I have not been paid by any entity in any way (financially, benefits) to write this Air Canada Business Class review. Take precautions when traveling; please stay safe and consult local, state, and national authorities for guidance on traveling.

After a long layover in Montreal, where I checked out the city, Mount Royal Park, and the Maple Leaf Lounge at Montreal International Airport, I finally made my way to the gate for my Air Canada business class flight to Mexico City. This was my first time flying Air Canada on a route longer than D.C. to Toronto or Montreal, so I was excited to notch another experience under my belt.

Quick Take: Air Canada Business Class Review

Category	Rating (Out of 10)
Seat Comfort	✅ 8/10
Dining & Beverages	😐 6/10
Service & Crew	✅ 7/10
Lounge Access	✅ 8/10
Value for Points/Cash	😐 5/10

On the surface, Air Canada Business Class is a great offering, but it admittedly falls short on catering.

Flight Details

Airline: Air Canada
Flight: AC 995
Route: Montreal (YUL) – Mexico City (MEX)
Cabin Class: Business Class
Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 8
Seat: 4F
Booking Method: Cash
Cost: $283.48 USD + $284.28 (upgrade buy-up)
Date: October 2, 2025
Flight Time: 5h 40m

Preflight Experience at Montreal

With a nine-hour layover, I had plenty of time to not only check out the lounges but also head into the city. Today was a particularly busy day at the Montreal airport, with lounges having insane lines. Thankfully, I had arrived at the Maple Leaf Lounge at the International departures area at the right time. Unfortunately, even the short amount of time I spent at the lounge was not worth it; it would’ve been better spent in the city until the last possible second.

Seat & Cabin Comfort on the Boeing 737 MAX 8

Upon boarding, I was pleased to have chosen the upgrade. The cabin was fresh, and although it lacked color or life, it looked comfortable. Today I was flying in seat 4F, the window seat. Thankfully, nobody was sitting next to me on this flight, so I had plenty of space to stretch out and relax.

Air Canada offers Collins Aerospace MiQ business class seats on its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The cabin is laid out in a 2-2 configuration across four rows, for a total of 16 business class seats.

Each seat is 21 inches wide, has a 38-inch seat pitch, and offers about 6 inches of recline.

Each seat comes with a 13-inch touchscreen entertainment system and a coat hook on the side of each seat.

I immediately noticed that these business class seats have footrests popping out from under the seat in front. Although I’m sure some people love that, I wasn’t a huge fan. You can always retract them, though. I had plenty of legroom, and for reference, I’m 6’1.

The center console was fairly wide, with a charging port, an audio jack, and space to store smaller items like a water bottle or a tablet/small laptop.

On the side of the console, you’ll find your recline buttons, which will recline the backrest and extend the footrest.

A small cocktail table pops out of the center console.

You’ll find your tray table under the other armrest.

To get it out, you pull the latch.

It is a very spacious tray table, great for working and eating.

Amenities

I was surprised to find no amenities at our seats on what I considered to be a flagship continental route. Some pillows and blankets were available upon request, but that’s not really the point.

What I did receive was a pair of Air Canada earbuds.

And a bottle of water. Not really rolling in amenities in Air Canada Business Class. This was really disappointing following my experience flying with Avianca from Bogota to Mexico City in business class, where I did receive a neat amenity kit.

Dining & Beverages

Following takeoff from Montreal, meal service started about an hour into the flight.

This was kicked off with a moist towel.

Next, I got my drinks and mixed nuts. Today, I ordered a red wine and ginger ale, both my guilty pleasures when traveling.

After my drinks arrived, the food arrived. On this flight, I ordered a chicken noodle stir-fry, served with a light salad, a bread roll, and a cake dessert. All I can say is that this dinner option was the blandest thing I’ve had on a plane in a while. Under seasoned with over cooked noodles, truly a disappointing meal by any metric. Grab a bite in the terminal (since the lounge won’t save you either!).

About an hour before landing, the crew came by with a snack basket, which was a nice touch and probably the best food they offered on the flight.

In-Flight Entertainment & Connectivity

Air Canada has complimentary Wi-Fi for Aeroplan members and business class passengers onboard.

To connect, you can input your last name and seat number or log-in to your Aeroplan account. Additionally, United MileagePlus members receive complimentary Wi-Fi access on Air Canada flights.

However, if you’re not eligible for complimentary Wi-Fi, access could be purchased for CA$8.

As noted earlier, each business class seat has a 13-inch entertainment screen.

They had several movies and shows on offer.

Additionally, you could (theoretically) take a look at the food items and beverages on offer. However, this wasn’t working on my screen.

Lastly, you could always take a look at my favorite entertainment option, the flight map!

I mean, where else can you see yourself flying past the area you grew up in?

Lavatory

The Air Canada Business Class restroom on their Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes is pretty cramped, with little space to move around.

They did have premium soap, which smelled fantastic.

Final Verdict: Is Air Canada Business Class Worth It?

In my opinion, Air Canada’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 business class hard product is great. The seat is wide and comfortable and has good storage space. The real letdown is the soft product, with the meal service being truly below average. The food is downright bad, but this seems to be more of an issue with Air Canada as a whole.

Would I pay to upgrade again? It really depends on how tired I am and whether I want to rest.

Overall Rating: 6.8/10

What are your thoughts? Have you flown Air Canada Business Class? Let me know on Instagram, Threads, or BlueSky!

As always, Live Life One Trip at a Time!

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