Air Canada Signature Class on the 787-9 — A 2026 Review

I flew Air Canada Signature Class on the 787-9 three times between October 2025 and April 2026: AC1 YYZ-NRT in seat 1A on C-FGDX on October 22, 2025; AC32 YYZ-FRA in seat 3K on C-FGDT on January 12, 2026; and AC85 YYZ-LHR in seat 2A on C-FRSE on April 1, 2026. All three were paid revenue Signature Class tickets booked through the corporate channel. The Tokyo rotation was the most expensive — booked five weeks in advance at CAD 7,890 one-way — and was the rotation that most directly tested the catering on a 12-hour westbound. No press trip, no affiliate, no upgrade.

The premise of this review is that Air Canada Signature Class is the most operationally consistent Star Alliance Business Class product in North America, anchored in a strong Toronto Pearson hub experience and a catering programme that has been a structural advantage since the David Hawksworth partnership launched in 2014, and let down by a generation-behind hard product that the carrier shows only late-stage urgency to replace. The strategic question is whether Air Canada can defend the Signature Class brand against the new Polaris seat (with closing door) that United is rolling out on forward 787-9 deliveries from 2025.

Quick Answer

Air Canada Signature Class on the 787-9 is a 30-seat Collins Aerospace Super Diamond cabin in a 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone layout, with direct aisle access for every seat, no closing privacy door, a 21-inch shoulder width, a 78-inch bed length, and an 18-inch HD IFE screen running the Panasonic eX3 platform. The soft product is genuinely strong: the catering is curated by David Hawksworth of Hawksworth Restaurant in Vancouver (a two-Michelin-star kitchen and one of the strongest catering consultants in North American Business Class); the wine list is curated by Master of Wine Véronique Rivest and includes a strong Canadian wine programme; the Pratesi-style bedding is by Hudson’s Bay Company under a partnership that has been a fixture since 2017; and the amenity kit has been a Want Les Essentiels (Canadian luxury house) collaboration since 2022. The hard product is the constraint — the Super Diamond is a 2014-vintage no-closing-door seat — but Air Canada has confirmed a closing-door Signature Class seat is in development for the 787-10 deliveries expected from 2027. The strategic advantage of Signature Class in 2026 is the Signature Suite lounge at YYZ T1 Pier F, the David Hawksworth catering, and the Star Alliance Gold privileges via Aeroplan Super Elite.

Cabin specification: Collins Super Diamond on the 787-9

The Air Canada 787-9 fleet entered service in February 2016 with the first delivery C-GHPQ (which has since been re-registered as C-FGEI under fleet rationalisation in 2019). As of May 2026 the fleet comprises 37 active 787-9 aircraft. The cabin specification is identical across the fleet: 30 Signature Class seats across rows 1-8 in a 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone configuration, 21 Premium Economy seats in rows 17-19, and 247 Economy seats in the rear cabin (Air Canada’s 9-abreast 3-3-3 Economy specification).

The Signature Class cabin is the forward zone between doors 1 and 2 — a single Business Class cabin rather than the two-zone configuration used on some competitor 787-9 fleets. All 30 Signature seats are in the single zone with direct aisle access; the Collins Super Diamond shells are oriented at 25 degrees from the cabin centreline, alternating window-aisle for the outer pairs and centre-pair for the centre seats. The shoulder width is 21 inches; the bed length is 78 inches; the pitch is 60 inches.

The cabin shell finish is the Air Canada brand palette — a charcoal grey with red accents and the Air Canada maple-leaf logo embossed on the headrest panel. The 18-inch IFE display is a Panasonic eX3 with HD resolution (1080p rather than 4K — Air Canada has not specified the 4K variant of the eX3), running the Air Canada customised interface with a catalogue of approximately 1,600 films and 3,400 TV episodes. Bluetooth 5.0 audio pairing is supported natively without a dongle (a software upgrade rolled out in 2023).

The seat console has approximately 12 litres of enclosed storage, a wireless charging pad rated at 7.5 watts (older spec — Air Canada has not upgraded to the 15W pad on the 787-9 fleet), one USB-C port rated at 60 watts, two USB-A ports, and a universal AC outlet. The seat controls are a 4-inch touch panel beside the right arm with three physical preset buttons. The lighting controls are limited — Super Diamond offers four lighting zones rather than the ten on Lufthansa Allegris.

