What’s it like to fly like a rock star?
Well, it’s fun! Just ask Lorraine Simpson.
That’s right, the popular Cityline TV Travel Expert and Travel Personality, had the chance to board the airplanes that fly famous sports teams from city to city – from the NHL to the NBA!
Since big sports teams are not travelling for a little while due to COVID-19, Lorraine got a sneak peak onboard and had the chance to see how the big sports heroes fly.
But these planes are not going to just sit on the runway – no way! You see, Air Canada is using them to fly passengers to select winter destinations.
“I was blown away by the legroom, but I guess tall basketball players need that instead of my short legs,” laughs Lorraine. “Now you can fly like a famous sports player, or you can also watch my new TV show: What’s On Your Post-Pandemic Bucket List?”
Air Canada’s Official Press Release
Air Canada is making its fleet of all-Business Class, Jetz charter aircraft available to customers for commercial flights as it redeploys the fleet on popular winter routes. Each of the airline’s four Airbus A319 Jetz aircraft are configured with only 58 North American Business Class seats — less than half the normal number of seats on this aircraft type — providing an elevated level of comfort and service.
“Air Canada is very pleased to offer its customers a unique opportunity to travel like a pro athlete or a VIP and experience our premium Jetz service. Customers booking on a Jetz flight will enjoy such amenities as its all-Business Class seating configuration, upgraded meal service, and shorter boarding and deplaning times. These features, combined with Jetz’s other attributes, create a private-jet-like experience,” said Mark Galardo, Vice President of Network Planning and Alliances at Air Canada.
Jetz aircraft typically transport customers such as professional sports teams, popular musical groups on tour, and corporate clients on a charter basis. With the current pandemic restrictions on sports events and other large gatherings, the aircraft are now available for commercial use.
When flying with Air Canada Jetz, customers will travel in a single cabin with 58 North American Business Class seats offering 42-to-49-inch seat pitch, including four facing seats with a table in the middle that can be booked for families and friends travelling together, and complimentary iPads for entertainment. Customers receive priority check-in and security clearance, Maple Leaf Lounge and Star Alliance Lounge access (where available) and aircraft leave from prime gate locations, requiring customers to begin boarding only 35 minutes prior departure. Customers will also be offered a premium, pre-packaged meal curated by celebrated Montreal chef Antonio Park with complimentary bar and beverage service. All flights will be operated in accordance with Air Canada’s biosafety protocols, centred around the Air Canada CleanCare+ program.
Customers will be able to book their Jetz flight beginning October 21, 2020 for travel during the Christmas period between December 12, 2020 and January 6, 2021, with a second schedule for March Break flights currently under development. Customers should consult aircanada.com/acjetz for schedule details, including operating days. Air Canada Jetz will operate non-stop between the following city pairs:
- Toronto to: Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Barbados, Cancun, Kelowna and Vancouver.
- Vancouver to: Phoenix, Palm Springs and Puerto Vallarta.
- Montreal to: Fort Lauderdale and Barbados.
For customers looking to book leisure travel, Air Canada Vacations is currently developing Ultimate Escapes which include Jetz flights as well as stays at luxury hotels and resorts, private transfers, exclusive resort discounts, room upgrades and complimentary services. Details on Ultimate Escapes will be available shortly on aircanadavacations.com.
About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline. Canada’s flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2019 served over 51 million customers. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2019 Best Airline in North America. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow Air Canada on Twitter and LinkedIn, and join Air Canada on Facebook.
