Article: What to expect flying from Sydney to Canada on AC34

[AFF Editor]

AC34 is Air Canada's daily Boeing 777-200LR service from Sydney to Toronto, via Vancouver.

Flying soon with Air Canada on this route? We've put together a guide on what to expect:

What to Expect on Air Canada Flight AC34

AC34 is Air Canada's daily flight from Sydney to Toronto, with a stop in Vancouver. Our guide explains what to expect when you fly with Air Canada, a Velocity partner airline, across the Pacific.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[RooFlyer]

It’s been a while since I flew AC Signature but when I did do it regularly, I learned a couple of things

* the last row of business has a little more elbow room as there’s no seat protruding from behind

* there was an annoying row of blue LED lights which was just about at eyelevel when you were in bed mode. I learned to take a strip of tape to cover them over.

Matt, do you recall if any of these are still the case?

 

[Gredgy69]

AC34 is Air Canada's daily Boeing 777-200LR service from Sydney to Toronto, via Vancouver.

Flying soon with Air Canada on this route? We've put together a guide on what to expect:

What to Expect on Air Canada Flight AC34

AC34 is Air Canada's daily flight from Sydney to Toronto, with a stop in Vancouver. Our guide explains what to expect when you fly with Air Canada, a Velocity partner airline, across the Pacific.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

I the last 3 years I have been looking, I have never found a single business rewards seat available on the Velocity website. They are all cash seats quoted in points. I will be availing myself of the concierge service in a couple of months to try to get 2 business seats to Halifax NS.

 

[levelnine]

I the last 3 years I have been looking, I have never found a single business rewards seat available on the Velocity website. They are all cash seats quoted in points. I will be availing myself of the concierge service in a couple of months to try to get 2 business seats to Halifax NS.

As the article notes, you're only going to find availability very close to departure. Here's all the availability for YVR for the next 12 months. Note the dates. Also, only one of these dates has availability for 2x passengers.

 

[outthere1000]

A few coments from someone who has done this round trip in J twice a year for about 30 years. The bedding is actually mattress topper, pillow and duvet (not blanket). The meal as shown must have been the quick service, as dessert and cheese come around after the main meal has been served (starting with appetiser; the main course comes later) and the tray cleared. A trolley comes along with dessert and cheese, your choice (and liqueurs etc).
On the YVR-SYD and vice versa sector, there are always four choices of J meal: beef, chicken, fish and veg (which is usually but not always pasta).
I'm puzzled about the snack served in J in the middle of the flight; usually the FAs leave you alone to sleep but if they see you awake they usually come and ask if they can bring you anything, either food or beverage. You can also have your main meal anytime you want (J only, of course), which I consider essential when coming from the Canadian east coast; one departs YVR for Sydney around 3am where one has come from and who wants a full meal then? FAs are more than happy to take your order on boarding and bring it on request - takes about 20 mins to heat it, and then you get a tray looking much like the one shown in the article.
There are also trays of snacks in the middle galley and at the front, available throughout the flight after the meal service is finished - various fruits plus small LIndt bars, KitKats, etc.
Worth mentioning the Signature lounge at YVR for international pax on revenue J tickets (heading southbound on AC33). The Maple Leaf lounge is very nice but the Signtaure lounge (directly upstairs from the Maple Leaf lounge) is basically an upmarket restaurant with a la carte dining - perfect service, very quiet. If on AC33 all the way from Toronto, you have about an hour to enjoy it.
Finally, wifi is available on board but it it's far from free, even on a revenue J ticket - other airlines are leaving AC behind on this count.
Rooflyer - the back rows (two cabins for J on a 777) do indeed have more elbow room due to no seat behind. Can't recall any blue LEDs, though.

 

[RooFlyer]

@outthere1000 I couldn't argue with your experience on AC ; this is what I was thinking of (from a Trip Report in 2014)



Wasn't quite what I described above; from the TR:

AC have a bit of an obsession with blue lighting. At the seats, there is a row of blue lights at knee level along the divider unbderneath the stowed TV screen, and some more on the other side (see seat pics above). These can’t be turned off, except when you put the seat into bed mode and can be irritating.

 

[outthere1000]

Hello RooFlyer, The photo seems to be of the earlier iteration of lie-flat beds in J, which one only rarely encounters these days (only on the odd 330) and definitely not on Australia flights. The current Signature Class (introduced around 2008 - if your photo is 2014, it looks like you got unlucky) is orders of magnitude better than that.