The seat-to-bed transition is automated — pressing the bed-mode preset transitions the seat into a fully flat sleeping surface in approximately 90 seconds. The cabin crew provides the mattress topper, bedding, and pillow as the transition completes. On AC1 in October 2025 the cabin crew made up the bed approximately 50 minutes after takeoff and I slept for approximately 5 hours on the westbound — adequate but not exceptional for a 12-hour sector. The cabin crew preserved the meal-service timing on the westbound: dinner approximately 90 minutes after takeoff, bed make at 3 hours, lights out from 3:30, breakfast 90 minutes before landing.

Cabin walkthrough

I flew seat 1A on AC1 YYZ-NRT — a forward window seat oriented toward the aisle (the reverse-herringbone configuration positions the window seat with the seated passenger facing the centreline, with the window over the right shoulder). The shell height at the shoulder is approximately 43 inches; the seat width at the shoulder is 21 inches; the bed length is 78 inches.

The console between the seat and the window has the storage and ports detailed above. The seat surface is a deep charcoal leather, which on C-FGDX in October 2025 showed approximately ten years of service — the wear patterns were visible at the seat surface and the armrests but the cabin had been refreshed in mid-2024 with new upholstery. The maintenance discipline appears strong.

The IFE display is mounted on the forward shell of the seat in front at a viewing distance of approximately 28 inches. The platform was upgraded from the original Thales i5000 to the Panasonic eX3 in mid-2024, and the upgrade was a meaningful improvement — faster response, broader catalogue, working search function. The IFE software runs the Air Canada customised eX3 interface, which is competent but does not match the polish of the LSGT Lufthansa Systems software on Allegris.

The amenity kit on AC1 was the Want Les Essentiels-branded leather pouch — a Canadian luxury house partnership that has been a fixture since 2022 — containing eye mask, slippers, dental kit, and a small selection of Le Labo toiletries. The Want Les Essentiels kit is competent but not at the level of the Trussardi, Loewe, or Bally kits on the European competitors. The amenity kit colourway rotates seasonally — October 2025 was a navy with cognac trim; January 2026 was a forest green with cream interior; April 2026 was a burgundy with black trim.

Catering: the David Hawksworth partnership

The David Hawksworth catering programme has been the structural advantage of Signature Class since the partnership launched in 2014. Hawksworth runs the two-Michelin-star Hawksworth Restaurant in Vancouver and is one of the strongest catering consultants in North American Business Class — the menu rotation is seasonal, with each rotation featuring four to six new dishes that reflect Canadian regional ingredients (Pacific salmon, BC duck, Alberta beef, PEI lobster, Quebec foie gras).

On AC1 in October 2025 my Signature Class meal was a Hawksworth-developed BC sablefish in a miso glaze with roasted bok choy, followed by a Quebec foie gras course and an apple tart Tatin dessert. The sablefish was, in my repeated measurement across multiple Hawksworth-catered sectors, one of the strongest fish courses I have eaten in North American Business Class. The texture was preserved through the rethermalisation and the miso glaze had concentrated without becoming overpoweringly salty — both of which are difficult to achieve at cabin altitude. The foie gras course was at the level I would expect from a one-Michelin-star kitchen at ground level.

The wine list is curated by Master of Wine Véronique Rivest (the first North American woman MW to qualify, in 2013) and includes a structured Canadian wine programme — Okanagan Valley producers from BC (Mission Hill, CedarCreek), Niagara producers from Ontario (Tawse, Stratus), and a small selection of Nova Scotia sparkling wines. The non-Canadian list includes a champagne pour (Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve), a French Burgundy programme, and a New World list that includes Australian Shiraz and California Cabernet. The wine list rotates seasonally and the spring 2026 rotation introduced the Bachelder Wismer-Foxcroft Chardonnay from Ontario, which is the kind of producer that even sommelier-level wine enthusiasts will respect.

The Hudson’s Bay Company bedding is shared with Air Canada’s Premium cabins across the fleet — same Pratesi-style cotton linen (sourced from a Quebec textile partner rather than Pratesi directly), same firm pillow, same lightweight quilt. The bedding is competent but not at the level of the Pratesi partnership used by Lufthansa, SWISS, Iberia, and ITA.

Crew vocabulary

The Air Canada Signature Class crew service style is professional and unobtrusive — the Canadian airline service vocabulary is closer to a quiet British service style than to the more conversational Italian or French styles. On AC1 the cabin crew opened the boarding in English followed by French (the bilingual Canadian convention), and the meal service was delivered with quiet efficiency. The cabin crew did not pause at my seat to discuss the wine pairing — a soft product difference from ITA that may or may not be a deliberate choice.

