In Need of an Upgrade: Air Canada A321-200 Review (Business Class)

On a recent trip to Calgary I had the opportunity to experience Air Canada’s first class experience on board the Air Canada A321-200 series. While the Air Bus A321-200 certainly doesn’t come with the bells and whistles of Air Canada’s signature suite first class experience, I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to properly examine if the first class experience is worth the extra points. 

Aeroplan points aren’t bottomless, and eUpgrades are limited. Many Canadian travellers are left asking themselves if certain first class experiences is worth the extra miles. For some of the world’s best first class experiences, those questions are easily answered. For some of the “mid-tier” planes, it can be tough to know if the juice is worth the squeeze. 

How does the Air Canada AirBus A321-200 experience stack up. 

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Trip Itinerary: 

Toronto (YYZ) – Calgary (YLC)

Departure: 9:30 PM ET

Arrival Time: 11:45 PM MT

Plane: Air Canada AirBus 321

Seat: 2A

Cost: 35,000 Aeroplan pts (Read: your complete guide to Aeroplan)

Departure

My wife and I departed from Toronto Pearson Airport en Route to Calgary. As you know, one of the perks of flying first class is that you have the ability to unwind at the airport lounge. The lounge situation in the domestic terminal at Pearson Airport has drastically improved over the last 6 months. The COVID restrictions in place at the MapleLeaf lounge have all been removed, and Air Canada is back to serving a traditional buffet dinner for passengers. 

The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge can be accessed by either: 

• Holding a business class ticket with a Star Alliance Airline
• Having 25K+ status with Air Canada
• Holding a premium Aeroplan Credit Card 

Another positive thing going on at Pearson Airport as of fall 2022 is that the long awaited Plaza Premium lounge has opened in the domestic terminal. While the new lounge is northing groundbreaking, at the very least, I think the re-opening of a second lounge in the domestic terminal at Pearson Airport  will help disperse some of the crowds. More and more, lounges are filling up with “revenge travellers” and anything to help spread people out is a win in my books. 

The Air Canada A321

The Airbus A321-200 was added to Air Canada’s fleet in the early 2000’s The plane unfortunately has begun to show its age when compared to some of Air Canada’s premium fleet options. The first class section has 16 seats (4 rows of 4). A curtain separates first class from economy. with very few premium economy options. While the seats are past their prime, I did not find them uncomfortable by any means. As someone who is 6”2, extra legroom is important.

There is a centre console which separates you from your closest passenger, and the headrests are adjustable. An outlet and USB port is provided to first class passengers, and there is a footrest located under the seat in front of.

There are very few bells and whistles besides the extra leg room and centre console. The recliner is manual, as opposed to the electronic features of modern first class aircrafts. The tray table comes of our side armrest, as opposed to the seat in front you. 

The first class lavatories are in line with what you would expect to see in economy class, but being limited to only 16 passengers in first class, I rarely noticed any traffic in the aisle ways (something that can really frustrate me in economy class, especially if I’m on the aisle).

Here are the different seating options on the A321

Air Canada A321 Entertainment 

The (Airbus) A321-200 offers the standard movie/tv options available on most Air Canada flights. The picture quality was less than you would expect on newer planes. Unfortunately, my USB port was not functional, but the plug below the centre console worked, so there was no issue. 

The headphone receptor is traditional, so you’ll need a regular headphone jack if you want to watch the entertainment system. Air Canada does provide first passengers with a complimentary pair of headphones, which a real plus. 

Unfortunately, my headphone receptor has aged a bit, and I did have sound troubles while watching a movie, with the sound cutting in and out periodically throughout the movie. 

The selection within the entertainment system is lacking and there was some extreme lag with the touchscreen. This is well below the industry standard as of 2022, but some airlines don’t offer in flight entertainment, so maybe it could be worse…..

Food & Drink 

Air Canada first class passengers were treated with a hot dinner and dessert. There were a vegetarian dinner option, as well as a protein (butter chicken).

If you’re a foodie you’re never going to be thrilled with the options that Air Canda provides from a first class perspective. Lucky for me, I’m the furthest thing from a “foodie,” so I was perfectly content with the meal provided. That being said, the lack of menu options limits the upside. 

There are both alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks included for business class passengers. Air Canada’s partnership with Molson limits the beer options available, but I nonetheless enjoyed a Heineken right after take off (although I was always find that the beer on airplanes is never as cold as it should be).

Service 

There were only 16 first class passengers on board, and our flight attendant did a great job of meeting the needs of every first class passenger. As someone who likes to unwind, I was pleased with how often our attendant would come around to fill our glasses.

Air Canada A321 Overall Thoughts

Air Canada runs a lot of long distance first class flights, and the Airbus A321-200 is one of the more dated experiences you’ll have flying first class with AC. If they continue to run these planes over the next 10 years, this particular aircraft could be destined for an interior refurbishment