Air Canada - Flight Cabin Information

Air Canada offers comfortable cabin interiors, fully lie-flat seats on all wide-body aircraft, and personal inflight entertainment at every seat.

www.aircanada.com

For sure there are no blue LEDs in your face now.

 

[Gredgy69]

As the article notes, you're only going to find availability very close to departure. Here's all the availability for YVR for the next 12 months. Note the dates. Also, only one of these dates has availability for 2x passengers.

View attachment 397508

levelnine, thanks for the info. That is unfortunate that they only release seats close to departure, as this was to be the first leg of a large 10/11 week trip (Canada/Ireland/Scotland/England/Germany/France/Singapore).

Might have to skip visiting my brother in Canada if I can't secure seats earlier.

 

[2APlease]

Be aware that AC tells you to self cater if you are allergic to shellfish and nuts - based on my brother-in law's flights on AC33/34 in June/July24.

 

[ajithfile]

AC34 is Air Canada's daily Boeing 777-200LR service from Sydney to Toronto, via Vancouver.

Flying soon with Air Canada on this route? We've put together a guide on what to expect:

What to Expect on Air Canada Flight AC34

AC34 is Air Canada's daily flight from Sydney to Toronto, with a stop in Vancouver. Our guide explains what to expect when you fly with Air Canada, a Velocity partner airline, across the Pacific.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

I have a question about AC34 from Sydney to New York. I booked this flight to New York through the Aeroplan app. The route is Sydney-Vancouver-Toronto-New York. I am wondering if I can get off at Toronto with my checked baggage, as I need to see my cousin in Toronto. In other words, I don't need to fly from Toronto to New York. Since my ticket is direct to New York, can I get a boarding pass from Sydney just for Toronto? I want to keep my return flight as it is, from New York to Sydney. I tried to call Air Canada without luck.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have a question about AC34 from Sydney to New York. I booked this flight to New York through the Aeroplan app. The route is Sydney-Vancouver-Toronto-New York. I am wondering if I can get off at Toronto with my checked baggage, as I need to see my cousin in Toronto. In other words, I don't need to fly from Toronto to New York. Since my ticket is direct to New York, can I get a boarding pass from Sydney just for Toronto? I want to keep my return flight as it is, from New York to Sydney. I tried to call Air Canada without luck.

Hi there and welcome to AFF.

You would need to contact air canada and ask them to change your ticket. You want to terminate the outbound flight in Toronto, and return to Sydney.

This will reprice your ticket at the current applicable fare.

Simply getting off in toronto will likely make you as a ‘no show’ for the flight to new york, which will then cancel the rest of your ticket, including the return.

 

[2APlease]

I have a question about AC34 from Sydney to New York. I booked this flight to New York through the Aeroplan app. The route is Sydney-Vancouver-Toronto-New York. I am wondering if I can get off at Toronto with my checked baggage, as I need to see my cousin in Toronto. In other words, I don't need to fly from Toronto to New York. Since my ticket is direct to New York, can I get a boarding pass from Sydney just for Toronto? I want to keep my return flight as it is, from New York to Sydney. I tried to call Air Canada without luck.

If that is your ticketing, airlines will not allow bag offload at an intermediate airport. Easiest is to fly onto NYC per your booking and then fly back to Toronto, or by bus etc. You could also cancel and rebook, but at what cost? Or request AC to change the ticketing to Mel-Toronto and book a separate flight from NYC to join your return flight.

The only way I know that this may be possible on the original ticket is if you can change/update your ticket for a stopover in Toronto and then fly onto NYC at a latter date, then pickup your bags and start the return flight.
If you abscond in Toronto your entire return flight may be forfeited. Have a look at hidden city ticket discussions for a better understanding (despite you wanting to fly back from NYC).

 

[jgm]

That is unfortunate that they only release seats close to departure, as this was to be the first leg of a large 10/11 week trip (Canada/Ireland/Scotland/England/Germany/France/Singapore).

You can often find partner saver awards around 12 months ahead. If there is then a cancellation of this they will usually give you a range of alternatives. Otherwise, keep an eye out for AC saver awards close to departure. I've had to call to change, but it is fairly painless, and minimal cost.