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First Look: Onboard Air Canada's first Airbus A220

Jan. 15, 2020
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6 min read
Air Canada A220 9
First Look: Onboard Air Canada's first Airbus A220
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Air Canada showed off its first Airbus A220 on Wednesday, ahead of the plane's debut in the skies above Canada this week.

"This is a historic moment for Air Canada as we welcome the A220 into our fleet," Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu said at an event to mark the introduction of the new jet at the airline's hangar in Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL).

The Star Alliance carrier will initially introduce the A220 on flights between Montreal and Calgary (YYC) on Thursday, expanding its network to other routes in its network — including to New York LaGuardia (LGA) — ahead of launching two new routes in May. That month, Air Canada will deploy the A220 on the airline's first flights between Montreal and Seattle (SEA), and between Toronto and San Jose, California (SJC).

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Air Canada's first Airbus A220-300. (Photo by Edward Russell/TPG)

Air Canada outfits its A220-300s, formerly the Bombardier CSeries, with 137 seats split between 12 in business class and 125 in economy. Business class is laid out in a 2-2 configuration.

Business class onboard Air Canada's A220. (Photo by Edward Russell/TPG)
Business class on Air Canada's A220. (Photo by Edward Russell/TPG)

Economy is laid out in a 2-3 configuration. The cabin includes 20 preferred seats with extra legroom.

The economy cabin on Air Canada's A220. (Photo by Edward Russell/TPG)
Air Canada has 20 extra-legroom preferred seats on its A220s. (Photo by Edward Russell/TPG)

Every seat on Air Canada's A220 has a personal video screen, and power outlets. The aircraft is also outfitted with inflight Wi-Fi provided by Gogo.

Each seat on Air Canada's A220 has a personal video screen. (Photo by Edward Russell/TPG)

One item Air Canada has opted not to keep on its A220s is the lavatory window, which has delighted passengers on Delta Air Lines' A220s. Delta was North America's first operator of the smaller A220-100, which it debuted in February 2019.

There are no lavatory windows onboard Air Canada's A220. (Photo by Edward Russell/TPG)
The aft lavatories on Air Canada's A220. (Photo by Edward Russell/TPG)

Related: Air Canada takes North America’s first Airbus A220-300

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Air Canada has firm orders for 45 A220-300s with plans to operate 17 A220-300s by year-end, the airline's vice president of network planning Mark Galardo told TPG at the event. All of the aircraft are due by 2022.

The airline took delivery of its first A220 on Dec. 20.


 

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Checking out Air Canada’s first A220-300 ✈️ #avgeek

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Air Canada will use the A220 to replace the Embraer E190, which is due to leave the Air Canada fleet by the end of 2020. However, Galardo notes that the E190 retirement may be delayed if the Boeing 737 MAX grounding drags on through the year.

Air Canada has removed the MAX from its schedule through the end of March. However, its U.S. peers American Airlines and United Airlines have both removed the jet until the beginning of June.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.