Air Canada’s Dining Options: Enjoy Quality Cuisine Above the Clouds
When you fly Air Canada, dining well at 35,000 feet is part of the experience. Their menu options showcase diverse Canadian cuisine with international flair.
In this post, we’ll explore the different food and drinks available in each cabin when flying Air Canada. From light snacks to gourmet multi-course meals, read on for an inside look at Air Canada’s inflight dining.
Key Summary of Air Canada’s Dining by Cabin:
- In Economy, hot meals, sandwiches, snacks & drinks are complimentary
- Premium Economy offers upgraded multi-course meals with appetizers
- Business Class features fine dining with champagne, premium dishes & wines
- The most luxury dining comes in exclusive Signature Class (first) cabins
- Air Canada provides quality cuisine from refreshments to fine dining based on your ticket
- They accommodate dietary restrictions and craft menus inspired by Canadian cuisine
An Overview of Dining with Air Canada
First, let’s look at some background on meals and beverages when flying Air Canada.
Complimentary dining is provided in all cabins on international and long-haul domestic flights. Their menu spans light snacks, appetizing meals, and specialty dishes for dietary needs.
On shorter flights, buy-on-board food like sandwiches and snacks can be purchased while drinks are complimentary. Air Canada aims to provide quality cuisine tailored to each route and cabin.
Now let’s explore the dining options in more detail for each cabin class.
Economy Class Dining
Even in the back of the plane, Air Canada serves up tasty meals in Economy Class. Here’s what’s on the menu:
Light Meals
On flights under two hours at meal times, Air Canada offers complimentary light snacks like:
- Sandwiches – Ham and cheese, turkey, or vegetarian options
- Snack boxes – Hummus dip, bagel chips, chocolate bar
- Muffins or fruit – Carrot muffins, banana bread, or fresh fruit selections
Main Meals
For flights over 2 hours that span regular meal times, hot complimentary meals are served. Recent Economy Class main meal options have included:
- Breakfast – Scrambled eggs with chicken apple sausage, potato rosti, fruit
- Lunch/Dinner – Butter chicken with basmati rice, vegetables, ginger carrot cake
- Healthy Choice – Quinoa tabouli salad with fish in tomato sauce, fruit
In addition to the main meal, economy passengers enjoy complimentary beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic drinks like juice, soda, coffee, and tea. It makes for satisfying dining even in the back of the plane.
Premium Economy Dining
In Premium Economy, Air Canada steps up the meal offerings with appetizers, upgraded entrees, desserts, and premium alcoholic beverages.
Recent menu highlights include:
Appetizers
- Crab cake – Dungeness crab, avocado salsa
- Salad – Mixed baby greens, cherry tomatoes, champagne vinaigrette
Upgraded Entrees
- Beef tenderloin – Wild mushroom sauce, buttermilk mashed potatoes
- Lemon sole – Tomato caper butter sauce, quinoa pilaf
- Ricotta ravioli – Roasted red pepper sauce, asparagus spears
Desserts
- Maple cheesecake – Graham cracker crust, strawberry garnish
- Sliced fresh fruit – Pineapple, mango, melon, berry medley
It’s dining with a bit more refinement in Premium Economy while still friendly on the wallet.
Business Class Cuisine
In Business Class, the cuisine, presentation, and service are decidedly elevated. The multi-course meal service begins with champagne and canapés, followed by appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert selections like:
Canapes
- Smoked duck – Blueberry chutney crostini
- Shrimp cocktail – Horseradish spiked sauce, lemon
Appetizers
- Ahi tuna salad – Chili lime vinaigrette, wasabi aioli
- Potato leek soup – Crème fraiche, chives
Salads
- Spinach salad – Goat cheese, shallot vinaigrette
- Traditional caesar – Garlic croutons, shaved parmesan
Entrees
- Filet of beef – Bacon and mushroom sauce, truffle mashed potatoes
- Pistachio-crusted lamb – Ratatouille vegetables, rosemary jus
- Pacific salmon – Lemon herb sauce, basmati rice
Desserts
- Maple sugar pie – Butter tart in flaky pastry crust
- Smoked apple cheesecake – Cinnamon whipped cream
With elevated presentation and table linens, it brings fine dining to the air.
Signature Class Menus
In their most premium Signature Class (first class), Air Canada pulls out all the stops with an extravagant four-course meal:
- Appetizer – Butter poached lobster ravioli in saffron cream
- Soup – Wild mushroom soup with truffle foam
- Salad – Baby kale, crispy pancetta, parmesan dressing
- Main – Herb-crusted rack of lamb, mint demi glaze
- Dessert – Warm sticky toffee pudding, caramel sauce
Signature Class also offers an exclusive wine and champagne menu not available in other cabins. With a la carte service and white linen dining, it’s an incredible culinary event in the air.
Why Choose Air Canada
Here are some of the main benefits of flying with Air Canada when it comes to inflight dining:
- Complimentary meals in economy for long flights
- Quality cuisine with Canadian accents tailored to each cabin
- Menu variety spanning light snacks to fine dining depending on your ticket
- Healthy choices like gluten-free, low-fat, low-sodium, vegetarian/vegan
- Specialty meals accommodated for dietary/religious needs
- Premium drinks included like wine, liquor and champagne in Business and First
Air Canada delivers appetizing meals, drinks, and service no matter which cabin you fly.
Experience Elevated Dining Across All Classes with Air Canada
From light snacks in economy to fine dining in first class, Air Canada aims to deliver quality inflight cuisine matched to your ticket choice. With complimentary dining and Canadian-inspired food and wine menus, you can enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
So on your next flight, relax into the comfort of your seat while savoring the flavors of Air Canada’s dining in the skies. With appetizing meals tailored to each cabin and route, it’s an onboard culinary experience you’ll want to repeat.
Bon appétit and happy travels!
