

Have a question? Leave us a comment below.

You might enjoy these:

Air Canada 787 Business Class Review - Mumbai to London Heathrow (BOM - LHR)

After spending two amazing weeks exploring remote islands and scuba diving in The Maldives, it was sadly time to come back to reality. Since there is no direct flight between Canada and the Maldives, I had to fly via Mumbai and London back home. My first flight on Vistara was a short hop to Mumbai. My second fight with Air Canada was marketed as Mumbai to Toronto as a “Direct, 1 Stop” which means you still need to disembark in London so in no way is it a direct flight. However in my case, it wasn’t an issue since I planned to fly to London then change planes to take the direct flight from London to Montreal. It seems with the war in Ukraine, the plane can no longer fly direct from Mumbai to Toronto and needs to make a refueling stop in London.

Lounge

After landing at Mumbai Airport, I made my way through security then straight to the Adani Lounge. Air Canada passengers flying in Business Class receive complimentary access to the Adani lounge. However, access was not straightforward as I found out the hard way. Since I was on a layover and my boarding pass was issued in the Maldives by Vistara Airlines and not from Air Canada, it did not specify lounge access. This was a problem for the lounge agent in Mumbai and we couldn't enter the lounge. She said access is only allowed if your boarding pass specifies lounge access on it. She called the Air Canada desk using a flip phone to verify that we are allowed to enter. As Air Canada just has the single flight out of Mumbai Airport and we were several hours from departure, the check in counter was not open yet. Therefore no one picked up the phone and the lounge receptionist wouldn't allow us in. They told us to come back in a few hours. Pretty disappointing.

Access to a lounge is not guaranteed by Air Canada until their check-in desk opens. You may need to pay for another lounge like this overcrowded Loyalty Lounge.

Since I had a priority pass membership, I went to another lounge called the Loyalty Lounge which ended up being way too crowded and chaotic. There was a very long line just to get in. There were no seats available. After walking around for a while, we found someone leaving and grabbed a seat at the bar corner and just had a beer while regretting our decision. The Wi-Fi was also not working. We asked the bartender and he gave us a paper with a list of Wi-Fi codes and told us to try them until one works… We did not bother waiting in line at the buffet. This was just after Covid and there were people openly coughing on the food. We left early and just grabbed a seat at the terminal and waited until the Air Canada counter opened. It was far more calm and pleasant there. At that point, I inquired again at the Adani Lounge and they called Air Canada again and were able to reach an agent who confirmed that we can in fact be allowed into the Lounge.

The Adani Lounge was very comfortable with plenty of available seats! The food was decent too. There was a large bar in the center of the lounge where you could get cocktails, mixed drinks and a strong cappuccino as well. The bartender was exceptionally kind that I left a tip but they advised me that they are actually not allowed to accept tips. Additionally, there was also massage area. Although I did not personally partake in this service, it seemed like it would be a relaxing experience. We were approaching midnight at this point and I had the feeling that I would just fall asleep.

One important thing you need to know regarding the Wi-Fi access is that you require a phone number to receive a pin to login. Keep that in mind if you get charged for receiving text messages while travelling internationally.

When travelling, you can now purchase your esim ahead of time on the Airalo App and install it so you're connected as soon as you land and can call your Uber, use Google Maps and Whatsapp without searching for WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll get $3 USD off your first esim purchase!

The lounge also had a shower which I love during a layover. Despite my first flight being just under 2 hours, it was a sweaty trip that involved a beach walk and speed boat ride from Fulidhoo Island to Male Airport. We left the lounge a few minutes before boarding started. The Gate was not close to the Lounge.

Boarding

Boarding started a little early. As usual, there was a separate priority boarding line for Air Canada Business Class passengers which allowed us to board with minimal waiting. I did notice some people cutting in line to access the priority line to make it onto the plane early. Boarding was via a single jet bridge so we turned left after entering the plane.

