Introduction

It’s not easy to get to Patagonia. With mutliple flights and long distances to travel, it’s a significant investment in time and resources. In order to make my trip more enjoyable, I decided to splurge and pay for a seat in the Air Canada Signature Class cabin.

Fortunately, I had an entire month off between jobs and was able to pick dates that we’re most advantageous from a cost perspective. Ultimately, I settled on Air Canada due to its superb hard product on board and the lovely lounge on the ground in Toronto.

Today I’m going to review my experience on the plane from Toronto to South America. This is part of a series where I’ll review my flights and lodging throughout my trip.

Booking

There are two primary ways to book your flight: Aeroplan points or cash. I opted for the latter on this trip and applied the flight credit to my United Airlines account since I fly them way more often than Air Canada and wish to obtain MileagePlus status faster.

As a Star Alliance member, I have the option of crediting my flight anywhere within the alliance. I was in the fortunate position of having extreme flexibility in my dates allowing me to pick the cheapest business class tickets during a one-month period.

The other option is to use points and there are great redemptions to be had if you pick the right dates. Additionally, as a transfer partner to American Express, Chase, and Capital One it’s relatively easy to get the points you need to book that business class seat.

TIP: One strategy to save on the total points required for Air Canada business class is to start it in Toronto. While that means booking a separate itinerary to get you to Toronto, I’ve found that this strategy saves significant Aeroplan points.

Arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport

I had a very long layover in Toronto – my previous flight on Air Canada Express from Washington, DC landed 10 hours before the Santiago flight – which allowed me to get out and visit the city. Since that meant I was officially entering the country, I had to go through passport control and complete all the necessary paperwork which allowed me to enter Canada.

If you’ve never connected in Toronto, you can do so without actually entering the country. To my knowledge, there are no such airports like that in the USA. It’s so convenient to be able to take advantage of a foreign airline without having to deal with the extra administrative hassle of crossing an international checkpoint.

At the time of my trip, the ArriveCAN app was still required though I was never asked for it at any time during my visit. As of this writing, the app will now be optional (though I can’t imagine why anyone would continue using it now!). Of course, do your own research and confirm entry requirements before visiting any foreign country as they could make it mandatory again at any time.

After a few hours in the city visiting some of the sights (including visiting the top of the CN Tower!) I made my way back to the airport.

Air Canada departs out of Terminal 1 at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Both domestic and international flights operate out of this terminal and there is a buzz of activity with many rows of check in desks. I love walking around international terminals as there’s always a buzz of anticipation among passengers preparing for their long-haul flights!

The Air Canada Signature Class experience starts at the terminal. I was able to take advantage of their exclusive full-service check-in space and expedited security lanes exclusively reserved for Signature Class passengers. Air Canada did an excellent job at partitioning this area of the terminal to give the space a more exclusive feel to it.

Since I packed everything in a carry-on, I walked right past the check-in desk and breezed through security. Quick plug – if you want to learn the best strategies to pack everything in your carry-on check out Jillian’s post about it here.

Signature Suite Lounge

One of the best perks of flying in the signature class seats is the access you get to the Signature Suite lounge. Beyond the actual in-flight experience, this was what I was most excited about since this was my first time flying Air Canada on an international business class itinerary. This lounge is separate and distinct from the Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge.

If you fly with any regularity, and since you’re reading this blog, you probably already have access to some lounges. You’re also probably well aware that airports and lounges are busier than ever due to post-pandemic demand.

This is why I appreciate what Air Canada has done with the Signature Suite lounge. It’s incredibly restrictive on who has access. We have an entire blog post dedicated to this lounge, including how to get access, but just know that it’s a nice contrast from pretty much every other lounge out there. Neither credit card membership nor frequent flier status will get you in.

Just to illustrate the above point, check out the photo below. Both the Plaza Premium lounge and Signature Suite lounge share the same elevator. However, on my evening departure, there was a line out the door to enter the former, while no such line existed for the latter. I felt a bit awkward passing everyone in line, though I appreciate that this was a privilege afforded to Air Canada’s passengers.

