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2 minute read
There’s nothing lax about LAX. From its baffling terminals to its brusque customs officials, navigating Los Angeles International Airport can be like running a gauntlet. Mercifully, alternative entry points to the United States do exist, and one of the least heralded is north of the border: Vancouver. Air Canada passengers crossing into the US are not required to collect their bags in Vancouver. Instead, they glide through an anxiety-free and uncrowded US customs gate at Vancouver Airport, board their US-bound flight and reunite with their luggage at their final destination, whether it’s Chicago, New York or Miami.
After many years of commuting between Australia and the US, I only discovered this recently after a seamless 14-hour flight from Sydney to Vancouver with Air Canada. If I was transferring domestically, to Toronto or Montreal, say, I would have passed through Canadian customs and collected my bags at my final destination. To avoid the vexation of sardine-can transfers within the US, Air Canada’s Vancouver to New York service operates on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, so that passengers occupy the same roomy aircraft as their earlier flight.
And the maple-leaf experience? Equally enlightening. I sampled Air Canada’s premium business class “Signature Service”. The cabin was contemporary and comfortable, with rounded seats that afforded passengers privacy. The airline’s fully-flat beds, dressed with a sanitised pillow, duvet and mattress pad, are equipped with lumbar support and massage functions – like having a masseuse on call at 36,000 feet. Among the in-flight accoutrements were a stylish Want Les Essentiels toiletry kit, cosy grey slippers and a set of high-fidelity headphones that would have pleased audiophiles. With a large touchscreen monitor and access to hundreds of hours of movies, music, TV, podcasts, and audio books I was set for the flight.
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Service, meanwhile, was brisk, efficient and friendly. “Glowing-hearted hospitality” is how the airline describes its approach. For its menus, Air Canada works with an esteemed culinary panel, including chefs Antonio Park, Vikram Vij and David Hawksworth (whose slick Vancouver restaurant, Hawksworth, I’ve visited a couple of times). Not long after takeoff, dinner was served. My choices included an appetiser of smoked duck, flavourful slow-cooked lamb shoulder and chai-spiced honey cake. A “dine on demand” option meant that those who preferred to maximise their sleep or work time could have their meals set aside for later.
On my return, I stopped by the airline’s lounge at Vancouver International Airport. The entrance was ornamented by a striking chandelier of silver spheres, while the dining room was arrayed with red leather chairs, marble-topped tables and artworks, including a large steel sculpture by Jordy Buckles. A buffet contained tasty snacks including sliders, dumplings and various local cheeses, but guests could also select dishes from an extensive a la carte menu conceived by chef Hawksworth once more. It included mushroom risotto, Hamachi crudo, beef tenderloin and even seared foie gras for gourmands. A glass of French fizz was the perfect accompaniment to the elevated fare. And, yes, I delayed my in-flight meal on the plane.
The writer was a guest of Air Canada. Air Canada operates daily non-stop flights from Sydney and Brisbane to Vancouver.
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