Air Canada Restoring Meal Service, Introducing Celebrity Chef Meals In Economy Class

Good news for Air Canada flyers as the airline will re-introduce meal service across its network and introduce new chef-inspired meals on longhaul flights even in economy class.

Meal Service Returning To Air Canada

By the end of July, meal service will return on Air Canada, including on domestic and transborder flights. Premium cabins will receive a meal on many flights while pre-order meals will be available in economy class on flights longer than two hours. The specific details have not been released, but it won’t exactly be like old times:

All meals onboard Air Canada’s flights will be presented in a custom paper box in accordance with current service protocols streamlining interactions. Air Canada is working closely with suppliers to ensure the most environmentally friendly packaging is used whenever possible. Customers will also be offered an expanded selection of alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks adapted by cabin and route.

Based upon this, I would not expect ceramic dishes, glasses, and cutlery, but I do expect we will see a return to some form of hot meals in premium cabins.

Air Canada Adds Celebrity Chef Meals To Economy Class

Air Canada will partner with Montreal-based Chef Jérôme Ferrer, who will design meals for economy class and premium economy class longhaul flights.

Often, these chef-inspired dishes suspiciously resemble exactly what has been served for years onboard. Thus, let’s not celebrate the new meals themselves until we taste them. But what is worth celebrating is that meal service is returning. That’s a great step, especially as American Airlines just announced it was cutting more meals.

Air Canada’s Celebrity Chef Line-Up

A congress of chefs will offer input on meals depending upon the class and destination:

• Chef David Hawksworth’s Canadian-themed dishes will be showcased in Signature Class on flights to Europe and Israel, as well as to Australia
• Chef Antonio Park’s meals will be featured in Signature Class on flights to Asia and South America and in Signature Class and Business Class within North America
• Chef Jerome Ferrer’s meals will be presented in Premium Economy and Economy Class on international flights departing Canada
• Chef Vikram Vij’s creations will be featured on flights to India

These meals, of course, will be dependent upon service resuming. Service to many destinations remains suspended.

CONCLUSION

I’m so glad to see Air Canada take the opposite approach of American Airlines and take steps to bolster its meal service. Let’s see how this plays out. With Air Canada an attractive option to U.S. customers via its Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal hubs to many destinations in Asia and Europe, we will soon see if product actually matters to customers.