Feb 21

Feb 21 Air Canada Rouge Economy Review - Back from Punta Cana (Preferred)

Nicholas Richard

Flight Review, Review

Flight: Air Canada Rouge 1713

Departing: Punta Cana (PUJ)

Arriving: Toronto (YYZ)

Operated by: B767-300

Cabin: Economy (with extra legroom purchased)

On the way back from Punta Cana and our relaxing stay at the Westin Punta Cana, we were lucky enough to get a direct flight back as a result of IRROPs related to the grounding of the 737 Max (Ricky, over at the Prince of Travel, has a great article on this). The result of the IRROPs left us with a mile earning segment in Y from PUJ to YYZ on New Year’s Eve.

The Flight

This flight was the result of the Max 737 ground which resulted in a mass schedule change of Air Canada’s flight schedule. Instead of our original itinerary through Ottawa, which would have gotten us home to Toronto early enough to ring in the New Year, the automated United website booked us for an overnight layover, which was frankly unacceptable.

It took multiple phone calls to the UnitedMileagePlus call center to sort out a replacement ticket, as numerous agents refused to buy revenue fares. I insisted that I had booked this flight 10 months beforehand for these specific dates, and that was all that I could fly. Eventually, I found an United supervisor who was willing to get me revenue seats on the direct flight from Punta Cana to Toronto.

The Airport

We arrived at the airport via taxi about 2 hours in advance of our departure. As one of the first privately built airports in the world, this older terminal was showing it’s age. We had to check-in at the desk, but even if you are able to get your boarding pass online, you’re required to fill in a customs form before going through security.

Air Canada Check In Desk at Punta Cana Airport

Once through security, the airport was unremarkable, with some fast food and a lounge, which we entered, as it was a part of the Priority Pass group of lounges.

We had zone two boarding, so we didn’t bother leaving the lounge early to line up for the flight which is something that I avoid at all costs. Unfortunately, the Air Canada staff at Punta Cana Airport didn’t honour our zone 2 boarding and it was just a massive boarding line, which meant that we were one of the last people on the plane.

We were boarded through both the front and the back gates as there are no jet bridges at Punta Cana Airport. We were parked next to the Air Canada Rouge plane that we took from Ottawa.

A view of the A319 that brought us from Ottawa

We ended up in the second row of economy, which were seats 13J and 13F. As we were at the front of the economy aisle, we were not bothered by people walking pas our aisle. The second row of economy is also the “extra wide” seating row of the aircraft. Instead of the usual 30 inches on Air Canada Rouge, we were given an extra 5 inches. This amount is noticeable and was much appreciated during our flight.

The flight departed on time out of Punta Cana and we were treated to a magnificent rainbow during takeoff.

The seatbelt signs were turned off quickly after board. As we were booked in full fare economy, we were also given a food symbol on our boarding pass, which entitled us to a choice of a snack and a drink or a snack and a meal. The Air Canada Rouge menu reads as follows:

At the front of economy class, the service was started within 30 minutes of takeoff. Although we were quick to get our food, the cabin crew didn’t return to collect our rubbish for an hour and a half, which was frankly unacceptable. Furthermore, the service was rather cold, the flight attendant was not at all friendly. I had the Pangoa Bowl and it wasn’t very good – the guacamole was brown and the box lacked sauce. Personally, I’m not sure this is a great brand collaboration with Freshi.

Kath ordered chicken noodle soup and the rice and bean snack which was perfect for her hangover.

After the first pass through the cabin, the flight crew never returned to top up the non-alcoholic drinks (which are included on Air Canada Rouge). In fact, although this flight took off at 5:45 PM, the lights were turned off in the cabin and it remained dark throughout the flight.

Air Canada Rouge doesn’t have in-seat entertainment, but rather offers iPads for premium passengers.

Those in economy that want to pay for the iPads can, but you can also stream to your device. After going to rougewifi.com, passengers are able to see the flight map, along with access on-demand entertainment. That includes 5 comedy shows, and 29 recent releases.

There are plugs available at the seat, but make sure that your devices are charging, as the cord frequently fell out of the socket.

Our uneventful flight ended up landing 35 minutes early, although we had to wait 15 minutes for our gate. Even so, from arriving at the gate to getting to the UP Express, it took us less than 15 minutes, as Nexus helped us avoid the lines.

The Point

Overall, the service wasn’t nearly as friendly in economy as it was on our Premium Rouge flight, that being said the extra 5 inches of leg space were a life saver that made a difference, even on this short four-and-a-half-hour flight. While the upgrade to Premium Rouge is cost prohibitive for most, the extra up-sell to the leg room seats is well worth it, especially if you are on a 10-hour flight to Athens.

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