Flying the Friendly Skies

Okay - I'm not too much of a complainer but I have to say Air Canada bites my ass. No really. I just had the joy of flying Air Canada to London Heathrow and then Emirates Air to Dubai. The difference in service and overall quality between these two carriers is insane.


Air Canada (AC) was cramped. I'm 5' 7" and my knees were pressed solidly against the seat in front of me before that seat was even reclined and when it was reclined it went from annoying to just plain painful. Not that the seats really recline. It's kind of the difference between sitting up straight and slightly slouching. My head also just reached the point where the headrest started so my head was forced forward for the entire flight. On Emirates I had a lot of leg room, my foot rest had rollers so I could use them to keep moving my feet. the seat reclined to a very comfortable level for sleeping and we were given comfortable pillows and blankets to cuddle up in.

The food on AC was bland and sparse and still somewhat frozen on Emirates they didn't stop feeding us and the food was amazing: tuna nicoise (sp), salad with honey/mango dressing and lots of veggies, breaded lamb medallions with mash potatoes, green beans, brocolli and baby potatoes (none of which tasted frozen), a selection of warm breads and croissant, pastries for breakfast served with butter and a selection of jams, creme caramel, cookies, spicy crackers and anything you wanted to drink at no charge.

There was also a real disparity in the entertainment provided. On AC we were given headseats that clipped on to your ears (no headband) with awful sound. There were 2 films Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Chocolat. Johnny Depp aside - Really?! The films were shown on one big screen at the front of the cabin. My view was pretty good as I was 3rd row centre so that was okay. There was also a tiny selection of radio stations that had programming that lasted about 1 hour before it repeated. Conversely, on Emirates they have an entertainment system called ICE. I had a screen which was located on the back of the seat in front of me. The screen tilts so when the seat was reclined it didn't effect my viewing. I had a choice of approximately 100 films that played on demand as well as 40 or so television shows, 20 radio stations which broadcasted full programmes, a selection of short films about Dubai, cameras in the nose and bottom of the plane so I could watch outside and the usual follow your progress map. The headset was also comfortable and the sound quality was awesome. Included in the headset bag were stickers that I could stick to my shoulder telling the flight crew not to wake me or to wake me for duty free shopping or meals. Quite the difference.

So the conclusion .... if you gotta fly the friendly skies leave AC behind. Goooooo Emirates!