Flight Review: Air Canada Premium Economy | 787-9 Dreamliner | Tokyo Narita to Toronto (NRT-YYZ)

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — On our way back from Tokyo, we were blessed with an upgrade to Air Canada’s premium economy class. Originally this leg was booked in economy class, and luckily our eUpgrade requests cleared the evening before our flight home, making our return leg from our Tokyo adventure that much sweeter. More information on Air Canada’s Aeroplan program and eUpgrade system in a bit.

This flight was part of a 4-leg journey; you can view associated reviews below:
– ATL to YYZ in business class
– YYZ to Tokyo NRT in premium economy
– YYZ to ATL return leg in business class
– Our accommodations at the Hilton Tokyo

Date Flown: 2023 April 22
Departure/Arrival Time: 1655 JST – 1605 EDT
Flight Time: 12h 10m
Aircraft Type: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Fare Class: Premium Economy (eUpgraded from economy class)
Elite Status: Aeroplan 25k (via my Chase Aeroplan credit card)

Flight Overview
This flight was operated by an Air Canada Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, flight number AC10, nonstop from Tokyo Narita to Toronto Pearson International taking just over 12 hours.

Air Canada Dreamliners have 30 lie-flat “Signature Class” business class seats in 1-2-1 arrangement, 21 premium economy seats in 2-3-2 arrangement, and 247 economy seats arranged in 3-3-3 arrangement.

We occupied premium economy seats 14J and 14K on the right side of this particular flight. The paired seats in the premium economy cabin are great for couples traveling together.

Service was efficient and the crew was courteous, no complaints from us.

Air Canada flights between North America and Japan have crew fluent in English, French, and Japanese. This is particularly notable because all announcements were made in each language and it can some time to make mid-flight announcements in all three languages.

If you are a light sleeper, I strongly recommend a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs.

Seat Overview
The premium economy seat on the Air Canada Dreamliner has an advertised 19 inches of width and 38 inches of pitch which is fairly typical for this class across many airlines.

For comparison, the regular economy seats are 18 inches wide with an average 30 inches of pitch (more for the exit rows and bulkhead seats).

The premium economy seats have more space between them due to the armrests/drink holder and in-seat tray tables, making them feel especially more spacious than the economy seats since you are less likely to bump elbows with your neighbor. They feel very much similar to a lot of US-domestic first class seats for comparison.

The premium economy seats have their tray-tables stowed away in the armrests. The tables are hinged in the center in case you want to fold it in half, making it easier to get into and out of your seat with the table still deployed.

The in-flight entertainment (IFE) system was perfectly adequate with a good selection of movies and TV shows in multiple languages.

The touchscreen was responsive, and you have the option of using the detachable remote below the screen which also has controls for the reading light as well as the flight attendant call button.

Below the IFE screen are the expected headphone socket and a powered USB-A slot for charging small electronics. Next to the screen is the obligatory coat hook. Between the seats under the seat-back pocket are dual universal power sockets.

Amenity Kit
Premium economy passengers on this flight each received an amenity kit containing disposable toothbrush/toothpaste, long black socks, earplugs, and an eye-mask. The bag itself is actually fairly large, roughly the size of a reusable grocery bag.

Meal Service
Shortly after departure, the crew started the drink service which was accompanied by various snacks and started taking orders for dinner. The menu was available physically as well as in the Air Canada app.

I opted for the hamburger steak served with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. My partner went with the saute’d chicken breast served with white rice and broccoli.

A salad, warm bread roll and cheesecake dessert rounded out the meal. Both were pretty good and served on proper dishware with metal cutlery.

I believe at some point about halfway across the Pacific, the crew came around with another round of drinks and snacks but I had apparently slept through this service (shout-out to the comfortable seats!).

Roughly an hour and half before landing in Toronto, the flight crew came around with breakfast. My partner and I both opted for the breakfast noodles served alongside a fruit salad and bread roll, all of which were a nice pick-me-up after my decent 5-6 hour sleep.

Unfortunately I cannot recall exactly what the sweet option was, but I want to say it was an oatmeal/yogurt based dish.

Lavatory
The premium economy passengers have access to two lavatories situated between the business and premium economy cabins. They were stocked with Vitruvi-branded products and kept very clean throughout the flight.

These lavatories have a window and great view, making them feel especially more spacious. The décor is tastefully centered around Air Canada’s maple leaf motif.

How We Booked
This itinerary (ATL-YYZ-NRT roundtrip) was originally booked around September 2022 on a mixed cabin ticket; economy for the first leg (which was eUpgraded to business class, review here) and premium economy for the second leg (review here), and originally economy on this return leg for just over $1250 per person including taxes and fees.

At that time, the economy ticket was selling for around $900 roundtrip, and we personally decided the extra comfort on a 13+hr flight over to Tokyo was worth the extra cost (especially since this was a celebratory trip).

Air Canada Aeroplan’s eUpgrade System
Air Canada’s frequent flyer program Aeroplan has a relatively unique upgrade mechanism that grants Aeroplan members a certain number of “eUpgrade” credits based on the member’s elite level. These credits may be applied towards eligible Air Canada flights and puts that member on a list for potential upgrades.

The exact number of credits needed depends on the route and cabin desired; more popular routes and higher class cabins require more credits. If your upgrade request clears (within a certain amount of time prior to and up until the flight), the credits are deducted from your Aeroplan account. If you are not granted an upgrade, the credits are refunded to you to be used on a future flight.

It should be noted that eUpgrade credits do not rollover to the next year so you should use them up within the year they are issued if possible. For more information about Air Canada Aeroplan’s eUpgrade system, see here.

Chase Aeroplan Credit Card
I held Air Canada Aeroplan 25K elite status at the time of this flight by holding the U.S. Chase Aeroplan credit card. This card represents an interesting proposition for U.S.-based Aeroplan customers who may be flying the Canadian flag-carrier frequently.

It is possible to enjoy almost two years of entry-level 25K elite status as part of this card’s benefits as well as a spend pathway to higher status. Additionally, the card’s benefits also include first bag free on Air Canada flights and no foreign transaction fees.

At the time of this post there is public offer for 50,000 points after a certain amount of spend (though historically there have been offers up to 100,000 for more spend). Based on The Points Guy’s valuation of Aeroplan points, this bonus could potentially be worth $750 in Air Canada award flights. If you are interested in this credit card and want to learn more, you can visit the official application page here.