Air Canada will be offering all-business-class seating on its most productive flights between Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal partly in response to the concerns over increasingly crowded aircraft. The airline has three A319s that it normally leases to sports teams and rock bands under the Jetz brand but that VIP market has dried up. The aircraft have just 58 seats with up to 46 inches between the seats making them even roomier than standard business class but they’ll be selling the seats for less than the standard business class seats.
Air Canada will be offering the service at the premium economy fare, which is about midway between economy and business class. The fare includes two checked bags and one of the selling points is a shorter boarding time. With less than half the normal seats to fill, the airline is estimating it can start boarding 25 minutes before departure. There will be no in-flight service due to pandemic protocols.