Air Canada Rouge Returns to the Skies Today

MONTREAL, Nov. 2, 2020 /CNW/ - The departure of Air Canada flight AC1810 from Toronto to Cancun today marked the return of Air Canada Rouge to the skies.

"Air Canada Rouge remains an important part of our overall strategy in rebuilding Air Canada's global network. As leisure traffic resumes, we will progressively add Air Canada Rouge to select North American leisure markets from Eastern Canada," said Mark Galardo, Vice President, Network Planning and Alliances at Air Canada.

Air Canada Rouge flights are operated with narrow-body Airbus aircraft featuring a choice of Premium Rouge and Economy services. Customers travelling in the Premium Rouge cabin will be offered a complimentary, pre-packaged meal curated by celebrated Montreal chef Antonio Park with complimentary bar and beverage service. All customers onboard Rouge flights will have access to complementary in-flight entertainment that is streamed right to their personal smartphone or device of choice without the requirement to download an app. Premium Rouge customers will also be offered the complimentary use of sanitized iPads containing entertainment content.

All flights are operated using the Air Canada CleanCare+ suite of biosafety measures. Customers can collect and redeem Aeroplan points through Canada's leading loyalty program when travelling and eligible customers have access to priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounges, priority boarding and other benefits.

More information about Air Canada Rouge flights can be found at: flyrouge.com

Air Canada CleanCare+, a leading biosafety program

Air Canada has been at the forefront of the airline industry in responding to COVID-19, including being among the first carriers globally to require customer face coverings onboard and the first airline in the Americas to take customers' temperatures prior to boarding. It has introduced a comprehensive program, Air Canada CleanCare+, to apply industry leading biosafety measures at each stage of the journey. As well, to give customers flexibility, it has extended its goodwill policy so that new bookings made up to December 31, 2020 can be changed without fees for original travel up to December 31, 2021.

Aircraft are also equipped with HEPA air filtration, also used in hospital operating theatres, which are very effective at trapping microscopic particles as small as viruses and bacteria, as well as dust, pollen and moisture. Air in an aircraft cabin passes through the HEPA filter and is refreshed about 20-30 times per hour.

Science-based approach to advance biosafety measures

Air Canada has undertaken several medical collaborations to further advance a science-based approach across its business. The carrier most recently announced it is finalizing an initial order for Abbott's newly approved COVID-19 rapid testing kits. Its medical collaborations include a partnership with McMaster HealthLabs and Greater Toronto Airport Authority to conduct a voluntary COVID-19 study of international travellers arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport, with Cleveland Clinic Canada for medical advisory services, with Ottawa-based Spartan Bioscience to explore portable COVID-19 testing technology and, since 2019, with Toronto-based BlueDot for real-time infectious disease global monitoring.

Select Maple Leaf Lounges open with biosafety measures in place

Air Canada welcomes eligible customers again to three of its Maple Leaf Lounges: one each at its Toronto Pearson and its Vancouver hubs, and at Calgary International Airport. The Maple Leaf Lounge experience has been completely re-thought with a range of industry-leading biosafety measures in place for the safety of customers and employees alike. Electrostatic spraying in the Maple Leaf Lounges is part of significantly enhanced cleaning procedures for additional peace of mind, as well as launching new touchless processes, such as the ability to order pre-packaged food directly to your seat from your smartphone. Additional information is at: aircanada.com/serviceoffering.

Air Canada's transformed Aeroplan loyalty program relaunches Nov. 8

Beginning November 8, 2020, current Aeroplan accounts will seamlessly transition to the transformed program, including existing Aeroplan membership numbers. Aeroplan miles will be known as "Aeroplan points," and existing balances of miles will be honoured on a one-to-one basis. New features include every seat for sale on every Air Canada flight will be available for flight rewards with Aeroplan points and no cash surcharges, predictable pricing, all-new Aeroplan credit card benefits, additional partners, and redemption for travel extras such as upgrades.

Full details can be found at www.aircanada.com/aeroplan

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline. Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2019 served over 51 million customers. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2019 Best Airline in North America. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow Air Canada on Twitter and LinkedIn, and join Air Canada on Facebook.                   

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