Air Canada Unveils Signature Suite at Toronto Pearson

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    Image: George Pimentel

    APEX Media was invited to preview the Air Canada Signature Suite ahead of yesterday’s unveiling. What does this premium product reveal about the Canadian carrier’s global ambitions?

    Air Canada unveiled a new lounge at its Toronto Pearson International Airport hub on Wednesday. Located in Terminal 1, the Air Canada Signature Suite is intended as a place for the airline’s business-class customers on international flights to enjoy a complimentary, full-service bistro restaurant from a menu devised by acclaimed Vancouver-based chef David Hawksworth. The lounge features à la carte dining and a cocktail lounge with a full-service bar, including a self-service buffet and bar menu. But it’s also a statement of intent for Air Canada’s global ambitions.

    Andrew Yiu, Air Canada’s vice-president, Product, told APEX Media that the concept behind the Signature Suite was based on feedback from customers and the nature of the airline’s flight schedule, which involves several overnight red-eye flights to Europe. “Many of our customers told us, ‘if only there was a way to have a proper meal on the ground before I get on board, so I can maximize my sleep when I get on. That would be the perfect journey,'” he said. “Many hit the ground running when they arrive, especially on flights to Europe, when they land, they go straight into a meeting.”

    Image: George Pimentel

    Based on this feedback, Yiu said Air Canada considered two options. The first was to upgrade the food and beverage selection in its existing Maple Leaf lounges, while the second would involve creating a brand-new concept with a full-dining experience. “We chose to do the latter, because we want to give customers that premium onboard experience on the ground as well, which is not something that is easily replicated in a normal Maple Leaf lounge that we have.”

    Image: George Pimentel

    The end result is a lounge designed by Montreal-based architecture and design firm Heekyung Duquette. It features materials primarily sourced from within Canada and includes a mural depicting a Canadian lakeside wilderness landscape by renowned Ottawa artist Gavin Lynch and other works by local Montreal artists Pascale Girardin and Nicolas Ruel. The emphasis on Canada also extends to the food, explained Yiu: “The design brief we gave to Chef David, was, ‘use as many locally-sourced and Canadian ingredients as you can.’ Over 90% of the menu items are locally sourced and we intend to change it seasonally, so it reflects what’s in season at that time.”

    “Over 90% of the menu items are locally sourced and we intend to change it seasonally.” – Andrew Yiu, Air Canada

    The lounge also reflects Air Canada’s global ambitions and effort to support Toronto Pearson’s transformation into a global North American hub. Yiu said the airport is “really well situated … because it has the shortest flying time from the East Coast to Asia.”

    Image: George Pimentel

    “We’ve looked at the strategy of Air Canada in the past couple of years and moving forward, obviously we’re growing significantly internationally. A big part of that is the customers we’re getting are coming from the US,” Yiu said. “We look at any customers who are flying out of a US city, they have to make one stop somewhere. Take St. Louis to Asia, for example, they can either connect through Chicago or Toronto and we want to give them a reason to come through Toronto. We strongly believe that by having something like this, we’re going to give premium customers more reasons to come through Toronto in the future.”

    “After surveying US customers, the message was, ‘I want full customization.'” – Benjamin Smith, Air Canada

    Despite the emphasis on Canadian ingredients, Benjamin Smith, Air Canada’s president, Passenger Airlines, told APEX Media that the menu is designed to appeal to what US travelers want. “We did quite an extensive amount of research with our existing customers in Canada and the United States, and a whole bunch that don’t fly on us,” said Smith. “Being able to have all three – bar menu, buffet and a la carte – just psychologically, even if you don’t take [advantage of] it, it’s huge.” According to Smith, Air Canada didn’t originally plan to include a buffet or bar menu, but after surveying US customers, the message was, “I want full customization.”

    Vancouver-based Chef David Hawksworth (pictured left). Andrew Yiu, vice-president, Product, Air Canada (pictured right). Image: George Pimentel

    How will this concept compete with the offerings of the “Big Three” US carriers? “We know that all three are trying to do this. Two have it, but not to this standard. There’s United Polaris and American Flagship First. The concept is similar, but we deliberately designed this to be a step above,” said Smith. “We’ve stress-tested this. It’s been open for two months internally. We want to knock it out of the park from day one.”

    Image: George Pimentel

    The Air Canada Signature Suite officially opens on December 1 and is available to the airline’s fully-paying business-class passengers on long-haul international flights.

    Howard Slutsken contributed to this article.