Sorry I know flights and airlines have been discussed to death here but I have done a search and can't find exactly what I want.

We are in a bit of a dilemma as we hope to be leaving UK for Calgary at the end of May. We have missed the boat in getting upgraded seats with Canadian Affair, etc - both for increased baggage allowance and extra seat room (OH has a couple of mobility problems) - so my question is:

Is there much seat pitch difference between travelling cattle class Air Canada or one of the charter airlines?

I have never travelled with Air Canada but their baggage allowance is very generous so we could take loads of things with us however if we fly with Canadian Affair for instance it is only 20kg so I know we will go into excess baggage .......

Would appreciate any comments ....

Thanks J

I've never flown any of the charters (Transat, Zoom etc) to canada, but recently flew with AC to Vancouver; their seat pitch is very generous (one of the largest amounts of legroom offered by any airline in economy class I think), about 34". Also what they lacked in in-flight entertainment (i.e. not having individual seat back tv's) they made up for in customer service and friendliness. I would imagine, with your partner's mobility problems, that they would be very helpful and that the extra legroom would help. I did a recent check on Zoom's prices to Vancouver (we're flying out in a few weeks) and they weren't much cheaper than AC. Taking into account the huge baggage allowance with AC (compared to the 20kgs with the charters), personally I'd rather go with AC. Based on my flying experiences, I would rate them as not as good as Singapore Airlines (but who else is?!!), but heaps friendlier than Virgin/BA/Air New Zealand and any of the North American airlines I've used.

If seat pitch is the space between your seat and the one in front of you, then it's bigger on Air Canada than on BA - but not by much. I'm sure if you mentioned your OH's mobility problems they could arrange seating for you in an emergency exit row or where ever the rows are wider.

I always mention my hearing problem when checking in for flights, etc... and ask to be contacted directly with important info because I can't hear the announcements very well, if at all. Not that I ever want to hear "Excuse me miss, get out yer little floatly water wings! Shit has hit the fan and we're going down!" but I once had a very confusing surprise getting off a plane in Amsterdam, assuming it was Heathrow. That taught me that I need to be a bit of a pest to get what I need.

If you choose AC, bring your own food!

We recently flew with Zoom to Calgary.

I am 6' 2" and the legroom was fine in steerage. I don't know what the pitch actually is but I had more than enough room (I was expecting to have to travel with my knees either side of my ears). Different speficiation aircraft were used on each journey and the space was very similar on each.

Also, a pillow, blanket, and whatever else you think you might need on board.

Erm, I think not.

And why bring your own food on AC?

Food on AC is expensive and poor quality. Similarly their fees for blankets, pillows and so on are excessive. AC undertook to provide oxygen for a passenger I know quite well and then forgot, leaving her choking in a wheelchair on the windswept tarmac. She was resucitated in hospital but AC never did refund the fee for the provision of oxygen.

Still, none of that is the reason I don't fly with them if Greyhound goes to my destination. I avoid them because their staff is elderly francophone women, I'd guess they're retired tax auditors, who have less charm and grace than Margaret Thatcher.

I could write reams on the failings of AC but perhaps my view of them is best summarised by the fact that I give my AC miles to my ex.

There's some great info here:

http://www.seatguru.com/

HTH
Patrick.

You're talking about domestic flights and I'd agree with you on that score. It's a different story on long-haul. I did Ottawa-London on AC in January. They weren't charging for anything, not even the booze (and they weren't being stingy with it). It didn't use to be like that; I recall always having to pay for alcohol in the past.

Recent experience has been on the Denver-Toronto route, that's domestic but four and a half hours, so it's long enough for them to irritate me. I'd go home via Amsterdam or Frankfurt or by charter rather than take AC.

Your dislike of AC is well-known. I've flown with them enough times over the last ten years to know where you're coming from. However, I think you might be surprised if you took an international flight with them now. I was very pleasantly surprised on my last trip, both ways. The timing of the eastbound flight is lousy though.

The only thing I could fault them on was the length of time it took them to get a cup of hot water when they were doing the tea/coffee rounds - but they were so apologetic when they finally did arrive with it! When flying back from Vancouver a guy collapsed in the aisle next to us (I think it must be something to do with me - last 4 times I've flown someone has collapsed next to me! Once it was on a flight from Singapore during the peak of SARS so I was a little concerned!) - anyway, AC were really efficient at dealing with that and getting a Dr to him.

Only other observation would be that they don't seem very good at seating families together at check-in stage, which leads to a frantic re-shuffle and game of musical chairs by the cabin crew to get kids sat next to their parents (maybe it's just the parents deliberately getting their kids sat at the other end of the plane so they can have 10 hours of peace...! ).

Last time I flew across the Atlantic with them was during the SARS epidemic. I was commuting to Milton-Keynes and at the place where I was working they'd heard of SARS and the H&S people wouldn't let anyone from Toronto in the building. I had to drive to Montreal and fly from there so I wouldn't be coming from here. AC had the easiest flights from Montreal. They weren't good then but, I suppose, it's a couple of years ago and they may have improved.

These are words I have never before heard to describe Air Canada staff. On domestic flights they are crap, barely condescending to serve you and nickle and diming you to death. My last experience of them on a trans-Atlantic flight was 3 years ago, but the only difference was that I didn't have to pay for the food and drink (though they were pretty stingy with both). I pray for the day Westjet starts flying internationally.

The Air Canada baggage allowance is only 23Kg and as everyone else agrees they are shite , you might even be better off with BA.