Boy, did I get lucky on both my Air Canada flights this
month – going to London and back. It’s been years since I’ve gotten on an
airplane and realized that it was going to be only half full. In fact, I don’t remember that happening
since a redeye from Toronto 15 years ago!
For years I’ve been flying to London on a cheap charter airline,
Air Transat. They cater to packaged holiday customers so you get herded around
like cattle. You get what you pay for and services are minimal, but airline
food is rarely good and now that Transat has on demand video in headrest in
front of you it’s pretty much as good as any.
Good as any, that is, until British Airways and Air Canada
dropped their prices so low this winter. My flight was $1100 all in.
A good deal made that much better by being on an empty
plane. And by applying a little “strategic
seat selection”.
It’s 24 hours before my flight. I logon to AirCanada.com to
check in, get my boarding pass. I’d paid
$40 extra per flight to get seat selection at the time I booked, so I knew I
had my usual aisle seat just in front of the wing. But I thought it was worth checking what else
was available – and it was.
The window seat next to me was vacant, but for sure someone
checking in after me would take it. The
middle section had rows that were almost or entirely empty. I saw one with one seat on the opposite aisle
taken. I figured the middle seats of the middle section would be the last to be
selected and only if the plane was completely full. I played that one right and
ended up with 3 seats to stretch out on. I even laid down and fell asleep and I
never sleep on planes.
So there, that’s my tip of the day: fly Air Canada in the
winter because even though it’s cheap no one is flying to London in January
unless they have to (I had to). And since you’re not going to see anything but
the top side of clouds during your 10 hour flight anyway, don’t underestimate
the middle section! Grab an aisle seat in a near empty row and prepare to fly
first class!
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