Air Canada CRJ 900 Business Class Review – Great Value Find

Are you considering flying Air Canada CRJ 900 business class and wondering if it’s worth it? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

In this Air Canada CRJ 900 Business Class review, I’ll share my personal experience from a last-minute holiday trip to Yellowknife. We’ll cover everything from the business class service to inflight entertainment and more. So sit back, relax (just like in business class!), and let’s find out if Air Canada’s Bombardier CRJ 900 business class is worth the upgrade.

Air Canada CRJ 900 Business Class Booking

My Air Canada CRJ 900 Business Class booking was a weird one.

Normally, I wouldn’t bother with business class on a short-haul flight, as the value just isn’t there. I initially set out to purchase the fare to get some last-minute status miles. However, at the time of booking, I noticed something funny with the Aeroplan point values – the business class fare was cheaper than the economy class fare! 18K in business class vs 23K in economy. I didn’t even have to use eUpgrades to get into business class. Heck of a deal!

Given that the cash fair in economy class was going to cost me roughly $800, I went with business class on points.

With that, I was off to Yellowknife in business class on the Air Canada Bombardier CRJ 900.

About the Bombardier CRJ 900

The Bombardier CRJ 900 is a popular aircraft model that Air Canada and other airlines use. It’s part of the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) series, known for its efficiency and reliability in regional air travel.

Air Canada operates the CRJ 900 on various domestic and short-haul international routes. This aircraft offers a comfortable flying experience with its modern cabin design and amenities. The seating configuration may vary depending on the airline’s preference, but typically, the CRJ 900 can accommodate around 76 to 90 passengers.

YVR Ground Experience

Air Canada CRJ 900 Business Class Check-in

My Air Canada CRJ 900 business class review kicked off with priority check-in at YVR. Typically, I would bypass this as I tend to travel carry-on only; however, since this was the first real weather I would see this winter, or for that matter for several years, for that matter, I checked a bag of warm clothes…and booze for my brother.

After a short wait to drop off my bag, I was on to security. Interesting note: the Nexus line was as long or longer than the regular line. This has been making news lately, so it was interesting to see this in action.

Maple Leaf Lounge YVR

Thanks to an efficient check-in process, I had a couple of hours to kill in the YVR Mapleleaf lounge. I have covered the lounge in dedicated reviews, so I will only add a few unique features I noted over the holidays.

First, despite it being the busiest travel week of the year, there was no lineup to get in.

That said, the lounge was pretty busy. Here’s hoping YVR ads their Air Canada Café soon. It does a great job of dispersing passengers at Toronto Pearson, and in the past, I have gone to the Plaza Premium Café when the YVR Maple Leaf Lounge is backed up.

Second, the meal service had a holiday theme with turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing! Although this was a nice touch, it was very high school cafeteria-like, with dry turkey and “stovetop” stuffing.

Over at the coffee counter, I noticed nondairy creamer options, which is a nice addition. They also had ginger snaps instead of the usual chocolate chip cookies. The Nanaimo bars were still there and very popular.

Air Canada CRJ 900 Business Class Boarding

Despite a relatively quick boarding process, this Air Canada CJ 900 business class review wasn’t without its fun.

After everyone was boarded and seated, we were ready to push off early, only to sit for several minutes. After about 15 minutes, we were told to depart the plane as there was a mechanical issue. On the positive side, a second plane was coming to the next gate for us.

All in all, this added an hour’s delay, which was not terrible given the circumstances. Getting another plane with the shift of crew, passengers, and luggage in this timeframe was really impressive. Well done, Air Canada YVR crew.

Air Canada CRJ 900 Business Class Seats

Seats on the Air Canada CRJ business class are in a 1-2 configuration. For my flight north, I selected 1A, and once boarding was completed, the flight attendant suggested I move to the free seats across the aisle so I “wouldn’t have to stare at the people going to the bathroom for two hours.” 🤣 This was a much-appreciated hot tip from an awesome flight attendant.

