Tag Archives: Quebec City

Air Canada Opens First Premium Lounge Experience at Quรฉbec City Jean Lesage International Airport

Air Canada has opened its newest Air Canada Cafรฉ at Quรฉbec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), introducing the first dedicated premium lounge experience to the airportโ€™s terminal. The new 97-seat Air Canada Cafรฉ, operated in partnership with Plaza Premium, offers eligible customers a modern, locally inspired space to relax, work or recharge before their flight, featuring menus that celebrate Quรฉbec Cityโ€™s heritage, culture, and renowned art de vivre.

The YQB location marks the seventh Air Canada Cafรฉ, deepening the airlineโ€™s investment in the premium customer experience in Quรฉbec, and expanding the successful cafรฉ concept as part of its multi-year global lounge modernization program. 

Reflecting Air Canadaโ€™s Glowing Hearted design philosophy, the new Air Canada Cafรฉ blends inspiration from Quรฉbecโ€™s natural landscape and the charm and character of the Quรฉbec City region to create an atmosphere of calm and comfort. The space is anchored by two significant works from celebrated Quรฉbecois and Canadian artists. These include Flow, a vibrant abstraction in acrylic, oil and ink on canvas by the award-winning abstract artist Antonietta Grassi, and 1982, a colourful, geometric acrylic on linen by visual artist and novelist Douglas Coupland.

Local Food and Beverage Offerings

The Air Canada Cafรฉโ€™s menu proudly features locally sourced products and items developed with Quรฉbec-based and Indigenous partners, celebrating the city and regionโ€™s rich character. Designed as a place to relax before a flight, the Air Canada Cafรฉ features a full self-service station with hot and cold menu items to be enjoyed on site. The menu also caters to a range of dietary preferences and is supported by comprehensive allergen labelling.

Here are some of the menu highlights featured: 

  • Signatureย breakfastย pancakes with maple butter, fleur deย sel, and Sigewigus pumpkin seed spreadย sourced from the Mi’gmaq Nation of Gespeg Indigenous communityย 
  • Fresh, locally sourced ingredientsย atย build-your-own power bowl bar
  • Curated selection of local cheeses and artisanal jams
  • Menu items designed for dietary preferences and restrictions, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options
  • Full-service barย offeringย premiumย specialty coffee from Lavazza, handcrafted cocktails, featuring la distilleries du Fjord, and beers from local breweryย Laย Souche

Amenities and Space 

  • 97ย seats acrossย 3,616 square-foot (336-square-metre)ย premium spaceย 
  • Productivity-style seating for working and taking callsย 
  • Power at every seat, including USB-C ports with wattage to charge a laptop

Glowing Hearted Design

Inspired by the vast range of Canadaโ€™s landscapes and regions, this new Cafรฉ reflects Air Canadaโ€™ new design standard for creating warm, distinctly Canadian spaces that authentically reflect the local culture, character and sense of place. This is the latest expression of our โ€œGlowing Heartedโ€ end-to-end customer experience. At the new Air Canada Cafรฉ at YQB this includes:  

  • Design inspired byย Quรฉbecย Cityโ€™sย art de vivre,ย the regionโ€™sย natural beauty,ย and uniqueย Frenchย characterย ย 
  • Works from celebrated Quรฉbec and Canadian artists, including Antonietta Grassi and Douglas Couplandย 
  • A design approach that reflects a deliberate investment in timeless quality, balancing refined aesthetics with premium, durable materials that will stand up to daily use

Eligibility for Air Canada Cafรฉ Access 

Access to the Air Canada Cafรฉ at YQB is available to eligible domestic customers, including Aeroplan Elite members (50K and above), Star Alliance Gold members, Aeroplan premium co-brand cardholders, and Business Class customers departing on Air Canada and Star Alliance flights from YQB.  

Elevating the Airport Experience

The new Air Canada Cafรฉ at YQB is the airlineโ€™s latest investment in premium airport experiences that are tailored to the communities and markets it serves. Air Canada continues to modernize and expand its lounge network, focusing on customer care, convenience, and comfort. Last year, the airline added over 500 lounge seats worldwide, delivering more space and amenities for its customers. This latest expansion builds on a series of recent lounge upgrades, including a new Air Canada Cafรฉ and refreshed domestic Maple Leaf Lounge at Montrรฉal-Trudeau, introducing elevated design, modern seating, and improved power access to select airport locations across the airlineโ€™s global network.

Air France to serve Quebec City

Air France is expanding its services to Canada, the airlineโ€™s second largest long-haul market in seats offered.

Effective on May 17, 2022, Air France will fly from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), with three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Flights will be operated by Airbus A330-200 equipped with the new travel cabins, with a capacity of 224 seats (36 in Business, 21 in Premium Economy and 167 in Economy).


Flight schedules (in local time):

AF0352: Leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 13:10, arrives in Quebec City at 14:40
AF0353: Leaves Quebec City at 17:00, arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle the following day at 05:45

This new nonstop route is in addition to Air Franceโ€™s daily bus service linking Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport to Quebec City, which is available free of charge to all customers connecting from an Air France flight.

