Air Canada

Business Class Toronto Pearson (YYZ) — Hong Kong (HKG)

to charge electronic devices, as well as a USB port by the side of the seat.

There really isn’t a“bad seat” in business class, as even the middle seats are angled away from each other, meaning that individual passengers enjoy excellent privacy. I was in 10G, a middle seat toward the back of the cabin. An attendant soon came along with a tray of welcome drinks – I chose a glass of orange juice.

Service on the flight was impressive and I was addressed by name most of the time. Overall, it was much better than the service I had previously experienced flying on most North American airlines.

Every business class seat came with an amenity kit, bedding and a bottle of mineral water. Browsing through the in-flight entertainment options, I found the touchscreen to be intuitive and the sound quality from the headphones was excellent.

Flight AC15 took off at 1020, approaching cruising altitude ten minutes later. A second round of drinks was served along with an in-flight dining menu; this time I chose Moko Black Sauvignon Blanc, a New Zealand wine that was refreshingly crisp.

Lunch service began just before 12 noon with a tuna appetizer. For my main course, I chose the sablefish – a signature dish by Vancouver fine dining chef David Hawksworth. It was delicious, soft and flaky, and the brown rice and bok-choy added texture. I chose to skip the cheese course and had the dark chocolate fondant cake with a sweet blackberry compote instead.

After lunch, it was time to get some sleep, so I reclined my seat into its fully-flat configuration, laid out my bedding and got eight full hours of uninterrupted sleep on the comfortable and supportive bed.

The brunch service began roughly two hours before arrival, but it was a forgettable affair. I opted for the parsley omelet and was rather disappointed. (Admittedly, I’ve yet to be impressed by any omelet served in the air.)

Descent was announced at 1230, with a new arrival time of 1320 – more than an hour ahead of schedule. The plane landed and approached the gate five minutes later.

An excellent business class seat that was matched by very good service and premium amenities. However, the same can’t be said for Air Canada’s ground operations, which didn’t cope well with the disruptions.