San Francisco International

I took the shuttle from the Hilton to the airport and left it at the international terminal. I checked in at the Air Canada counters. I inquired about the lounge; they offered and were told I could use the Delta Sky Club Lounge. I was also told that no invitation was needed to access the lounge.

I headed for security where a number of people were queuing but the line moved quickly. Unfortunately I was directed to an X-ray belt which did not work and so had to queue again. But officers were moving people over to emptier belts quickly.

This time my hand luggage was searched manually by one of the officers and I was pat down by another officer.

I headed for the Sky Club and after my Lufthansa frequent flyer card and my boarding pass were verified given access to the lounge. This was the first time in a Delta Lounge for me.

The lounge was divided into two parts. The first part was a quiet area and guests should not use their mobile phones. In addition there was a second part further down with a self service buffet. A selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages was available. The lounge was not that busy as I entered it, but became busier later with a Delta flight bound for Narita.

I checked my e-mails and answered a few ones and I also put some work in the report about this trip and read a few chapters in a book.

A few minutes ahead of scheduled departure time I headed down to the gates. The plane was about to arrive at the gate at this moment and so it seems it would be another delayed flight. Departure time shown on the screens was still 13:15, but I doubt this would be possible. Anyway, it would not be the first time that they were able to speed up the turnaround time of a plane.

Boarding started around 13:00 with people traveling with small children as well as passengers in Business Class. Star Golds were asked later to board as well.

02 July 2011
SFO – YYZ
[San Francisco International – Toronto Lester B. Pearson International]
AC 756 (Air Canada); Airbus A 321 (C-GITY)
Gate A 2
13:15 – 21:03 [effective 13:28 – 21:11]
Economy Class
Seat 22 D

My seat was in the first part of the Economy Class cabin. There is a lavatory in the middle of the Economy Class Cabin dividing the cabin into two parts.

The A 321 filled with passengers and it was a full flight. Boarding was more civilized compared to the flights on United and US Airways some days before. Some overhead bins even remained empty.

The safety video was shown while we were at the gate and after the captain welcomed us on board. He told us the weather in Toronto (26° C) and that we should expect some turbulence in the area of the Rocky Mountains. His announcement was soon translated in French by one of the flight attendants. We were pushed back at 13:28 which was not bad given the delay of the inbound flight and taxied to our runway, where we took off slightly delayed at 13:44

Time to share some information about this Airbus A 321-211 with registration C-GITY. This Airbus has 10 seats in Executive Business Class with an seat pitch of 37 inch and a seat width of 21 inch and 154 seats in Economy Class offering a seat pitch of 32 inch by a seat width of 17,8 inch. All seats offer an AVOD system with additional power outlets on most of the seats.
The Airbus A 321-211 was delivered new on November 28, 2001 to Air Canada from the Airbus factory in Hamburg. It is equipped with two CFM56-5B3/P engines from CFMI.
Air Canada currently has a fleet of 10 A 321, which came between 2001 and 2002 to the fleet. It used to be 13 A321, but three already left the fleet to CSA and Royal Jordanian.

The seat belt signs were soon switched off and the crew began to prepare the service. First headsets were offered for purchase and soon the cart with the snack items followed. A few passengers bought something from the cart and also a few pizzas were heated and brought to the passengers who ordered them. The cart with the beverage followed later and I opted for a ginger ale. I did not get the can unlike other passengers this time. The seat belt signs were turned on again and the flight became a bit bumpy for a short time. This was before we reached the Rockies.

Items from the first service were collected later. I had already started my laptop before the beverage service started and continued to write my report of this trip and also updated a few hotels reports. With a heavy workload on my desk in my office and at home, I barely manage to finish all of them in time and sitting in a plane is one of the occasions I am able to put some time in the finalization as there is no phone which rings and nobody coming in my office and wanted to know something. Honestly, sometimes it is more effective to work on a flight than in my office.

Might it as it be, I worked on my laptop and while we were passing over the Rocky Mountains the captain turned on the seat belt signs and mentioned that we were not reaching the expected area with heavier turbulences and it could became a bit bumpier. It indeed became a bit bumpier, but nothing really to worry about. However, the crew was asked to take their seats as well.

During the flight the seat belt signs were switched on again quite a few times but the crew was not asked to take their seats during this minor turbulence. Only one beverage round offering only water was done during the flight. The crew was not that present during this time, but answered calls quite fast. And they were friendly and attentive but not in a proactive way, more in a passive way - at least this was my impression.

The flight was aside the few areas with turbulences we passed uneventful. The few children on board behaved very well.

We took a slightly northern routing and the north end of lake Michigan and then flew in south eastern direction towards Toronto. This might be to avoid more turbulences or the traffic over Chicago O’Hare, I am not sure about this routing which seems quite unusual to me.

A second beverage and snack service was done 75 minutes before we were scheduled to arrive in Toronto. Again a few passengers ordered something form the snack menu and I got my second tonic water on this flight.

The flight became a bit bumpier while we approached Toronto. The sky was cloudy and the weather forecast for the evening was expecting rain with thunderstorms. We had to pass the first clouds of this storm front as we descend into Pearson International.

We touched down at 21:05 slightly behind schedule and taxied quite a while for our gate 136.

It took a few minutes and we had also to wait and let another plane pass, but finally made it to our gate. Fasten seat belt signs were turned off. Everybody jumped off their seats and went for their carry ons. The young lady across the aisle was somehow annoying as she first asked me to take their belongings down from the overhead space and then pushed me further back. She then wanted that I pass, which was impossible as she blocked the aisle with her belongings. So I asked her to move along and also helped her with her belongings. I always amazed that people expect that you literally climb over their luggage. Somehow we made it to the jetbridge where she suddenly stopped in the middle of the jetbridge and again partly blocking the jetbridge unless her mother told her to move. This was the first time I noticed that the lady behind me was the mother and most likely the reason why she wanted me to leave the plane ahead of her.

I headed for immigration which was quite a bit of a hike from our gate. Lines where not that long and I made it through immigration in less than five minutes and took the train to the Sheraton at the airport, home for my next night.

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