Air Canada Signature Class on the 787, 777, A330 and new A321XLR, the one-stop routing from 50 US airports via Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, what the 787-10 suites with doors will change, and where the product still falls short.
Air Canada sells its lie-flat business cabin as Signature Class on the Boeing 787-8, 787-9, 777-200LR and 777-300ER, the Airbus A330-300, and the new A321XLR. On the widebodies the seat is a 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone pod: every passenger has direct aisle access and a fully flat bed that Air Canada quotes at up to 6 feet 7 inches. The 787-9 carries 30 pods; the high-density 777-300ERs carry only 28 business seats despite being the largest aircraft in the fleet.
None of these cabins has a closing door. Reviewers generally rate the bed and the storage well, and flag tight shoulder room when lying flat and the lack of pajamas. It is a good seat, but a generation behind the door-equipped suites now flying on United's newest 787-9s, and it will stay that way on most Air Canada aircraft for several more years.
Food is where Air Canada over-delivers for a North American airline. Menus are developed with chefs David Hawksworth, Vikram Vij and Masaki Hashimoto, and the wine list is selected by sommelier Veronique Rivest. Onboard service draws more mixed reviews than the catering: polished on some flights, procedural on others.
The Airbus A321XLR entered service in June 2026 with 14 lie-flat Signature Class seats in a 1-1 layout, every seat with direct aisle access, on a single-aisle jet. The seat is a herringbone design without doors, a deliberate choice for a longer bed and a wider aisle. It flies longer, thinner transatlantic routes, starting with Montreal-Toulouse, and Air Canada is opening a Toronto A321XLR base later in 2026. Expect a small, 14-seat cabin rather than a widebody experience.
The Boeing 787-10 is the real upgrade. Air Canada has 14 on order, configured with 42 business seats in a reverse-herringbone layout with sliding doors, including four larger Signature Plus suites at the front with a 6-foot-5 bed and a dedicated guest seat. In September 2026 Air Canada said it would take delivery of its first Toronto-based 787-10 at the end of the year, with route details still to come.
The existing fleet waits longer. Air Canada plans to refit its 777s and 787s with the new cabin, but the first retrofitted aircraft is not expected in service until 2029, and the A330s are slated to retire with their current seats. Until then, the seat you get depends on the aircraft, so check the aircraft type on your specific date before you buy.
Passengers on paid Signature Class fares (J, C, D, Z and P booking classes) departing Toronto or Vancouver on Air Canada to Europe, Asia, South America, Australia or New Zealand can use the Signature Suite, Air Canada's top lounge, with a sit-down a la carte menu by David Hawksworth and Champagne. Upgrades in R class (including AC Bid and eUpgrades) and standard Aeroplan reward bookings do not qualify.
The Toronto Signature Suite closed on September 30, 2026 for roughly two months while Air Canada expands it. During the work, eligible passengers get a grab-and-go pop-up near gate 85 and priority access to the International Maple Leaf Lounge, with a partial reopening expected in December and completion in early 2027. Vancouver's Signature Suite is unaffected. Elsewhere, business passengers use Maple Leaf Lounges, which Air Canada operates at 17 airports including New York LaGuardia, Newark, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Air Canada also staffs concierge offices at Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver that help with check-in and with at-risk connections between two Signature Class flights. The Porsche tarmac transfer from aircraft to lounge at Toronto has run on a discretionary "surprise and delight" basis rather than as a published entitlement, and it is not listed among the Signature Class features on aircanada.com, so do not plan around it.
Air Canada serves 50 US airports, so most US travelers reach Signature Class with one connection. Toronto is the primary global hub, Vancouver is the transpacific gateway (Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok among others), and Montreal is the launch base for the A321XLR, including Montreal-Toulouse and Montreal-Berlin. The trade-off is the first leg: usually a narrowbody or regional jet with a recliner-style North American Business seat, not a lie-flat pod.
The return trip is where the routing pays off. Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver all have US Customs and Border Protection preclearance, so on the way home you clear US formalities in Canada and arrive in the US as a domestic flight. At Toronto, international-to-US connections pass a Canadian customs kiosk check, but checked bags stay checked through to your US destination.
