Air Canada Airbus A330 Signature Class (Toronto – Calgary)

Are you familiar with the joy of discovering there’ll be an Airbus A330 serving your Australian domestic flight? That same elation exists when flying in Canada, too. That is, when an Air Canada A330—sporting the airline’s lauded Signature Class experience—is assigned to your flight.

In short, this is a true international-grade product. It’s even the same seat you’d get flying all the way from Australia to Canada but enjoyed on a mere domestic flight. This four-hour hop isn’t just a fun way to travel it’s also a great use of Velocity Points. That’s how I secure my seat for today’s journey.

You can do the same for just 40,000 Velocity Points per person, one-way. Velocity members don’t pay carrier charges when booking Air Canada flights, so the co-payment is minimal. As of March 2025, taxes and fees on this route total just $41.20 AUD. For a journey that includes a flatbed, a proper inflight meal, checked baggage, lounge access and more, it’s a real steal. Especially when the same flight in Economy costs the same in cash aside 21,000 Velocity Points.

Check-in, lounge and boarding

With Toronto serving as Air Canada’s primary hub, it’s pleasing to see that the airline nails the basics of the premium pre-departure experience. With a Signature Class booking on the Airbus A330, you can zip through Air Canada’s glassed priority check-in zone. It adds a touch of privacy and a point of difference compared to the typical airline check-in experience.

At security, follow the bold sign towards priority, which drops you close to the front of the main queue. From there, it’s straight to the lounge. While most domestic premium cabin tickets in the United States don’t grant lounge access, that’s not the rule in Canada. Here at Toronto Pearson Airport, my Signature Class ticket automatically provides access to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge and ‘Air Canada Cafe’.

Knowing that the Air Canada Cafe is more of a grab-and-go scenario, I head for the Maple Leaf Lounge. It’s a busy morning, so it takes a moment to get inside – even though I can scan my own boarding pass for automated entry. It’s a chance to enjoy a coffee and a bite before venturing to the gate.

Check-in for Air Canada Signature Class takes place in a secluded area.

From there, it’s straight to the fast lane at security.

For a quick coffee, the Air Canada Cafe sits in a convenient location.

The Maple Leaf Lounge is larger and with a greater range of food, so it’s a better option with time to spare.

Today, it’s a ‘fail’ on priority boarding.

Here, there’s a little hiccup. My Signature Class ticket puts me in Zone 1, but the boarding gate is a messy sea of people all jostling for the chance to board. The flight shows as ‘on time’ but boarding is delayed without communicating a reason, adding to the growing clump of people. Eventually, we’re on. Given the smooth sailing up to the lounge, it wouldn’t be hard for Air Canada to fix this final hurdle – if it wanted to.

Air Canada Signature Class seating on the Airbus A330

This hop in Air Canada Airbus A330 Signature Class brings an international experience to a domestic flight. On this visit, I’m flying into Calgary to reach picturesque Banff – about an hour’s drive from Calgary Airport. The onboard experience here is a great first step to the sun, snow and sea (okay, lake) that await in one of the country’s most sensorily stunning tourist destinations.

As for the plane that takes me there, the cabin sits in a 1-2-1 layout. Not only does every Signature Class passenger get a bed, but aisle access is both direct and uninterrupted. Whether you plan to doze, tackle some work or just relax, you’re in charge of your own journey. Today’s flight provides the chance to tackle some laptop work, so I get comfortable. The in-seat massager certainly makes typing less of a chore.

A flatbed for a domestic flight is always a happy sight.

This cabin comes in a 1-2-1 layout, the same as expected on an international flight.

The cocktail shelf later becomes a full-sized tray table.

Start your flight with a massage before you’ve even left the gate.

Some airlines opt for a little more storage here, but there’s still room for small items.

It says ‘literature only’, but you wouldn’t be alone in sliding a laptop into this holder.

The seat offers an array of storage options for objects large and small. A pouch opens inside one of the armrests, handy for bulky items like water bottles. The meal tray never fully goes away, serving as a cocktail shelf just beneath the entertainment screen. There’s another pouch for items like glasses and jewellery beneath the surface of the shelf. In fact, larger items are at home on top there, too. A literature pocket completes the lineup.

Food and beverage in Air Canada Airbus A330 Signature Class

Air Canada Airbus A330 Signature Class isn’t just about having a great seat. It’s also about enjoying a full meal service along the way. Today’s flight aligns with breakfast, which is designed as a multi-course drop.

