Travel magazine names Air Canada as its "Airline of the Year"

Air Canada has been recognized as the ‘2019 Airline of the Year,’ by Global Traveler, a magazine for luxury business and leisure travellers.

Staff members for the magazine submitted nominations to an advisory board whose members chose the airline winner based on a series of factors. According to a news release, the panel weighed airline’s financial data, safety records, product offerings, onboard menus, and overall brand image before selecting Air Canada as number one.

• See also:
  • Adventure Canada is now offering expeditions to Antarctica
  • Disneyland unveils new After Dark Events for 2020
  • This airline has a “baby map” to show where infants are sitting on flights

“I am very pleased that Air Canada has been named the 2019 Airline of The Year by Global Traveler,” states Calin Rovinescu, president and chief executive of Air Canada. “The success we have had transforming our airline into a leading global carrier is being recognized worldwide and we continue to invest in new aircraft, onboard services, airport amenities, and a new Loyalty program to build on our leading position.

“Mostly, however, this award recognizes the hard work of our employees and their commitment to deliver customer service excellence every day, for which I thank them.”

Since 2010, Air Canada has embarked on a $12-billion capital expenditure program with an overall goal of enhancing the travel experience. New additions throughout the decade include:

• An expanded global network connecting over its Canadian gateway hubs to nearly 220 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and North and South America. Air Canada is one of only a few airlines in the world to serve all six inhabited continents.
• A wide body fleet renewal program that introduced Boeing 777s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners along with “significant refurbishment” of the A330 fleet.
• A narrow body fleet renewal in the form of the delivery of this month’s Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
• Signature Class Service internationally and year-round on select North America transcontinental flights including between Toronto and Vancouver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles; Montreal and Vancouver; and Vancouver and New York (Newark).
• New international, domestic, and US Maple Leaf Lounge concepts, including the Air Canada Signature Suite for eligible customers travelling in Signature Class internationally.
• Enhanced onboard amenities such as signature dishes prepared by Canadian celebrity chefs David Hawksworth, Antonio Park, and Vikram Vij, coupled with wine pairings by world-renowned sommelier Veronique Rivest; a revamped Skyriders program with special amenities for the youngest travellers and families; in-flight WiFi connectivity on all narrow-body aircraft, and progressive implementation onboard the wide-body fleet, complementing Air Canada’s personal seatback in-flight entertainment system, which offers more than 1,000 hours of free digital audio-visual content.

Air Canada’s win builds on previous recognition including being named the best airline in North America for the third consecutive year (in the 2019 Skytrax Awards), winning the ‘Best Airline for Family Travel,’ and being named one of ‘Canada’s Top 100 Employers’ for the seventh consecutive year.