Being such a short hop from Boston to Montreal on an A220, my expectations for Air Canada business class were low. Perhaps I’m too used to the service (or lack thereof) on short domestic first class flights. While it wasn’t anything special, I got more than I would have from a domestic Big 3, that’s for sure.

Check-in and Boarding

If you’ve never flown out of Boston Logan before, it’s a really convenient airport. It’s super close to the city, and I was dropped off at Terminal B after a quick 10 minute Uber trip.

The Air Canada check-in area was small but perfectly sufficient for the number of flights that operate. My flight to Montreal was the last Air Canada flight that day. Check-in took less than 5 minutes from start to finish.

All terminals (except A) have direct pathways that connect. I still hadn’t gotten the chance to visit the new Chase Sapphire Lounge yet, so I cleared security on the other side of Terminal B, closer to Terminal C. That lounge truly lives up to the hype, and a full review will come at a later date – when I get more than 30 minutes there 🙂

I arrived at the gate about 5 minutes after boarding started. The walk to the far end of Terminal B proved longer than I had anticipated. However, the gate area was completely empty! The gate agent said they wanted to get underway a little bit early and I was the last person left – oops.

Sure enough, we shortly pushed back at 6:48 PM – a full 17 minutes before scheduled departure.

The Seat

The Air Canada A220-300 business class cabin has three rows in a 2-2 configuration, for a total of 12 seats. The cabin on my flight was mostly full, with 10 of the 12 seats occupied. I assigned myself 2F.

Each seat had a large entertainment screen, a large seat pocket, and a coat hook. Waiting at each seat was a small bottle of water. Seats in rows 2 and 3 had a footrest under the seat.

I find the coat hook to be a very nice addition. Hanging a coat there takes up some personal space, but the 21-inch wide seats and 37 inches of pitch were already sufficient. It was helpful to keep my passports, wallet, boarding passes, etc. in my coat pocket and it still be with me at all times.

Note that for window seats like mine, the IFE box is in the legroom area, which makes it a little smaller.

Inflight Service

The flight crew was attentive but not overbearing, with a healthy sense of humor. My French est épouvantable, so I took this opportunity to brush up a bit before my layover in Lyon (obviously it didn’t really help). Upon learning of this, the crew made sure to speak to me in French for the rest of the flight, slowing down and repeating themselves when I didn’t understand. That was a very nice touch, and I really appreciate the crew for doing that!

While there was no pre-departure beverage offered, the crew quickly distributed hot towels and a small snack.

The meal service consisted of a small charcuterie plate and crackers with a variety of cold cuts and cheeses. For my drink, I ordered a glass of red wine.

The meal service was quick and ended just moments before we began our descent into Montreal. We had a short taxi and arrived 12 minutes early.

Final Thoughts

My business class flight on Air Canada was better than most domestic first class flights I’ve taken in the past. The flight exceeded my expectations in most regards. The seats were comfortable, the airplane was clean, and the crew was fantastic. I also wasn’t expecting a small meal service on this flight. But now after a short connection, it’s time for the highlight of this whole trip – the hop across the pond.