Flight Report – AC 7607 – BOS to YYZ

After an eventful trip to Boston, it was time for me to head back home to Toronto.  My flight wasn’t scheduled until 4:55pm EST, but seeing how bad traffic can be around Boston the past few days, I didn’t want to chance it and decided to get to the airport about three hours early instead of the recommended two.  It was definitely a good call on two fronts.  First, there was a bit of a traffic jam on the highway about halfway through my Uber ride.  Secondly, once I checked in for my flight, I realized Gate B2 was completely isolated from the rest of Terminal B.

Downtown Boston

In all my years of flying, I have never experienced a situation like this before.  No stores.  No washrooms.  No restaurants.  Just a small section of an airport staring out onto the tarmac with the beautiful Boston skyline in the background completely cutoff from the rest of the terminal it was located in.  It turns out that Boston Logan International Airport is in the midst of a major renovation that will be completed in 2019.  Fortunately, the TSA are very mindful of the situation and allowed us to leave through the Emergency Door exit so we can browse around for food or shopping.  It meant I had to check in again through security, but it was much better option than staring out at the tarmac for three solid hours.

Boston Logan International Airport

As I was walking around Terminal B looking for something to eat, I passed by the American Airlines gate.  It suddenly dawned on me that this is where 9/11 began.  I’m not sure exactly which gate American Airlines Flight #11 – the first plane to hit the World Trade Centre – departed from, but it was definitely somewhere in Terminal B as this is where domestic American Airlines flights depart from Boston.  Just thinking about those innocent victims who had stood in the same spot as I was almost 17 years ago sent shivers down my spine.

Cisco Brew Pub of Nantucket

After wandering around the terminal a bit, I eventually ended up at Cisco Brew Pub.  It was a great way to kill off some time before my flight, albeit expensive, but I’ll go into more detail about it in an upcoming “Airport Eats” review.  Returning back to Gate B2, I managed to go through Security within five minutes.  Only three gates exist in this section of Terminal B – Gates B1 through B3 – but only two Air Canada flights had scheduled flights around this time – AC 7607 to Toronto and Jazz Air 8465 to Montreal.  While watching the planes getting ready on the tarmac in front of us for a few minutes, my name was called on the PA system to check in with my gate.  I’m not sure exactly sure why it happened, but I was one of a few people who were upgraded to Business Class.  I can’t even remember the last time I was ever given an upgrade, so this was a nice little surprise for my flight home.  Air Canada gave me Seat 4D in Business Class.  While it meant I was no longer going to have a window seat, I wasn’t going to complain about it.

View from Seat 4D - My upgrade to Business Class

Once I boarded the plane, I was enamoured with the extra space in Business Class.  A 2 x 1 formation, I had way more leg room than I would have had in Economy even though that section was in a 2 x 2 formation.  Each leather seat in Business Class came with a complimentary pillow for lower back comfort.  A Stewardess approached me within minutes of sitting down with a bottle of water and a headset for the In-flight Entertainment system.  She also took my drink order pre-takeoff.  There was a little bit of turbulence during takeoff, but it only lasted for a few minutes.  After the Pilot got us to cruising altitude, the Stewardess came back to give me a hot towel.  Man that felt so great on my face that had started to feel a little grimy.  At this point, I gazed around Business Class to take it all in.  All 12 seats were full on this flight, yet it still felt very spacious.

Fabrez Montmayou Reserva Cabernet Franc 2015

The Stewardess came back with a couple packs of Roasted salted peanuts and a beautiful glass of Fabrez Montmayou Reserva Cabernet Franc 2015.  With an intense red colour, this Cabernet Franc had an exuberant nose with red and black fruit aromas and a hint of mint.  On the palate, it was fresh and well balanced with a long finish and round tannins.  It was by far one of the best Red wines I ever had.  However, I was shocked to find out it was produced in Mendoza.  What a fabulous Argentine wine!  It was so good that I ended up having a couple more glasses of it for the flight home.  Probably a bit excessive as the Stewardess asked me how I was feeling after I requested my third glass within an hour.  Whoops.  To pass the time, I decided to watch Coco – a Pixar animated film about a 12 year old boy who is stuck in the Land of the Dead and needs the help of his deceased ancestors to return home.  With an all Latino cast, it was quite entertaining, albeit a little sappy and sentimental.  However, it definitely deserves the praise it has received from Hollywood.

Enjoying my Fabrez Montmayou while watching Coco

Sadly, all good things must come to an end as we landed in Toronto about 15 minutes earlier under inclement weather.  And just like that, my experience in Business Class was over.  Hands down, this has been the most memorable Air Canada flight that I have taken in years and one I won’t soon forget.  I’m not sure how I am going to adjust to sitting back in Economy again after this little bit of luxury.  But, kudos to Air Canada.  You really outdid yourselves here.  Looking forward to my next flight with you as shocking as that may seem.

Back home in rainy Toronto

AC 7607 – BOS to YYZ

Operated by: Air Canada 

Cabin:  Business:  Snack or Brunch / Economy:  No Meal; Seat 4D

Depart: 04:47PM EST – Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) – Terminal B, Gate B2

Arrive:  06:38PM EST – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – Terminal 1, Gate F66

Flight Time: 1:51; Non-Stop Flight – 534 Miles/859 Kilometers; Date:  April 24, 2018