The Air Canada CRJ 900 business class seats are very comfortable for a short-haul flight. With a 37-inch pitch and a width of 21 inches, there are no complaints here. I recently flew on Air Canada CRJ between Ottawa and Montreal in economy class, so the bruised knees were still fresh. This was a huge improvement.

The downside to the Air Canada CRJ 900 business class seats is that they are a bit worn and dated. The table trays are also pretty flimsy. Mine leaned forward, so be careful with your drinks.

Also, a good thing to note is the lack of overhead bin space, especially on the single row. Getting a normal-size carry suitcase in the overhead bins on the Air Canada Bombardier CRJ 900 is a challenge; however, on a single row, it is impossible. They have small sliding doors and are best suited for jackets or handbags. Being aware of these details can help passengers plan their travel arrangements accordingly and ensure a smoother boarding process.

Air Canada Bombardier CRJ 900 Seat Map

The Air Canada Bombardier CRJ 900 seat map visually represents the aircraft’s seating arrangement layout. This particular aircraft’s seating configuration consists of 1-2 seats in business class and 2-2 seats in economy class.

It is important to note that passengers traveling in business class will have a more spacious seating arrangement with one or two seats per row. On the other hand, economy class passengers will have two seats per row.

Air Canada CRJ 900 Business Class In-Flight Entertainment

The Air Canada CRJ business class in-flight entertainment systems are also dated. They appear to be the first-generation ones from several years ago. They can be painfully slow and nonresponsive at times. That said, the ones on the second CRJ that we were moved to seemed a little newer and in better shape.

There is a decent selection of shows and new releases, but I wouldn’t recommend watching a blockbuster on the small screen. The scenes pails in comparison to the giant ones found on other short-haul flights I have taken in the Air Canada 737-MAX.

Also lacking in quality are the earbuds that are provided, but this isn’t restricted to just Air Canada CRJ business class. I used them on my recent Mexico City to Vancouver business class flight in the 737-Max, and I could barely hear the movie audio over the cabin noise. As such, I recommend bringing your noise-canceling set (Bose or AirPods) along with this handy adaptor to wireless.

Last, the Air Canada CRJ business class in-flight entertainment system includes a USB charge port and plug for 110 power. I used the USB port to charge my phone while watching a show, and it was trickling. This could have been my seat, but I suggest plugging in early if you are looking to get a full charge on your flight in case it is an issue with the older systems in general.

That all said, the real entertainment on this Air Canada CRJ 900 business class flight was the view outside. The northern lights were in full force and visible for a good portion of this trip north.

Air Canada, CRJ 900 Business Class Food and Drink

To my surprise, this Air Canada CRJ 900 business class flight offered a hot meal and a selection of two dishes. I say, surprising, as it is a short flight in a tiny jet.

For my Air Canada CRJ 900 business class review, the selection was between a ginger chicken dish and lasagna. Both were served with a side salad and a blueberry cheesecake for dessert.

I opted for the ginger chicken, which was decent. The blueberry cheesecake, though, was the star of the show. On my return trip, I enjoyed a chicken pasta dish with a side salad and coffee cheesecake, which was also decent.

The drink menu on this Air Canada CRJ 900 business class flight is the same as that on all short-haul Air Canada flights.

I enjoyed Bubble Stash IPA with dinner and requested a gin and tonic after but was told they were out of gin, which seemed odd. I settled for another IPA and enjoyed it with the frozen views below.

So, is Air Canada CRJ 900 Business Class Worth it?

Thanks to the comfy seats and hot meal service, I can recommend the upgrade to Air Canada CRJ 900 business class..for flights over two hours. Anything less is likely to wait to get you a meal, so the value isn’t really there.

That said, it’s obviously a no-brainer if you find fares in business class for less than economy class like I did.

Air Canada CRJ 900 Business Class Review FAQ

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