AC 122 Flight Report (Vancouver - Toronto)

Coming in from Hong Kong on AC 8 After a surprisingly smooth international to domestic connection with minimal queue for immigration, a slightly longer-than-expected security screening, and long walk to the domestic pier, I was at C46 ready to board with plenty of time to spare. The plane had just arrived so it was a good sign there won't be a delay. We boarded onto an extremely hot and stuffy plane. The crew were nice and acknowledged it was too warm and opened the back door, warning parents to keep their kids away from the back. We eventually got an update that the APU was not working, and once the engines start, the cool air will be drawn in. While I sat and waited amidst tropical heat with cool and rainy Vancouver outside, I explored the older IFE interface. The cursor didn't work properly and it took a reset once the engines started running to get it going. We eventually pushed back 30 minutes behind schedule but it didn't take long to taxi to the western end of the airport to take off. We took off towards the east at 5:02pm. With a left window seat, I was able to see the nearby suburbs but it was hard to see the downtown skyline with the rain clouds and wing in the way. Unlike my transpacific flight on the Dreamliner, I was able to connect the wifi on this older plane. With an Aeroplan membership, I got free texting for the flight. I also liked how we could use a small amount of Aeroplan points to buy an internet pass. After the program's devaluation, it seems uneconomic to do any flight redemption anymore, no matter domestic or international. After sunset over the Prairies, the weather turned worse and it started getting bumpy from Manitoba onwards to almost mid-way through Ontario. The seat belt sign was on for a while. Although there was a decent selection in the IFE, somewhat less than on the Dreamliner, finding content is not easy as I always need to scroll to the right to find the number of episodes and I can't even filter by program name. Unlike my international flight, it is buy-on-board if you are hungry although simple drinks are free. I didn't buy dinner as we had breakfast just before landing in Vancouver. I took notice of the Business Class meal available for sale at $17.95, although I wasn't convinced it would be a hot entree pictured in the menu. It's a good way to sell off some leftovers to the cattle class part of the plane. The weather cleared as we descended towards Toronto and the suburban lights soon came into view. We looped around west of the city to land at 9 minutes past midnight and arrived at gate D45 at 16 minutes past. The terminal was empty at that hour so it was an easy walk out to the baggage belts. I only waited a short time to reunite with my bags. No lost luggage tonight thankfully! I tend to be less critical on domestic flights in North America as their standards will not compare against transcontinental services where there is far more international competition. With lower expectations come little disappointment. This crew was quite good, keeping us updated of the APU problems and trying to put in some quick fixes although it was a hot sauna as we waited for our delayed departure. I also felt a few changes in altitude as we went through persistent turbulence so the pilots were trying hard to find a comfortable pocket. Luckily, the summer's headlines of lost luggage did not materialize today. Nevertheless, the pleasant experience from Hong Kong to Vancouver to Toronto would make me re-think I should choose Air Canada again.