It was Black Friday, 2024, and I wanted to see what kind of deal I could get on Air Canada. At the time, I already had my trips planned all the way to August, 2025, so I didn’t really need to go anywhere. Nevertheless, I spent a few hours that evening toying with the Air Canada online reservation system and managed to schedule a trip from Ottawa to Ottawa via Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, Vancouver, and Toronto for just $611.
Though I could schedule it on the trip planner, the website didn’t let me book the eight-segment flight. I ended up getting it done on the phone with a fantastic agent in about 45 minutes.
Three days later, Air Canada rescheduled my trip as one flight was rescheduled. So, I called in to fix it and got it back to its original itinerary with just a 40 minute difference. Two weeks ahead of my trip, my eUpgrades cleared me on business class all the way to Victoria and I was waitlisted for premium economy on the way back.
What could possibly go wrong?
Leg 1: YOW-YYZ
The Air Canada app wouldn’t let me check in online the night before, so I figured an agent just needed to verify that I was sane. However, when I checked in at the airport two hours ahead of my flight, the agent said the reservation file was corrupted and they spent a half-hour on the phone putting it back together with the back office. Kudos to him for getting it fixed on the phone while checking other passengers’ bags on the belt.
By the time I got my first boarding pass, I was cutting close to boarding. So, I went through security, approached the gate and received my eight other boarding passes just before I got on. I enjoyed a fresh fruit plate for breakfast and landed about 20 minutes delayed.
Leg 2: YYZ-YEG
This flight was delayed by an hour as the original plane had a malfunction. The equipment swap meant I had time to shower at the Maple Leaf Lounge and the opportunity to fly on Air Canada’s only plane equipped with external cameras and the ability to connect your own bluetooth headset to the seat back screen. I watched Mulan, ate Air Canada’s iconic parsley omelette, and relaxed with an empty neighbouring seat.
Despite the delay, I still had more than two hours to burn in Edmonton. I had a bowl of chicken noodle soup, one glass of bourbon, and lots of water while I waited.
Leg 3: YEG-YYC
The smallest plane on this journey was the DeHavilland Q400 Dash 8. It did not have business class seats and was just an hour-long hop between the two largest cities in Alberta. I offered to trade my seat for a couple that was split up, and ended up in a preferred seat. Good karma. The flight was otherwise uneventful and landed ten minutes ahead of schedule.
In Calgary, I rode the YYC Link golf cart service to concourse B to eat made-to-order supper at the WestJet Elevation Lounge. The service and food quality is much better than at the Maple Leaf Lounge in concourse C.
Leg 4: YYC-YVR
The flight boarded on time, left a little late, but still arrive 10 minutes ahead of schedule. A flight captain was flying separated with his son, so I offered to switch seats with him. The man next to me slept the whole flight so I had a nice time. He only got up toward the end of the journey to use the toilet once. I had a chicken and egg salad, a glass of Portuguese red wine, and dragged myself for a glass of single malt Scotch to wake up in the lounge.
Leg 5: YVR-YYJ
The flight attendant said it was going to take nine minutes to from takeoff to landing. I used my stopwatch and found out I enjoyed the business class seat for just under 16 minutes. Still, a very short flight with no drinks or snacks service.
Leg 6: YYJ-YVR
I returned to Vancouver on the same plane in which I got to Victoria, so there was no risk of missing the flight despite the short connection. I stood around at the airport for 10 minutes after I got off before I got back on again.
Leg 7: YVR-YYZ
The red-eye back to Toronto was delayed, so I had some extra time to chow down on teriyaki chicken and tofu. My eUpgrade cleared me fore premium economy, and I managed to get two hours of sleep on the four-hour flight. I had my second parsley omelette of the trip and only needed to get up to pee once.
Despite the delay, we landed more or less on time, giving me the opportunity to take another shower at the Maple Leaf Lounge in Toronto.
Leg 8: YYZ-YOW
I got back on the same ex-China Southern Airlines plane as in Leg 1 for the trip home. I had another fruit platter, a glass of riesling, and played a game on my phone to celebrate finally getting home. What a trip.
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