After take-off, staff come by to set the table and offer refreshments. They don’t mind taking my request for a latte, which is prepared and delivered promptly. Then comes the first course – fruit salad with a chia seed pudding and selections from the bread basket, together with jam and butter. Knowing there’d be a meal on board, I chose not to eat in the Maple Leaf Club, so it’s nice to enjoy something fresh to start.

Then comes the main course, with two choices. One is a parsley omelette, but as delicious as it sounds with sausages, cheese, spinach, potatoes and chutney, I’ve eaten my fair share of egg dishes on breakfast flights. Today, I want something different. I don’t have to look far – the second option is cherry clafoutis. Now we’re talking!

This baked dessert has its origins in France, making it an apt choice in a country where French is a national language. Served with a fruit compote and lemon cream cheese, it’s a delicious way to start the day. In fact, I may have spotted this when perusing the menu about a week before the flight, and pre-ordered my choice through ‘manage my booking’ so that I wouldn’t miss out.

That’s a lot of talk about Champagne, for a flight that doesn’t actually serve any!

A latte gets me started instead.

Breakfast begins with fruit, bakery items and chia seed pudding.

Why choose a breakfast dish you could try anywhere, when there’s a distinctly French option to try instead?

Well, it’s not Champagne, but the Jaillance Crémant de Bordeaux Brut isn’t a bad drop.

Later in the flight, a snack trolley comes past for an extra bite.

While unrequested, the snack baskets end up at my seat. There’s constant disturbance as other travellers reach across, but it’s handy when peckish.

Later in the flight, I enjoy a glass of bubbles. The onboard menu starts with a long prose about Champagne and talks of “today’s flight”. But when I reach the actual wine list, the order of the day is a Bordeaux sparkling, which retails for under €10 in France. There’s no Champagne onboard at all. Granted, I wasn’t expecting Champagne on a domestic hop like this, but if you’re going to whet people’s palate with the decadence of Champagne, have a bottle ready to pour!

Entertainment and service in Air Canada Signature Class on the Airbus A330

With a crisp entertainment screen fixed in place, Air Canada’s Airbus A330 Signature Class flyers can enjoy movies and TV shows from gate to gate. Today, I’m mostly working on my laptop, so I run the moving map in the background to keep tabs on the journey.

I’m pleased to find fast Wi-Fi available, meaning I can tackle what I must in the air and relax the moment I land. I buy a ‘streaming flight pass’ for CA$20.34 (circa AU$22.50) which yields impressive speeds. My tests find download capacity averaging 83.5Mbps, and uploads just shy of 7Mbps. Despite the name, it’s the cheaper of the two full-flight options. The higher-priced plan sits at CA$24 plus tax (the plan selected was CA$18 plus tax), but given the solid performance of the entry-level plan, a premium upgrade wasn’t needed.

The entertainment screen shares a snapshot of the flight’s destination, but I’m heading to Banff, and can’t wait.

This isn’t a short hop: there’s enough time on this flight to properly enjoy the Signature Class experience.

The Air Canada app and inflight Wi-Fi both enhance the travel experience.

Service on today’s flight is smooth sailing. Requests are fulfilled promptly, drinks refilled proactively and the atmosphere in the cabin is polite and positive. I’m even able to use Air Canada’s mobile app to confirm that my bag is on the plane before we leave the gate in Toronto, and again after landing to check which baggage belt it’s been delivered to in Calgary.

The verdict

For a premium experience on a Canadian domestic flight, Air Canada’s Airbus A330 Signature Class is a top pick. For a flight that costs barely $40 when spending Velocity Points, Signature Class serves up the best of Air Canada at a points price that doesn’t break the bank.

Pricewise, the number of Velocity Points needed isn’t significantly more than for a Virgin Australia flight of a comparable length. Not to mention too, the minimal taxes and fees payable on the side. I must say, this is one of the best ways I’ve spent $40 in cold hard cash, aside redeeming points already sitting in my account.

If taking this flight again, would I do the same thing? Definitely. And, if an Air Canada Airbus A330 is an option on your next Canadian domestic hop, jump on that reward seat and don’t look back. You’ll be glad you did.

Also reviewed: Air Canada Airbus A330 Economy Class (Los Angeles – Toronto)

All photography by Chris Chamberlin, who travelled at his own expense using Velocity Points.