Boarding

After spending an obscene amount of time at the lounge, I made my way down to the terminal about 25 minutes before my flight to walk around and wait by the gate. There are plenty of high-end shops to check out and even an interesting sculpture that reminds me of one on display at the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain. Since I technically “left” the country I was relegated to exploring the international transit area.

What was a relaxing experience in the Signature Suite lounge cannot be said about the gate area. Air Canada had two full widebodies departing in the same general vicinity towards the back corner of the hall. Additionally, there was a small door to my back with more gates and more departing flights. These factors forced everyone into a small confined area which led to a chaotic scene. This could have been better managed, Air Canada!

After a slightly delayed boarding, I made my way down the jet bridge and onboard the plane.

Seat

The cabin is laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration giving everyone direct aisle access and lie-flat seats. No one will have a middle seat!

I dig the color and configuration of the interior. The hints of red in the seat and the maple leaf towards the back give the scheme a little splash of red in what would otherwise a cabin giving off 90’s office vibes with all the gray.

I picked 2F since I was traveling alone and enjoy getting a window seat. I checked SeatGuru prior to booking which indicated most seats were perfectly fine! Since we had an 11 PM departure, there wasn’t much to see except for the lights around the airport. I was treated to a nice view of the Chilean coastal range later the next morning. There was a water bottle, an amenity kit, and bedding waiting for me at the seat.

If you’ve never flown a 787 (which up until this flight included me), you might not know that there are no shades on the windows. Rather you control them using a touch pad next to the seat to dim. My seat contained a touch pad to handle the windows, seat recline, lumbar adjustment and more.

There was a nifty reading light to the right of the headrest.

The in-flight entertainment was excellent and the large screen was and easy on the eyes. The only other seat I’ve flown in with a screen larger than this is in the Qatar Airways QSuite. I’m also one of those that enjoy tracking my flight and when I’m not watching a show I’ll keep the world map view open before getting my shut-eye.

 

In-Flight Experience

I have to give props to the flight attendants on this flight. They went above and beyond ensuring that I had everything that I needed. The only thing I have to ding Air Canada for is not offering a pre-departure drink. I know that there are still COVID precautions in place but it’s time. Not offering these services places them a half step behind other competitive airlines. I’ve been on domestic flights where a drink was offered before takeoff!

Internet was available for the entire flight at a price of CA$29.00. It was fast enough to stream videos on my phone when I was awake.

I initially opted to completely skip meal service altogether since I had quite a filling dinner in the lounge. However I saw that tiramisu calling my name and decided I needed that in my life before getting dinner. It was tasty and I was impressed with how spacious the tray table was. After my dessert, as we were flying over North Carolina, I set the seat flat and placed my mattress pad for what I hoped would be a good night’s rest.

 

After a restful night, I woke up off the coast of northern Chile. Notice how well the windows block the light! Mine are completely transparent while the person in front my kept theirs dark. I opted for breakfast which included fresh fruit, oatmeal, and an omelet.

 

Now this was a surprise – the bathroom had a window! It was very clean with great soap products. The maple leaf and branch covered wall was a reminder that you were flying on Canada’s flag carrier. Another prop to the flight attendants for managing access to the bathroom in the back of the cabin. I witnessed an economy class passenger being told that the restroom I waited in line for was reserved for business class cabin.

Shortly thereafter we began our descent into Santiago where we watched a video introducing us to Chile and the entry requirements. Thailand does something like this as well. Despite the long flight, Santiago is only one hour ahead of Toronto so no jet lag for me!

Final Thoughts

This Air Canada flight was flawless which was surprising given all the news about them recently. I was very impressed with the business-class product and the experience in the Signature Suite lounge. The seat had plenty of space to store my belongings and while I didn’t take advantage of dinner service (well, except for dessert!) the breakfast service was superb! It would be nice to offer a pre-departure beverage – hopefully, they’ll bring that back in the future. The overall package is truly the best of any airline in North America and it’s worth making the layover in Toronto, especially if you’re traveling to Europe or Asia. As for me, I would travel to South America in Air Canada Signature suite again in a heartbeat. Lie flat beds are the way to go on a redeye flight!