Flight Review: Air Canada Premium Economy (Boeing 787-9) from Singapore to Vancouver
On a long-haul flight, Air Canada’s Premium Economy offers some extra legroom and priority access, but is it worth it?
In a globe-trotting trip that took in almost twenty countries, we chose our flights carefully. More importantly, we selectively chose where and how we wanted to spend our money. Needing to get to Canada for the second leg of our journey, direct options out of Singapore were surprisingly limited.
While we could have easily chosen another airline like Cathay, JAL or ANA if we wanted to transition through Hong Kong or Japan, we just wanted to get there in one hop. So, Air Canada it was.
We had limited time in Vancouver, so our hope was to get some rest on the 14 hour flight and arrive ready to beat the jet leg in one fell swoop. With Business just out of reach for us, Premium Economy seemed like a happy medium.
Flight number: AC20 (Singapore to Vancouver)
Route: Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) – Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
Aircraft type: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Seat numbers: 14H and 14K
Fare type: Premium Economy
First Impressions and the check-in experience
After getting up at stupid o’clock for a 6:30am flight from Singapore, we rode the shuttle train at Changi from our airport hotel to Terminal 2. The Air Canada check-in was all the way down on aisle 12, which was one of the furthest from the train drop-off point but a short walk nonetheless.
While the lines were light at that time of the morning, Premium Economy fares allowed us access to the priority lane. It was a touchscreen check-in for our bags and boarding passes, and a staff member added orange ‘Priority’ tags to our bags as well. We then had to check in our bags for weighing at a serviced counter, and we just scraped through. (This was the end of Week 1 of a 10-week trip: we packed for all weather).
At Changi, apart from a light-touch scan on the way into the terminal, the main security screening is done at the individual gates. This is a far more efficient way to manage the large volume of passengers that go through one of the busiest airports in the world. We belatedly realised there was a separate line for ‘priority’ screening, but we got through quickly enough. Once inside the gate lounge, we were called immediately after Group 1 which was for Business and those needing extra assistance.
Airport lounge access
Our Premium Economy seats did not give us automatic access to any airport lounges, and we don’t have sufficient status on Star Alliance to use one of the partner lounges. However, as we were staying at the airport — and had spent the previous day exploring the legendary airport and Jewell shopping centre — we were fine to arrive close to boarding.
The Seat
The 21 seats of Premium Economy are arranged in a 2-3-2 layout (A-C, D-F-G, H-K). We were in seats 14H and 14K. These were at the rear of the cabin, with a bulkhead immediately behind us.
Compared with economy, the seats had some generous legroom and and fold-down footrest. Power ports were handily located between the footrests. The seats ostensibly had a 19 inch width and a 38 inch seat pitch, although I’m not convinced our seat at the rear reclined as fully as the ones in front of us. The headrest shifted up and down, but the sides were not adjustable.
The touchscreen for entertainment was in the seatback, except for the front rows which raised was attached to the arm.
Tray tables were in the armrest and could fold out to full or half size, which was really handy if you’re trying to juggle several things while there’s food or drink on the table.
The amenities and service
Amenity kit
This was pretty basic: Black socks, a red eye mask, in-ear headphones (see more below) and a dental kit. Instead of the ‘pencil case’ style holder, it was folded up in a branded tote bag which I actually preferred. We wound up using it everyday for the rest of the trip. Bottled water was also provided at the seats on arrival.
In-Flight Entertainment
One of the stranger things to happen on the flight was the shock of seeing a Disney sponsored safety video, but at least it made us pay attention. This was immediately followed by three commercials for various other products that the entire plane was forced to watch whether they had headphones or not.
That said, I was pretty impressed with the range of entertainment on offer, especially as I didn’t get a lot of sleep on the flight. Latest releases are bountiful and a partnership with Disney+ and Apple TV ensures a good range of television and box set content too. I was especially pleased to see sections dedicated to Underdogs, Canadian cinema, World Cinema Asia and India, Directed by Women and lots of classics.
The biggest disappointment was the headphones, a set of in-ear plugs that were neither suited for long-haul use nor were they remotely noise cancelling. If the program didn’t have subtitles or captions, neither of us could hear a thing. It’s a really odd choice in 2026 to not have over-ear headphones on any flight, let alone an international one.
Pro-Tip: If you have a connecting domestic flight with Air Canada, hold onto these headphones. They cost CAD$4 to purchase on a flight from Vancouver to Toronto later that week in an Economy seat.
That’s good advice, Buzz. Air Canada’s current safety video is distinct for not including any shots of…Canada.
Toilets
There was only one bathroom for the section located at the front of the cabin on the left side of the galley. There was another bathroom immediately to the right of the galley, but occasionally we were told this was for business and sometimes we were able to use it. It was an odd standard, as people regularly came up from economy to use one or the other without any obvious impediment.
Connectivity
There is Wi-Fi available for purchase on the flight. We chose not to purchase as we ambitiously planned to sleep. I did see a regular notice on the screen that the Wi-Fi had dropped out due to the region, so would love to hear your experiences on this!
The service
Service was pretty good throughout, and cabin crew were responsive. We were offered a drink on arrival and the first meal service was just over an hour after takeoff. It was a full hot meal, which was a little odd at 7:30AM but I guess they were acclimatising us to Vancouver time? We received a light snack sometime later, and the next full meal was a few hours before landing. So that was two full meals and one snack over 14 hours, and a lot of water and drinks service. (We’d been on an 8-hour flight only a few days earlier with another airline that didn’t stop feeding us, so perhaps we’ve been spoiled.
Food and drinks
Vegetarian Options
Air Canada allows you to preorder your meals, which is a little bit of peace of mind when you’re travelling with a dietary restriction. Thankfully, they had our preferences lodged and came to check on us shortly after boarding. The first hot meal was a saffron rice with green beans and a potato-based curry, a bread roll, a cold pumpkin and chickpea salad and some kind of unidentifiable jelly substance. The breakfast meal wasn’t too dissimilar, with beans, mushrooms and vegetables in our bellies as we descended into Canada.
Final thoughts
Premium Economy is always an interesting decision: it’s cheaper than Business, but it's value all depends on what it offers above Economy.
The extra leg room and priority boarding are definitely a plus, although we’d be lying if we said it was conducive to a good night’s rest.
Still, as we time-travelled our way to arrive in Canada before we left Singapore somehow, we’re still glad we opted for a premium option. That said, if we can swing it, we’d opt for Business next time.
Nerdy Bits
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9Seat pitch: 38 inch
Configuration: 2-3-2
Flight time: ~14 hours
Screen size: 11 inches
