Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by fleet size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 222 destinations worldwide. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Air Canada’s major hubs are at MontrĂ©al–Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Calgary International Airport (YYC), and Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The airline’s regional service is Air Canada Express.
Canada’s national airline originated from the Canadian federal government’s 1936 creation of Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), which began operating its first transcontinental flight routes in 1938. In 1965, TCA was renamed Air Canada following government approval. After the deregulation of the Canadian airline market in the 1980s, the airline was privatized in 1988. On 4 January 2000, Air Canada acquired its largest rival, Canadian Airlines. In 2003, the airline filed for bankruptcy protection and in the following year emerged and reorganized under the holding company ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. In 2017, Air Canada flew 48 million passengers, as the airline celebrated its 80th anniversary. In October 2021, the Government of Canada acquired 6.4% of Air Canada, and has not ruled out further investment.
Air Canada has a fleet of Airbus A330, Boeing 777, and Boeing 787 Dreamliner wide-body aircraft on long-haul routes and uses the Airbus A320 family aircraft (including the A320 and A321 variants), Boeing 737 MAX 8, and Airbus A220-300 aircraft on short-haul routes. The carrier’s operating divisions include Air Canada Cargo, Air Canada Express, Air Canada Jetz (private jet charters), and Air Canada Rouge (leisure airline). Its subsidiary, Air Canada Vacations, provides vacation packages to over 90 destinations. Together with its regional partners, the airline operates on average more than 1,613 scheduled flights daily
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Flying with Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. With scheduled and chartered flights to 178 destinations worldwide, it is also the seventh–largest passenger airline in the world by fleet size. Originally founded in 1936 as Trans–Canada Airlines, the air service formed part of the government–operated Canadian National Railway Company. Trans–Canada Airlines changed its name to Air Canada in 1965, adopting the name to use in French Canada at the time. Air Canada was privatized in 1988 and, in 1997, became a founding member of Star Alliance. In addition to its membership with Star Alliance, the airline also operates codeshare agreements with numerous other international airline companies. Air Canada maintains its corporate headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. Regional service is provided under the name Air Canada Express. Air Canada also operates award–winning Air Canada Vacations, a tour company offering vacation packages, all of which include accommodations and return airfare through Air Canada and Star Alliance partners. Destinations include hundreds of locations throughout the Americas, Asia, the South Pacific, and Europe.
Online Check-In
Air Canada offers a range of convenient check–in services. Passengers can check in by web or mobile check–in as early as 24 hours before flight departure. These services also allow any required payment of checked baggage fees and print out of boarding passes for up to 1 hour before flight time. For those who prefer airport service, check–in is available 12 hours before flight departure at self check–in kiosks within the airport or at the Air Canada check–in counter. Baggage can be checked in at the baggage counter 4 hours before flight departure for flights from Canada or the US and 3 hours before departure to other destinations.
- Recommended check–in times for flights within Canada: Check–in: 90 minutes before departure, checked baggage drop–off deadline: 45 minutes before departure, boarding gate cut–off: 20 minutes before departure. Note: Passenger should check exceptions for flights departing from the Toronto city airport.
- Recommended check–in times for flights to and from the US: Check–in: 120 minutes before departure, checked baggage drop–off deadline: 60 minutes before departure, boarding gate cut–off: 20 minutes before departure
- Recommended check–in time for international destinations (including Mexico and the Caribbean): Check–in: 120 minutes before departure, checked baggage drop–off deadline: 60 minutes before departure, boarding gate cut–off: 30 minutes before departure. Note: Passengers should check exceptions for flights to and from Caracas, Venezuela and Tel–Aviv, Israel.
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Boarding information
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Passengers are advised to respect the times listed above. Passengers should also familiarize themselves with the identification documents required for the flight and be aware of the restrictions on carry–on and checked luggage items. Liquids or gels exceeding 3.4 oz (100 ml/100 g) will be confiscated from carry–on items at the security checkpoint. Other restrictions apply to items such as sharp objects, batteries, medical oxygen, and lighters. The Air Canada website provides a fairly comprehensive list of prohibited items within Canada. For a full list, passengers should consult the website of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA). Passengers traveling to and from international destinations, including the US, should familiarize themselves with regulations within these countries to avoid travel delays.
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Frequent Flyer Information – Air Canada AltitudeAir Canada’s frequent flyer rewards program is called Air Canada Altitude, which partners with the Aeroplan Program, allowing passengers to accrue points which can be considered for either. Members redeem points on airline ticket fares, car and hotel reservations, other merchandise or for charitable donations. Members qualify for privileges according to five membership levels. Rewards include priority airport services, ticket upgrades, access to Air Canada’s Maple Leaf lounges and other Star Alliance lounges, and personalized concierge services for making arrangements for restaurants or theaters within cities of arrival. Points can also be exchanged for inflight services. The membership application is available on the Air Canada website. -
Hand Baggage Allowance: Passengers are permitted one standard carry–on baggage and one personal article. Definitions of these items are largely determined by size. Some carry–on items such as coats and small purses are also permitted without counting towards these baggage limits. Passengers traveling with infants on their laps are allowed one additional standard item without charge.
Maximum dimensions of standard article: 9 in x 15.5 in x 21.5 in (23 cm x 40 cm x 55 cm) -
Maximum dimensions of personal article: 6 in x 13 in x 17 in (16 cm x 33 cm x 43 cm)Maximum weight for standard article or personal article: 22 lb (10 kg)Examples of items which may be either classified as standard or personal baggage depending on their size include carry–on bags, roller bags, briefcases, laptop computers, large purses, sports racquets, cameras, diplomatic bags, consular bags, and garment bags of limited size. Small pets in carriers, registered in advance, may also travel as standard baggage items either in–cabin or in the baggage compartment of the plane, generally with the payment of an additional fee. Please consult the airline for specific requirements regarding proper documentation and carrier size, etc. For musical instruments and most sporting equipment, please consult the airline’s website for the options available for carry–on or checked baggage and applicable fees.
Checked Baggage Allowance: Baggage allowances for checked baggage vary depending on the flight destination and the type of seat purchased. In general, economy fare seats within Canada and to international destinations other than to/from the USA include one free piece of checked baggage, though some taxes may apply. On flights to and from the United States, passengers with economy fare seats generally must pay for all baggage checked. Seating types other than economy include more generous allowances for checked baggage, though all baggage exceeding the maximum linear dimensions or weight will require payment of surcharges.
Maximum linear dimensions (length x width x height) for checked luggage is 62 in (158 cm)Maximum weight for checked baggage is 50 lb (23 kg)Passengers can obtain personalized baggage allowance information for booked flights by consulting the Air Canada website and entering their flight numbers. Note: passengers traveling on codeshare itineraries which include flights with other codeshare airlines are advised that different baggage restrictions may apply for those traveling on an itinerary which begins on another airline.
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