According to Canada’s 2021 census, close to one million people of Filipino heritage live in the country. This makes Filipinos one of the largest and fastest-growing immigrant communities in Canada.

In British Columbia, the Filipino community is not only thriving but also increasingly mobile, maintaining strong ties with family and opportunities back home in the Philippines. Air Canada, awarded as the Best Airline in North America by Skytrax, values this growing connection and now offers non-stop flights between Manila and Vancouver.

The inaugural flights departed on April 2 from Vancouver and April 3 from Manila, with the airline initially operating three times a week. As anticipated, a strong demand led to an increase to four weekly flights by May 2025 under two flight numbers, AC17 and AC18.

Flight AC17 departs Vancouver at 1:55 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, and arrives in Manila at 6:20 a.m. the next day. The return flight, AC18, leaves Manila at 9:25 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and lands in Vancouver at 6:20 a.m. on the same day.

With travel times reduced to just 12 to 14 hours, passengers can now enjoy a more comfortable journey aboard Air Canada’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which offers three cabin classes of Economy, Premium Economy, and the airline’s flagship Signature Class, which is the equivalent of business class.

Air Canada’s Signature Class delivers a full suite of premium services, including executive pods with 80-percent lie-flat seats, massage functions, and direct aisle access. Guests also enjoy priority check-in and boarding, exclusive lounge access, and gourmet meals curated by top Canadian chefs such as David Hawksworth, Vikram Vij, and Jérôme Ferrer. Wine pairings are expertly selected by world-renowned sommelier Véronique Rivest.

“We have a really strong premium offering,” Air Canada Hong Kong, Southern China, and Southeast Asia Regional General Manager Hon Lam said. “Our business class includes features like direct aisle access, adjustable cushion firmness, and even a mini massage function. It’s all about personalization and comfort—you really have to try it to appreciate the details.”

Passengers can also enjoy award-winning entertainment systems with 18-inch high-definition touch screens, noise-cancelling headphones, and a wide variety of movies, TV shows, music, and games. Every seat is equipped with universal power outlets and USB ports. Wi-Fi access is also being rolled out, with free Wi-Fi inflight texting offered to Aeroplan members on the Pacific flights.

Another comfortable option is its Premium Economy class, which offers extra legroom, greater recline, wider seats, larger touch-screen TVs and entertainment system, upgraded meals and wine served, and priority boarding. It’s an attractive alternative for long-haul travelers who want more than basic amenities without the price of business class.

Passengers in both Premium Economy and Business Class are entitled to two complimentary checked-in luggage (up to 32 kilograms each for Business), while Economy travelers have two options— Standard fare with one checked-in luggage of up to 23 kilograms and Flex fare with two pieces of luggage during online check-in.

In an interview with Lam, Air Canada is taking even more steps in understanding and serving Filipino travelers. “One of the biggest takeaways is that bookings from the Philippines tend to happen much later than in other regions, typically just about a month before travel. That’s quite different from other markets where people plan further in advance.”

As for booking accessibility, “We expected everything to be moving online—social media, websites—but travel fairs are still very relevant here. People still go to them in large numbers,” the executive noted. “We’ve already participated in two fairs, and you’ll definitely see more of us at these physical events.”

This local insight has influenced Air Canada’s marketing strategy. “It’s not just about digital marketing here. We're investing in face-to-face interactions. You’ll see our representatives at events. It helps build trust and awareness in a very direct way.”

Whether traveling for vacation, reunion, business, or all of the above, this new service transforms what used to be a tiring, multi-stop journey into a smooth, premium experience designed with Filipino travelers in mind.