Forget Blocking Middle Seats — Air Canada Is Flying Reconfigured Planes Instead

Air Canada is making it easier to escape the cold in comfort.

The airline will operate its fleet of all-business class Jetz charter aircrafts — normally reserved for pro athletic teams, musical performers, and corporations — as commercial flights. Each Airbus A319 is configured with just 58 seats — half the volume typically found on an aircraft of the same size.

The seats fill a single cabin and passengers can expect between 42 and 49 inches of space between themselves and those in the rows ahead of and behind them. Some seats are configured for groups of four who want to sit around a table with others in their bubble.

While service won't be quite what it was before the pandemic, passengers will receive complimentary iPads to use during their flights, complimentary alcoholic drinks, and prepackaged meals curated by Montreal chef Antonio Park.

Air Canada plans to deploy the planes for holiday flights from Dec. 12 through Jan. 6 and again in March. They'll fly from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Barbados, and Cancun; Vancouver to Phoenix, Palm Springs, and Puerto Vallarta; and Montreal to Fort Lauderdale and Barbados.

Air Canada also plans to use the planes on domestic routes from Toronto to Kelowna and Vancouver.

For anyone feeling like there aren't enough hours in the day, it's worth noting that boarding and deplaning times are likely to be shorter than usual with fewer passengers on board.

It's more of "a private-jet-like experience," Mark Galardo, vice president of network planning and alliances at Air Canada, said in a statement. The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, and the Spice Girls are among the celebrities who've flown on the planes.

For commercial passengers, ticket costs are similar to business class prices on other airlines, CNN found.

Air Canada says vacation packages, including flights on its Jetz fleet, are in the works.

Meena Thiruvengadam is a Travel + Leisure contributor who has visited 50 countries on six continents and 47 U.S. states. She loves historic plaques, wandering new streets, and walking on beaches. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.