The Travel Group

In mid-July, two consultants from our office were invited to join media on an Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Edmonton in order to (a) experience flying during the COVD-19 period, and (b) try out Air Canada's brand, new Airbus 220 aircraft, which was developed in Canada by Bombarier.

The aircraft is beautiful; more spacious in terms of seat pitch and aisle width than the 737 Max. Overhead bins rival the large ones on the Max and the Dreamliner, so far less chance of having to compete with a hundred other passengers for available space for your carry-on. The TV screen is state-of-the-art with more content than ever. And the plane itself is the quietest yet! If you can't fly the 787 "Dreamliner," this should be your second choice.

The airport experience right now is both surreal (so few passengers!) and pleasant (very quick passage through security). Everyone will be wearing a mask, which adds confidence when you find yourself near other people. Our experience was that everyone was extra mindful of maintaining physical distance - far more so that you encounter in stores and indoor public areas elsewhere.

The same is true onboard the aircraft. Unless the flight is more than 2/3 full, you will see the middle seats are mostly empty, or in cases of 2 X 2 seat configuration, many aisle and window seats remain empty. So, most flights during this era will not feel overly crowded. Air Canada has an interesting policy: for flights that fill up beyond 66%, an email will be automatically triggered to the passenger to offer the opportunity to change to a less busy flight free of charge!

Food is surprisingly good, by the way! It comes sealed in a cardboard container which eliminates handling by the flight attendants. That and the fact that everyone is wearing a mask leads to a feeling of confidence that we did not expect. As everyone now knows, the modern air filtration system onboard all Air Canada, Westjet, and US airlines eliminates 99.9% of particles. So, the air is, in theory, cleaner and more germ-free than typical air in your grocery store or restaurant!

Overall, the airport-airplane experience was a pleasant surprise. The travel process felt efficient and safe.

David Elmy, President
The Travel Group

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