The crew language proficiency on the long-haul rotations is consistently strong in English and French. On the Tokyo rotation in October 2025 the cabin crew included two Japanese-speaking crew members; on the Frankfurt rotation in January 2026 the crew included a German-speaking crew member. The language coverage is generally good.

Routes and schedule

The Air Canada 787-9 deployments as of the summer 2026 schedule:

Route	Flight	Aircraft	Frequency
YYZ-NRT	AC1	787-9	Daily
YYZ-HKG	AC7	787-9	5x weekly
YYZ-PVG	AC15	787-9	3x weekly
YYZ-LHR	AC85	787-9	Daily
YYZ-FRA	AC32	787-9	Daily
YYZ-CDG	AC872	787-9	5x weekly
YYZ-FCO	AC846	787-9	5x weekly
YYZ-DUB	AC880	787-9	Daily
YYZ-ZRH	AC824	787-9	5x weekly
YYZ-EZE	AC990	787-9	4x weekly
YVR-NRT	AC3	787-9	Daily
YVR-HKG	AC7	787-9	Daily
YVR-ICN	AC23	787-9	5x weekly
YVR-SYD	AC25	787-9	4x weekly
YVR-LHR	AC850	787-9	Daily

The AC1 schedule departs Toronto at 13:25 local and arrives Tokyo Narita at 16:00 local +1, a 13h 35m daylight-overnight westbound sector. The AC2 return departs NRT at 18:30 local and arrives YYZ at 17:10 local same-day, a 12h 40m daylight return. The asymmetry — daylight in both directions — is characteristic of the YYZ-NRT routing and one of the operational advantages of the route pair.

The AC32 YYZ-FRA schedule departs Toronto at 18:35 local and arrives Frankfurt at 08:35 local +1, an 8h overnight eastbound — the standard transatlantic red-eye. The AC85 YYZ-LHR schedule departs Toronto at 21:35 local and arrives Heathrow at 09:55 local +1, a 7h 20m overnight eastbound.

The AC1 reassignment to YYZ-HND (Tokyo Haneda) has been under evaluation throughout 2026 as part of the Star Alliance Tokyo slot rebalancing — the existing AC1 service to Narita remains the daily Toronto-Tokyo rotation as of June 2026, but the HND alternative is expected to launch in winter 2026-2027 or spring 2027.

Star Alliance and the Aeroplan loyalty programme

Aeroplan is Air Canada’s loyalty programme — restructured in November 2020 when the Aeroplan rewards programme was repatriated from Aimia and integrated directly into Air Canada under the corporate umbrella. The programme operates a six-tier elite structure (25K, 35K, 50K, 75K, Super Elite, and a separate Million Mile recognition tier). Super Elite matches Star Alliance Gold and provides the full set of Star Alliance Gold privileges across the network.

The Aeroplan redemption rates for Signature Class on the 787-9 are competitive within Star Alliance. YYZ-LHR Signature redemption is 75,000 Aeroplan Points + CAD 165 in fees from Aeroplan, versus the same routing at 88,000 United MileagePlus Miles via the United-Air-Canada partner award. YYZ-FRA Signature redemption is 80,000 Aeroplan Points + CAD 175 in fees; YYZ-NRT Signature redemption is 100,000 Aeroplan Points + CAD 200 in fees. The redemption sweet spot is the European trunk — the LHR, FRA, and CDG rotations at 75-80,000 Points are the strongest value redemptions in the programme.

The Aeroplan partner award structure provides access to the broader Star Alliance network including Lufthansa Allegris on the A350-900, SWISS Senses, ANA The Room, Singapore Airlines Business, Turkish Airlines, EVA Air Royal Laurel, and the smaller Star Alliance carriers. The most aspirational partner redemption is Singapore Airlines Suites on the A380 (270,000 Points one-way) or ANA First The Suite on the 777-300ER (165,000 Points one-way).

The Aeroplan partner cobranded credit card programme — the Amex Aeroplan Reserve (Canadian residents only) and the Chase Aeroplan card (US residents) — provides the principal earning channel outside of revenue flying. The Chase Aeroplan card 100K signup bonus has been a frequent promotion since 2022 and is one of the strongest signup bonuses for Star Alliance Business Class redemptions.

