• Airline bringing festive cheer to customers on more than 18,000 flights to 160 destinations over the holiday season
• Customer service agents are ready to go above and beyond, delivering exceptional service for customers in airport terminals and onboard
• Complimentary beer and wine now a permanent offering on all domestic and U.S. flights

MONTREAL, Dec. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Heading into the peak holiday travel season, Air Canada teams are mobilizing to welcome the high volume of travellers embarking on journeys across North America and around the world. The airline is providing extra in-person support from agents, and through the Air Canada mobile app, making every step of the journey easier and more enjoyable for the more than 2.2 million customers that will travel with Air Canada this holiday season.

Recognizing that the holidays are one of the few times many travellers visit the airport, Air Canada has increased the number of customer service agents that will be on hand to greet customers and help them navigate terminals with ease. The airline will continue to prioritize those with accessibility needs and minors flying unaccompanied.

A Warm Airport Welcome

"The holidays are a special time of year for all of us and we're prepared for the challenges that busy terminals, extra festive luggage and unpredictable weather may bring to holiday travel," said Tom Stevens, Vice President of Canadian Airports and Customer Experience Strategy, Air Canada. "At Air Canada, care and class are at the heart of everything we do, and our teams are ready to go above and beyond in delivering exceptional service to every customer."

To kick off the holiday season, during the week of December 9, our Air Canada team members surprised some customers passing through its hubs with extra special travel gifts, courtesy of Air Canada. You can see the comfort and joy that this brought in a video.

Starting the week of December 16, Air Canada colleagues across our busiest Canadian airports will welcome customers with an extra helping hand and complimentary festive snacks, featuring Biscoff Cookies and TWIGZ pretzels.

More Peace of Mind on the Journey

Most important to our customers during the holiday season is peace of mind, knowing they have what they need at their fingertips to travel. The Air Canada mobile app delivers convenient day of travel updates on flight status, gate changes, bag tracking, and more, so customers can navigate every step of the journey with ease — from check-in to the terminal, through security to boarding and arrival. Recent upgrades include new and improved digital boarding passes, latest information on the progress of boarding for flights, gate maps and estimated walk times from security at select airports in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, and more.

Air Canada is also one of the first airlines to integrate Apple's Share Item Location feature into its mobile app, adding more day of travel confidence and greater peace of mind for customers on their journey. Travellers can now use the new Share Item Location feature in the Find My app to directly share the location of their AirTag or Find My network accessory with Air Canada customer service agents in the unlikely event of a delayed bag, so they can even more quickly reunite customers with their bags.

Aeroplan Members can also take advantage of a special AirTag promotion during the Aeroplan eStore Boxing Event, which runs until December 26, 2024, with more conditions and details available here.

Festive Cheer in the Air

Air Canada is spreading the holiday spirit on board by making complimentary beer and wine a permanent offering on all domestic and U.S. flights. Customers can enjoy a carefully curated selection of craft beers, red and white French wines, and complimentary premium snacks, as they toast their holiday journeys.

These initiatives build on industry-leading upgrades delivered for all customers in 2024, including new chef-inspired menus, hours of complimentary in-flight entertainment and live TV adding to the airline's award-winning selection of movies, games, music and podcasts, as well as new mobile app self-serve features such as real-time baggage tracking, expanded digital identification and more.

"The complimentary beer and wine offering has been a well-received addition to our in-flight service, and we're excited to make this a permanent offering in Canada and the U.S. for every customer, regardless of their chosen fare," said Scott O'Leary, Vice President, Loyalty & Product at Air Canada. "We're inviting travellers to relax and unwind with a drink and enjoy their favourite movie or TV show as they look forward to the holidays, with plenty more in store over the year to come, from on-ground and in-flight upgrades to new features in our world-class Aeroplan loyalty program."

As Air Canada reunites more than 2.2 million Canadians with loved ones this holiday season, it's bringing even more joy to every journey. To make the flight experience extra cozy and festive, the airline has added more than 35 new holiday-themed titles for all the family to its in-flight entertainment library, including The Family Stone, A Christmas Story and Love Actually. Younger travellers can look forward to receiving Lindt Teddy Bear chocolates on select flights, while Santa Claus himself will make special appearances at Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto Pearson, and Vancouver International airports.

From December 12 to 26, Air Canada Signature Class customers on flights departing Canada will enjoy a specially crafted holiday menu featuring festive food and beverage offerings.

Elevating the Air Canada Experience for all in 2025

Beyond the holiday season, Air Canada remains committed to adding comfort features that make the travel experience better for every customer, whichever fare type they choose. Exciting upgrades from the airline will continue in 2025, with the rollout of fast, free Wi-Fi, sponsored by Bell, for all Aeroplan Members on North American flights, starting in May. The rollout extends to all Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express flights, with completion for the majority of aircraft expected by year-end.

Air Canada recently shared its top travel tips to help customers travel with ease during the peak holiday period, which runs from mid-December until January 6, 2025.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country's flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada's Aeroplan program is Canada's premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world's largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada's passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada's climate ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For additional information, please see Air Canada's TCFD disclosure. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX in Canada and the OTCQX in the US.

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