This flight schedule is subject to change depending on travel restrictions. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Air France has been adjusting its services in real time, taking the changing health situation into account. Before traveling, Air France invites its customers to check the travel restrictions and the documents required on arrival at their destination.

AIr Transat to fly from Quebec City to London Gatwick

Air Transat Airbus A321-271NX WL C-GOIE (msn 8755) BSL (Paul Bannwarth). Image: 946809.

Air Transat has announced that it will offer an exclusive non-stop service between Quebec Cityย andย London. Fromย May 11 to September 28, 2022, travelers from the province of Quebec’sย Capitale-Nationale region will be able to benefit from weekly direct flights toย London’sย Gatwickย airport, making it easier than ever to discover this must-see European destination. At the same time, British tourists will now have direct access to magnificentย Quebec City.

Photo: From left to right: Joseph Adamo, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Transat; Stรฉphane Poirier, President and CEO of Quรฉbec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB); Geneviรจve Guilbault, Quebec Deputy Premier, Minister of Public Security and minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale; Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism and minister responsible for the Lanaudiรจre and Bas-Saint-Laurent regions; Robert Mercure, General Manager of Destination Quรฉbec citรฉ (CNW Group/Transat A.T. Inc.)

London-bound passengers will travel on the new-generation Airbus A321neo LRย aircraft, which are perfectly aligned with the company’s ongoing efforts in responsible tourism, including a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. They consume 15% less fuel, and reduce both noise and NOxย greenhouse gas emissions by half.

The route will operate on Wednesdays fromย Quebec Cityย and Thursdays fromย LondonGatwick.

Enhanced service fromย Quebec Cityย for summer 2022

Air Transat is continuing to expand its international service out ofย Quebec Cityย by offering direct flights to six other destinations for the summer of 2022.

In addition to servingย London, Air Transat also plans to restart its service betweenย Quebec Cityย andย Paris, enabling travelers to enjoy exclusive service to two of Europe’sย major metropolises. Sun-lovers are also sure to find something to their liking thanks to direct flights toย Fort Lauderdale, now offered year-round, as well as connections to Cancรบn inย Mexicoย andย Punta Canaย in theย Dominican Republic.

Top Copyright Photo: Air Transat Airbus A321-271NX WL C-GOIE (msn 8755) BSL (Paul Bannwarth). Image: 946809.

Air Transat aircraft slide show:

Air Transat aircraft photo gallery:

Air Canada Rouge launches the first international route from Quรฉbec City

Air Canada Rouge’s first international flight out of Quebec City (YQB) flew to Cancรบn, Mexicoย on the morning of December 21.

Surrounded by a colorful decor and environment, passengers were treated to a warm welcome from Stรฉphane Poirier, President and CEO of YQB; David Rheault, Managing Director โ€“ Government and Community Relations at Air Canada; and Guy Marchand, General Manager โ€“ Eastern Canada Sales for Air Canada Vacations.

De gauche ร  droite :

Agents de bord, Air Canada Rouge
Jean-Luc Tremblay, chef de secteur des ventes โ€“ Quรฉbec
Stรฉphane Poirier, Prรฉsident et chef de la direction de YQB
David Rheault, directeur gรฉnรฉral des relations gouvernementales et avec les collectivitรฉs chez Air Canada 
Pรจre Noรซl et jeunes voyageurs 
Agents de bord
Gary Doucet, Chef d'escale, Air Canada (CNW Group/Aรฉroport de Quรฉbec)

Air Canada Rouge’s flights to Cancรบn began on December 21 and will end on April 11, 2020. Flights to Punta Cana will begin on December 22, 2019, and end on April 12, 2020. These routes are flown by an Air Canada Rouge Airbus A321 in a 200-seat all-economy configuration.

Air Canada Rouge aircraft photo gallery:

 

WestJet Encore to replace WestJet on the Toronto-Quebec City route

WestJet (Calgary) has ย announced the launch of new, nonstop twice-daily service between Toronto (Pearson) and Quebec City, Quebec, effective on March 15, 2015. Using WestJet Encore‘s fleet of Canadian-made Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) NextGen aircraft, the new service will replace WestJet’s current daily service on board its Boeing Next-Generations 737s.

On the financial side, WestJetย announced its first quarter results for 2014, with net earnings of $89.3 million (all amounts in Canadian dollars), or $0.69 per diluted share. This compares with the net earnings of $91.1 million, or $0.68 per diluted share reported in the first quarter of 2013. Based on the trailing twelve months, the airline achieved a return on invested capital of 13.7 per cent, compared with the 13.9 per cent reported in the previous quarter. These results include pre-tax recoveries of value added taxes of $17.6 million associated with fuel costs and $2.5 million associated with airport costs incurred from 2009 to 2013.

Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. Newly-built Bombardier DHC-8-402 (marketed as the Q400) C-FIWE (msn 4466) of WestJet Encore sits idle on the ramp at Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Toronto.

WestJet:ย AG Slide Show