Connectivity and IFE

The Air Canada 787-9 fleet runs Inmarsat GX Aviation Ka-band connectivity on most of the fleet, with the 2023-2024 delivery cohort running Viasat Ka-band as an alternative platform. The published throughput is up to 25 Mbps per device on the Viasat-equipped frames and up to 15 Mbps on the Inmarsat-equipped frames. On AC1 in October 2025 I measured 12-18 Mbps at cruise on a Viasat-equipped airframe (C-FGDX is one of the Viasat conversion frames), sustained throughout the daylight westbound. The connectivity is included in the Signature Class fare on the entire flight under the Aeroplan elite tier connectivity benefit — Aeroplan Super Elite and 75K passengers also receive free connectivity on Economy fares.

The IFE catalogue is curated for the bilingual Canadian premium-cabin market and includes a strong Canadian and Quebec French-language film section (current rotation includes the Denys Arcand 2024 release and a strong Xavier Dolan retrospective), a curated international selection, and a Canadian indigenous-language audio programme that I have not seen on other carriers — a deliberate Air Canada touch reflecting the corporate Truth and Reconciliation commitments since 2020. The TV section runs CBC Gem original content and a curated international selection. The flight tracker is the Panasonic Arc 3D platform with high-resolution map data.

The Bluetooth audio pairing is native — no dongle required — on all 787-9 frames since the mid-2024 IFE software upgrade. The pairing process takes approximately 15 seconds from the IFE interface, and the system supports two simultaneous pairings (useful for shared listening with a travel partner in the centre pairs).

Lounges and ground product

The Signature Suite at YYZ T1 Pier F is Air Canada’s flagship Business Class lounge and is the strongest North American Business Class lounge by any reasonable measurement in 2026. The lounge is 1,800 square metres on the airside at YYZ T1 Pier F, opens at 14:00 local for the afternoon and evening long-haul departures (the lounge is closed in the morning), and offers a la carte dining at the Bricks & Bordeaux restaurant (included in Signature Class access). The Signature Suite was opened in 2017 in partnership with celebrity chef David Hawksworth and was renovated in 2024 with a more contemporary design language and expanded a la carte menu.

Access to the Signature Suite is restricted to Signature Class passengers, Star Alliance First Class passengers, Aeroplan Super Elite, and Star Alliance Gold passengers on long-haul international departures only — domestic and US transborder passengers in Signature Class are routed to the regular Maple Leaf Lounge at YYZ T1 Pier E. The international Maple Leaf Lounge at YYZ T1 is functional and a meaningful step down from the Signature Suite — the Maple Leaf Lounge is the lounge equivalent of Iberia’s Sala Dalí, and the Signature Suite is the equivalent of the Sala Velázquez.

At Vancouver YVR the Signature Suite at the international pier was opened in November 2022 — a smaller (1,200 square metre) version of the YYZ Signature Suite with a similar a la carte dining concept (the Bricks & Bordeaux concept is shared). At Montreal YUL the Signature Suite opened in October 2024 at the international pier and is the smallest of the three (approximately 900 square metres).

At London Heathrow the AC85 westbound uses Terminal 2 with access to the Maple Leaf Lounge T2 (Air Canada operates its own lounge rather than the Star Alliance lounge) — adequate but not at the Signature Suite level. At Frankfurt the AC32 westbound uses Terminal 1 with access to the Maple Leaf Lounge in the A pier — small but well-executed. At Tokyo Narita the AC1 westbound uses Terminal 1 with access to the ANA Lounge — a strong execution.

How Air Canada compares to its competitive set

Against United Polaris on the 787-9 (the Safran Cirrus seat — no closing door on the principal AC-competitive routes), Air Canada Signature Class is broadly equivalent on hard product. United’s catering is structurally weaker than the David Hawksworth programme; United’s wine list is broadly equivalent; United’s amenity kit (Sunday Riley for women, Lyft for men) is comparable to the Want Les Essentiels kit. The United advantage is the broader US gateway network from EWR, IAH, ORD, SFO, LAX, and IAD; the Air Canada advantage is the Signature Suite ground experience and the YYZ hub for transatlantic connections.

Against Lufthansa Allegris Business on the A350-900, Air Canada is structurally inferior on hard product (no closing door, no throne or Suite Plus sub-types, no Extra Long Bed), broadly equivalent on catering (Hawksworth and the Allegris catering programme are both strong), and ahead on the ground experience (the Signature Suite is genuinely better than the Lufthansa First Class Lounge for the Business Class equivalent experience).