The cabin was the standard grey-white combination found on most North American and European Airlines, unlike Etihad’s Gorgeous Cabin or Fiji Airways' Island Pattern Theme. The Boeing 787 features Air Canada’s Signature Class Cabin.

Each seat was topped with a pillow, duvet and mattress pad and an amenity kit. There was an airport agent lady yelling the boarding announcements which gave off a chaotic vibe. Immediately after, a crew member came by with a tray to offer us some champagne and water.

Boarding was fast! We chose windows seats

Champagne is served during boarding.


Seat

The seats were very comfortable with the latest tech. They are lie flats seats that allow for sleeping. There was a large TV, a remote, massage functions. You could also can adjust the firmness of the mattress/seat pad using the controls. The Boeing 787 has electronically dimmable windows that can be controlled by a button under the window.

There was a footrest and space underneath for your shoes

At 5 ft 10 long, I could fully stretch my legs

Amenities

An amenity kit is provided at each seat. These were the stunning new Acqua Di Parma kits which were a significant upgrade over the old and tired black kits they used to offer. The Acqua Di Parmma pouches feel much more upscale, better quality and generally more roomy. They also kept their shape and prevented the contents from being crushed. The kit includes lip balm, socks, lotion, a toothbrush, toothpaste and an eye mask. The travel pouch adds a much needed pop of colour in this 50 shades of grey cabin.

At your seat, you will also find a pair of noise cancelling headphones (they are complimentary in the sense that it’s for flight use only, they are collected at the end of the flight). I always travel with my own Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones as they do an excellent job at turning the engine rumble and cabin noise into a quiet whisper.but these are always a welcome bonus. The business class cabin is at the front of the plane so it is already quiet but I highly recommend using noise cancelling headphones. If you are prone to headaches or migranes, don’t skip the headphones!

Complimentary Noise Cancelling Headphones

A pair of slippers are also provided

The business class cabin had one bathroom in front and 2 at the rear. To my surprise, there was also a window in bathroom. I never thought about it before but it made the bathroom feel more spacious and less like an airplane bathroom. We waited quite a while to take-off.


Food and Drinks

With departure around 4:30 am and arrival at 9 am, the meals on this flight were 2 breakfasts. There was no menu provided, just the flight attendant walking by, telling you the options and taking your order. I found the breakfast strange. There was an overly sweet yogurt bowl with granola, a stale bowl of fruits served with hot and fresh delicious Chana masala with flatbread (roti). The Chana masala dish was delicious and spicy! Finish your champagne first though as it tickles the tongue if you're eating spicy food at the same time. I paired the dinner with some red wine for bed. I did not eat the rest as it honestly was just good. The meal was served all at once in a single tray. The packaged croissant did not hold a candle to what Air France serves in their Business Class Meals.

After the 5 am breakfast, I turned down my seat into a bed to get some shuteye.

The rest flight was smooth with no turbulence. For the second breakfast you have the option of asking to not be woken up which was what I chose so I could get some extra sleep. I planned to go to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge during my layover so I was not worried about missing breakfast.

Once we landed at London’s Heathrow Airport, we had to go through security which took some time on this early Sunday morning. Afterwards, we headed straight to and go to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge linked below.

Featured
Maple Leaf Lounge Review - London Heathrow Airport LHR
Maple Leaf Lounge Review - London Heathrow Airport LHR

During a layover at London Heathrow Airport, I had the opportunity to visit the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge. The lounge offers a spacious and comfortable seating area with a view of the planes on the tarmac, a standard buffet with hot meals, a full-service bar and self-serve section. One highlight is the availability of several showers.The lounge offers a welcome break from the crowds at Heathrow Airport.

Read More →

Conclusion

The flight was overall very pleasant but a few quirks made this below average. While the seats and amenities were excellent, the subpar food with lack of any menus or wine list diminished the experience. My main motivation for flying business class are always the lie flat seats and those did not disappoint. British Airways also flies this route so it may be worth checking out reviews of their flight for comparison before booking.

Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I may receive a small commission from sales of certain items. Thank you for supporting the blog.

You might be interested in these related posts: