I have not been paid by any entity in any way (financially, benefits) to write this Air Canada Express CRJ-900 Economy review. Take precautions when traveling; please stay safe and consult local, state, and national authorities for guidance on traveling.

After much deliberation with a friend of mine on whether we should or shouldn’t visit one of North America’s most European cities, we finally decided to take the leap and visit the city of Montreal. We ended up taking an odd (read: cheaper) route to Montreal, connecting in Toronto on Air Canada. This, of course, flew in the face of the fact that late last year, I had flown direct to Montreal from Washington National on Air Canada Express. Go figure!

Quick Take: Air Canada Express CRJ-900 Economy Review

Category	Rating (Out of 10)
Seat Comfort	😐 6/10
Dining & Beverages	✅ 7/10
Service & Crew	✅ 8/10
Wi-Fi & Entertainment	✅ 10/10
Value for Points/Cash	✅ 7/10

Air Canada Express offers the most convenient routes to Canada from Washington National, offering regional jet service from DCA.

Flight Details

Airline: Air Canada Express
Flight: AC 8781
Route: Washington National (DCA) – Toronto Pearson (YYZ)
Cabin Class: Economy
Aircraft: Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR
Registration: C-GJUZ (6 years old)
Seat: 22F
Booking Method: Cash
Cost: US$190.01 (one-way)
Date: April 17, 2026
Flight Time: 1h 15m

Preflight Experience at Washington National

At DCA, Air Canada flies out of Terminal 1, along with Southwest Airlines and Frontier. Since Air Canada is in the Star Alliance, the United Club DCA would be a possible lounge experience. Unfortunately, the lounge in over in Terminal 2 by the B gates, which would require you to go through security at Terminal 2, only to have to exit and go through security once again at Terminal 1. There isn’t a lounge at DCA’s Terminal 1, so the best you can do is grab breakfast at one of the restaurants, or get some Dunkin.

Seat & Cabin Comfort on the Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR

The Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR had a standard regional jet configuration. Today I was in seat 22F, a window seat. Air Canada Express uses Safran’s 41 series seats in the economy cabin, laid out in a 2-2 configuration.

These economy seats offer 31 inches of pitch, a 17-inch width, and a 2-inch recline. For reference, I’m 6’1″.

Amenities

No additional amenities to report.

Dining & Beverages

Once we were up in the air en route to Toronto, a quick service began.

The snack offered on today’s flight was a breakfast bar, which wasn’t bad! I also got a cup of coffee to accompany my early morning meal.

In-Flight Entertainment & Connectivity

Air Canada offers in-flight WiFi and entertainment, with service provided by Bell. As a United MileagePlus member on an eligible Air Canada flight, I had complimentary WiFi for the flight.

Lavatory

The Air Canada Express CRJ-900LR lavatory is pretty basic, dare I say even a little spacious. At least compared to the modern lavatories you’ll find on the 737 MAX and A320neos.

Final Verdict: Air Canada Express CRJ-900 Economy Review

My experience flying on the Air Canada Express CRJ-900LR is just about the same as my previous experience, when I flew over to Montreal on my way to Mexico City. Nothing really different from my previous experience, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s nothing worse than inconsistency, and this experience didn’t disappoint (or impress).

Overall Rating: 7.6/10

What are your thoughts? Have you flown Air Canada Express CRJ-900 in Economy? Let me know on Instagram, Threads, Twitter, or BlueSky!

As always, Live Life One Trip at a Time!

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