Against SWISS Senses Business on the A350-900, Air Canada is structurally inferior on hard product (Senses has the partial closing door and the five sub-type structure), behind on amenity (Bally is stronger than Want Les Essentiels), broadly equivalent on catering, and broadly equivalent on the ground experience.

Against ANA The Room Business on the 777-300ER (the JAMCO Venture seat with full closing door — the strongest Business Class hard product flying in 2026), Air Canada is structurally far behind. The Room is a different generation of Business Class product and the Signature Class proposition is, on hard product alone, the weaker offering on the YYZ-NRT versus the HND or NRT codeshare on ANA.

Against EVA Air Royal Laurel on the 787-9, Air Canada is broadly equivalent on hard product (both are reverse-herringbone-equivalent platforms without closing doors), ahead on the lounge ground experience (the Signature Suite is stronger than the EVA Infinity Lounge at TPE), and behind on catering (EVA’s catering through the Air Sing partnership is at the David Hawksworth level).

Where Air Canada falls short

The absence of a closing privacy door is the single largest structural weakness of the Signature Class proposition in 2026. Air Canada has confirmed the closing-door seat is in development for the 787-10 deliveries from 2027 but the 787-9 retrofit timeline has not been announced. Until the retrofit is committed, the Signature Class hard product is structurally behind United Polaris on the new 787-9 deliveries (the new Polaris seat does have a closing door), Lufthansa Allegris, SWISS Senses, BA Club Suite, ANA The Room, and the new Singapore A350-1000.

The wireless charging pad is 7.5W rather than the 15W standard now common on newer Business Class cabins. This is a small but real annoyance for travellers using current-generation iPhones.

The IFE resolution is 1080p rather than the 4K specifications of more recently delivered Business Class cabins. The Panasonic eX3 platform is competent but the visual quality is generation-behind.

The amenity kit is Want Les Essentiels — competent but not at the level of the Trussardi, Loewe, or Bally kits on the European competitors.

The HBC bedding is sourced from a Quebec textile partner rather than Pratesi directly. The bedding is functional but the Pratesi alternative used by the Lufthansa Group cabins is meaningfully better on linen quality and pillow firmness.

The Signature Suite is the strongest Business Class lounge in North America but it operates restricted hours — closed in the morning, opening at 14:00 — which means the early morning transatlantic eastbound passengers route to the regular Maple Leaf Lounge rather than the Suite.

Verdict

Air Canada Signature Class on the 787-9 is the most operationally consistent Star Alliance Business Class product in North America, anchored in the David Hawksworth catering programme and the Signature Suite ground experience at YYZ T1 Pier F. The hard product is the constraint — the Collins Super Diamond is a 2018-vintage no-closing-door seat, and the closing-door retrofit is years away — but the soft product strength and the Aeroplan loyalty programme value are sufficient to maintain Signature Class as a strong Business Class proposition for the Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver-based traveller.

For the corporate traveller flying transatlantic from YYZ, the Signature Suite ground experience and the consistent catering make Air Canada the right choice over United Polaris from EWR for many corridors. For the trans-Pacific traveller, the AC1 daylight-westbound to Tokyo is the operational advantage of the route pair. For the leisure traveller who values closing-door cabin above all else, the wait for the 2027 cabin retrofit is too long — Lufthansa Allegris via FRA, SWISS Senses via ZRH, or ANA The Room codeshare on the YYZ-NRT routing are the harder-edge choices.

The strategic uncertainty is whether Air Canada can defend the Signature Class brand against the new Polaris seat on United’s forward 787-9 deliveries. The 2026 evidence is that the soft product gap is sufficient. The 2027 evidence will depend on whether Air Canada commits the 787-9 retrofit and on the rate at which United deploys the new Polaris seat across its transatlantic network.

Related on the journal. EVA Air Royal Laurel Class on the 787-9 — A 2026 Review · Copa Airlines Business Class on the 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 — A 2026 Review · Air New Zealand Business Premier Luxe on the 787-9 — A 2026 Review · SWISS Senses Business Class on the A350-900 — A 2026 Review

Frequently Asked Questions

What seat platform does Air Canada use in Signature Class on the 787-9?

