Air Canada gets major cabin upgrade with reclining seats after backlash

Some Air Canada passengers can expect to fly in newly upgraded cabins starting this month.

The airline announced on Thursday that the first of its updated Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft has entered service at Air Canada Rouge. This marks a milestone in the low-cost carrier's cabin renewal program.

According to the company, the fleet transition will allow most customers flying Air Canada Rouge leisure and sun routes across North America and the Caribbean to experience upgraded interiors, including personal seatback entertainment, reclining seats, and complimentary, fast, free Wi-Fi sponsored by Bell.

"When customers step onto our aircraft, they should instantly feel a sense of comfort, care, and pride," said Mark Nasr, executive vice-president and chief operations officer at Air Canada. "This renewal program is about delivering that feeling consistently, across every flight."

This announcement comes after two passengers called out the airline for "uncomfortable" and "unbearable" experiences with non-reclining seats in December. At the time, an Air Canada spokesperson told blogTO that those aircraft had been acquired in early 2025 and were initially configured for another carrier.

"These aircraft were put into service immediately to provide the reliable capacity required to serve select leisure destinations," an Air Canada spokesperson told blogTO in December. "Our pricing does not vary depending on the aircraft, but we’re sorry to hear about our customer's dissatisfaction with his experience."

Both passengers (who paid full-priced fares) said Air Canada did not disclose seat details throughout the process of buying a ticket, and that the details only became available after the purchase.

The spokesperson said they were in the process of retrofitting the aircraft that the affected passengers flew on with the new cabin design, "which includes reclining seats for all customers, personal IFE screens for passengers, and more."

Now that some of these upgraded aircraft are in service, here's what Canadians can expect on their flights.

More cabin comforts on Air Canada Rouge flights

Passengers on Rouge flights can expect free wine, beer (including non-alcoholic) and Canadian-made snacks on all North American and Caribbean flights.

Flipping through the in-flight menu, you'll find Canadian brands including MadeGood Morning Bars (on flights before 10 a.m.), TWIGZ pretzels, and Leclerc Célébration cookies.

The configured cabins give flyers a choice of 12 business class seats, 18 perferred seats offering extra space, and 147 standard economy seats. All of these seats are reclining and will also include entertainment screens and free Wi-Fi for Aeroplan members.

Upgrades to the carrier's entire network

These transformations will also extend to Air Canada's mainline fleet and Air Canada Express (Jazz).

"Air Canada's Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, currently operated by Rouge, will be retrofitted to Air Canada's latest design standard, as the airline also prepares for the introduction of new, longer-range Airbus A321XLR aircraft," reads a news release.

Its Express aircraft will also be fitted with new cabins and fast and free Wi-Fi.

The airline recently announced an order for eight Airbus A350-1000s. This is in addition to the 14 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners expected to take flight later this year.

It will also welcome in the coming months the first of its 30 Airbus A321XLRs, while continuing to take deliveries of the Canadian-built Airbus A220, with 23 aircraft remaining on its firm order of 65.

"These aircraft will enter service with Air Canada's next-generation cabin design and standards, including improved connectivity and in-flight entertainment offerings," stated the company.

For more details, check out Air Canada's latest news release.