Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada’s flag carrier and the country’s largest airline. Founded in 1937, it holds its headquarters in Montreal, Quebec since moving from Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1949. Air Canada is the 7th largest passenger airline in the world based on fleet size. Its hubs are in Calgary International Airport, Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, Vancouver International and Toronto Pearson International Airport (its largest hub). Its focus cities are Edmonton International Airport, Halifax Stanfield International Airport and Ottawa International Airport.
Air Canada’s predecessor was Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA). TCA was formed through legislation of the federal government as a subsidiary of Canadian National Railway (CNR) in 1936. With increasing demand for air travel, the company steadily grew through the years reaching about 500 employees by 1940. In 1953, it became the first airline in the world to use the computer reservation system with remote terminals using the ReserVec technology. TCA became Canada’s national airline in 1964 and the next year, in 1965, it officially changed its name to Air Canada through a private member’s bill.
Currently, Air Canada has 199 aircraft in its fleet while its subsidiary, Air Canada Jazz has 133 all-Canadian aircraft. Air Canada’s other subsidiaries include Aeroplan (its frequent flyer programme), Air Canada Cargo (cargo services on domestic and transborder flights), Air Canada Ground Handling Services (provides ground handling services to Air Canada), Jazz Air LP (consolidation of Air BC, Air Nova, Air Ontario and Canadian Regional Airlines), Air Canada Jetz (charter service), Aveos (full-service maintenance, repair and overhaul organisation) and Air Canada Vacations (vacation packages).
Domestic and Worldwide Destinations
Air Canada flies to 98 destinations in Canada, Asia, Australia, Europe, USA and Latin America. When combined with Air Canada Jazz, to 160 destinations worldwide.
Air Canada destinations include Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai in China; Tokyo in Japan; Seoul in Korea; Tel Aviv in Israel; Paris in France; Frankfurt am Main and Munich in Germany; Dublin in Ireland; Rome in Italy; Madrid in Spain; Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland; London in United Kingdom; Los Cabos, Mexico City, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and Cozumel in Mexico; Anchorage, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Miami, Orlando, Sarasota/Bradenton, Tampa Bay Area, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Honolulu, Kona, Maui, Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas, Newark, New York City, Philadelphia, Nashville, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Washington, D.C., Arlington County, Fairfax County/Loudoun County and Seattle/Tacoma in the United States; St. John’s, Antigua in Antigua and Barbuda; Oranjestad in Aruba; Bridgetown in Barbados; Bermuda in Bermuda; Grand Cayman in Cayman Islands; Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Havana, Holguin, Santa Clara and Varadero in Cuba; Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and Samana in Dominican Republic; St. George’s in Grenada; Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe; Port-au-Prince in Haiti; Kingston and Montego in Jamaica; Fort-de-France in Martinique; St. Maarten in Netherlands Antilles; San Juan in Puerto Rico; Vieux-Fort in Saint Lucia; Providenciales in Turks and Caicos Islands; Liberia and San Jose in Costa Rica; Sydney in Australia; Buenos Aires in Argentina; Sao Paulo in Brazil; Santiago in Chile; Bogota in Colombia; Lima in Peru; and Caracas in Venezuela.
In Canada, the airline operates flights to Calgary, Edmonton and Fort Murray in Alberta; Kelowna, Vancouver and Victoria in British Columbia; Winnipeg in Manitoba; Deer Lake and St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador; Halifax in Nova Scotia; Ottawa and Toronto in Ontario; Montreal in Quebec; and Saskatoon and Regina in Saskatchewan.
Star Alliance Member
Air Canada is one of the founding members of Star Alliance, the biggest and world’s first airline alliance formed in 1997. It has 21 full members as well as 3 regional members. Depending on the airline’s frequent flyer programme, benefits of membership include priority reservations waitlisting, priority airport standby, priority boarding, preferred seating, airport lounge access, priority airport check-in, priority baggage handling and additional checked luggage allowance. Other members of Star Alliance are Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA (All Nippon Airways), Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Bmi, EgyptAir, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, Swiss International Air Lines, TAP Portugal, Thai Airways International, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways. Regional members are Adria Airways, Blue1 and Croatia Airways.
Aeroplan
Aeroplan is the frequent flyer programme of Air Canada. It is also Canada’s biggest and most extensive frequent flyer programme. It rewards its loyal customers with points every time they fly with Air Canada, use the services or purchase goods from its partners such as airlines, credit cards, financial, insurance, hotels, vacation packages, car rental, telecommunications and other travel-related retail and services. Upon reaching required points, any member can redeem rewards in over 120 countries worldwide. Air Canada has three top-tier statuses, the Super Elite, Elite and Prestige. Members of top tier statuses get an incredible range of benefits, a distinctive card, Star Alliance benefits and threshold bonus gifts.