Documents matter for mixed-passport groups. US citizens and US green card holders do not need a Canadian eTA to connect, but most other visa-exempt nationalities need one even just to transit a Canadian airport, and other passports may need a visa. Check every traveler before booking a Canada connection.
Aeroplan is one of the most useful Star Alliance currencies for US cardholders: points transfer 1:1 from Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One and Bilt. Air Canada flights are priced dynamically in points, while most partner awards use fixed prices when the partner releases space. Aeroplan adds no carrier surcharges on Air Canada or partner awards; partner bookings carry a flat CA$39 fee.
Bell-sponsored free Wi-Fi for Aeroplan members (membership is free) has run on Air Canada flights within North America, Mexico and the Caribbean since May 2025. Air Canada has said long-haul international flights are planned to join in 2026, and the A321XLR already offers it, so check the status for your specific flight.
On price, there is no single number. Because most US itineraries include a connection, Signature Class can price below a nonstop US-carrier fare on the same city pair, though not on every date. As one reference point, our Munich route guide shows Toronto-Munich business at $2,700-$4,500 round-trip; from a US city the connecting flight is built into one through-fare. We are an independent agency, not affiliated with Air Canada, and we quote contracted fares on the actual aircraft for your dates.
| Feature | Air Canada | United Polaris | Lufthansa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-haul Business seat | 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone pods, no doors | 1-2-1 lie-flat; suites with doors on new 787-9s | Allegris 1-2-1 on newest jets; older 2-2-2 on others |
| Routing from most US cities | One stop via Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver | Nonstop from United hubs; one stop elsewhere | Nonstop to Frankfurt or Munich from US gateways |
| Return to the US | US preclearance in Canada; land as domestic | Usually clear CBP on arrival in the US | Clear CBP on arrival in the US |
| Flagship lounge | Signature Suite, Toronto + Vancouver | Polaris lounges at 6 US hubs | Business lounges at Frankfurt and Munich |
| Miles | Aeroplan: no carrier surcharges on awards | MileagePlus: no carrier surcharges | Bookable via Aeroplan or MileagePlus |
| Next-generation cabin | 787-10 from end of 2026; retrofits from 2029 | New 787-9 suites in service since April 2026 | Allegris rollout continuing in 2026 |
Yes, with caveats. Signature Class gives every passenger a lie-flat 1-2-1 pod with aisle access on the 787, 777 and A330, food developed with chef David Hawksworth, and strong lounges in Toronto and Vancouver. The weaknesses: no doors on the current widebodies, a recliner-style seat on the connecting flight from most US cities, and onboard service that varies by flight. Suites with doors come with the 787-10, the first of which is due for delivery at the end of 2026.
Signature Class is Air Canada's name for its lie-flat business class. It is offered to and from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and South America on the Boeing 787 and 777, the Airbus A330 and the new A321XLR, and on some North American flights with lie-flat pods. On most US-Canada flights you get North American Business Class instead, a recliner-style seat.
It depends heavily on route, dates and aircraft. Because most US itineraries connect in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, Signature Class can price below a nonstop US-carrier fare on the same city pair, but not always. As a reference point, our Munich guide shows Toronto-Munich business at $2,700-$4,500 round-trip. Contracted consolidator fares are quoted per itinerary, in writing, with the aircraft named.
Passengers on paid Air Canada Signature Class fares (J, C, D, Z or P booking classes) departing Toronto or Vancouver on an Air Canada flight to Europe, Asia, South America, Australia or New Zealand. Upgraded passengers (R class, including AC Bid and eUpgrades) and standard Aeroplan rewards do not qualify. The Toronto suite closed on September 30, 2026 for expansion, with a partial reopening expected in December; Vancouver remains open.
Yes, on flights from Canada to the US. Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver all have US Customs and Border Protection preclearance, so you clear US immigration and customs before boarding and land in the US as a domestic arrival. At Toronto, connections from an international flight to the US pass a Canadian customs kiosk check, but checked bags stay checked through. US citizens and green card holders do not need a Canadian eTA to connect.
As of early October 2026, none in regular service. The current 787, 777 and A330 pods have no doors, and the A321XLR lie-flat seats were designed without them. The Boeing 787-10, with first delivery due at the end of 2026, brings 42 reverse-herringbone seats with sliding doors, including four Signature Plus suites. Retrofits of the 777s and 787s with the new cabin are not expected before 2029.
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