Canada's capital is getting its first-ever Boeing 787 Dreamliner route
Fans of the Dreamliner will soon have a new option for flights between North America and Europe.
That will come in Ottawa (YOW), where Air Canada will switch to the Boeing 787-8 for its route to London Heathrow (LHR) on March 29. Air Canada currently operates Boeing 767s on the route.
Air Canada billed the move as a way to add capacity. The airline's 787-8s seat 255 passengers, 44 more than the 767s it currently flies between the cities.
For Ottawa, however, the aircraft switch represents a milestone for Canada's capital city.
"The Air Canada decision to put the Dreamliner on the route is an exciting one," Ottawa International Airport spokeswoman Krista Kealey said in an email to TPG. "It will be the first Dreamliner serving YOW."
Related: Upping the Ante: Air Canada's 787 in Business Class From Shanghai to Montreal
The switch from the 767 to the 787 also will bring Air Canada's "next generation cabin" to the route, giving Ottawa-London passengers the option to book the carrier's international-style premium economy recliner seats.
Air Canada's 787-8s are configured with 20 business-class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration and 21 premium economy seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. In coach, there are 214 seats in a 3-3-3 arrangement.
The premium economy option is not available on the 767s that Air Canada currently flies between YOW and LHR.
Still, LHR won't be Ottawa's only route to get international premium economy seating.
Related: Exciting New Airline Routes for August 2019 and Beyond
In May, Air Canada's joint-venture partner Lufthansa is set to pick up the Ottawa-Frankfurt route that's currently operated by Air Canada. Lufthansa will use 279-seat Airbus A340-300s on the route, replacing Air Canada's 211-seat 767s. As with the LHR aircraft change, Lufthansa's A340s will add its premium economy product to the FRA-YOW market.
"Ottawa is well know for being Canada's capital city, and that is something we are proud of," Joel Tkach, YOW's Marketing and Business Development chief, said to TPG. "Beyond the political landscape, it is exciting to see carriers like Air Canada and Lufthansa recognize Ottawa-Gatineau business and tourism growth by introducing new levels of service — inclusive of premium economy cabins that should suit our market well."
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month