Air Canada Boeing B777 300ER (77W) North America Layout 2 seat review by Mark Bishop #27346

My partner and I flew this plane on Air Canada from Toronto to Munich and back again. The flight to Munich, we were in seats 18J&K and on the way back we were ... um ... upgraded to 12A&C.

You can clearly see this is an attempt to add more per-flight profit just by virtue of increasing the number of seats. Unfortunately, this means a few things for passengers: First Class features fewer seats meaning those seeking a Status upgrade are less likely to be successful. Premium Economy gets you the First Class food, but not the wine & liquor selection - and is only really worth the extra expense if you get seats A, C, H or K ... D, E, F, G are not really worth it in my opinion. The seats are more comfortable (mind you, I'm 5'6" so the overhead bin would be comfortable for me) than Economy, but the middle row still seemed crammed. Economy ... was ... just ... terrible. Even for a shorter guy like me, I was uncomfortable for the duration of the seven hour flight - my heart went out to the guy beside me who was easily over 6'.

Unfortunately, the additional seats do not mean additional storage for carry on - so the overhead bins fill up VERY quickly.

On the plus side, there seems to be an upgrade of the entertainment equipment and the front-row seats have a much better piece of folding hardware. The screen can be tilted more freely now when you unfold it from your seat to get a better viewing experience. Plus it is touchscreen.

Overall, my experiences on this plane had me lamenting for when flying was part of the joy of travelling. What was once Economy is now Premium Economy (sort of), being loyal to one carrier gets you less in-flight perks and those with the foresight of travelling light find themselves unrewarded for their courtesy.