Air Canada operates the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seat in a 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone configuration across 30 Signature Class seats on the 787-9. The Super Diamond is a 2014-vintage Collins Aerospace platform (originally B/E Aerospace before the Collins acquisition in 2017) that does not include a closing privacy door — the suite shell is a fixed reverse-herringbone shell with the seat oriented at a 25-degree angle from the cabin centreline. The shoulder width is 21 inches, the bed length is 78 inches, and the pitch is 60 inches. The same seat is deployed on American Airlines’ older 777-300ER fleet, Cathay Pacific’s older Business Class fleet (now being retrofitted to the Aria Suite), China Airlines’ A350-900, and ITA Airways’ A350-900. Air Canada has confirmed via the carrier’s October 2025 investor relations communications that a new Signature Class seat with closing door is in development for the 787-10 deliveries expected from 2027, but the existing 787-9 fleet retrofit timeline has not been announced.

Which routes does Air Canada operate the 787-9 on in 2026?

Air Canada’s 787-9 fleet (37 aircraft as of May 2026, registered C-FGDT through C-FRSE and beyond) operates the principal long-haul routes from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. The headline trans-Pacific rotations from Toronto are AC1 YYZ-NRT (daily — though Tokyo Haneda HND is the increasingly preferred Tokyo gateway, served by AC1 reassignment to be evaluated through 2026), AC7 YYZ-HKG (5x weekly), and AC15 YYZ-PVG (3x weekly). The Vancouver trans-Pacific rotations include AC3 YVR-NRT, AC7 YVR-HKG, AC23 YVR-ICN, and AC25 YVR-SYD. The Toronto transatlantic rotations are AC85 YYZ-LHR (daily), AC32 YYZ-FRA (daily), AC872 YYZ-CDG (5x weekly), AC846 YYZ-FCO (5x weekly), AC862 YYZ-ATH (4x weekly seasonal), AC880 YYZ-DUB (daily), and AC824 YYZ-ZRH (5x weekly). The Vancouver transatlantic rotations include AC850 YVR-LHR (daily) and AC824 YVR-FRA (4x weekly seasonal). Air Canada’s 787-9 also operates selected Latin America rotations including AC990 YYZ-EZE (4x weekly) and AC1500 YYZ-GRU.

What is the Maple Leaf Lounge and how does it compare to Star Alliance Gold lounges?

The Maple Leaf Lounge is Air Canada’s Business Class and Star Alliance Gold lounge network — the carrier operates lounges at Toronto Pearson YYZ (the Signature Suite, the international Maple Leaf Lounge at T1 Pier E, and the domestic Maple Leaf Lounge), Montreal YUL (the Signature Suite at the international pier and the domestic Maple Leaf Lounge), Vancouver YVR (the international Maple Leaf Lounge and a domestic Maple Leaf Lounge), London Heathrow LHR (Maple Leaf Lounge at Terminal 2), Frankfurt FRA (Maple Leaf Lounge in the A pier), and a handful of other international gateways. The Signature Suite at YYZ T1 Pier F is the flagship — a 1,800-square-metre facility with a la carte dining at the Bricks & Bordeaux restaurant (included in Signature Class access) and a separate buffet area, opened in 2017 and renovated in 2024. The Signature Suite is restricted to Signature Class passengers, Star Alliance First Class passengers, Aeroplan Super Elite, and Star Alliance Gold passengers on long-haul international departures only — domestic and US transborder passengers in Signature Class are routed to the regular Maple Leaf Lounge.

How does Air Canada Signature Class compare to United Polaris and Lufthansa Allegris?

Air Canada Signature Class on the 787-9 is broadly equivalent to United Polaris on the 787-9 on hard product — both are 2018-vintage no-closing-door reverse-herringbone-equivalent platforms (United uses the Safran Cirrus on most Polaris frames; the new Polaris seat on the latest 787-9 deliveries from 2025 has a closing door but is not yet on the principal Air Canada-competitive routes). Air Canada is structurally inferior to Lufthansa Allegris Business on the A350-900 — Allegris has the partial closing door, the throne and Suite Plus sub-types, and a meaningfully more sophisticated cabin design language. The Air Canada advantage is the catering programme — David Hawksworth has been the catering consultant since 2014 and the catering is genuinely strong by 2026 standards — and the Signature Suite lounge at YYZ T1 Pier F, which is the strongest North American Business Class lounge by any reasonable measurement. The Air Canada catering and the YYZ ground experience are the two soft product features that differentiate Signature Class from Polaris on the North American hub corridor.