Air Canada’s new Rouge fleet will keep its premium option as it converts to the 737 MAX. That detail was included in an internal video shared with company employees on Wednesday and viewed by PaxEx.Aero.
The revamped Air Canada Rouge aircraft will see one row of seats removed from the current forward cabin, bringing them to 12 premium seats on board.
The economy cabin will add two rows, leading to a 12J/165Y overall configuration. This is nine seats more than the current Rouge A319s and 23 fewer than the A321s.
The cabins will retain their inflight entertainment (Thales Inflyt) and internet services (SES 2Ku), and they will be complimentary to all passengers.
EVP and Chief Operations Officer Mark Nasr also notes in the video that seats will continue to recline, a competitive distinction in some Canadian leisure markets.
Less significant, but the Rouge livery will shift to align with mainline and Jazz. That means the large Air Canada bit will remain on the side of the fuselage, with a small rouge logo near the forward doors.
If nothing else, this is a smart financial play as it avoids a full paint job on the MAX fleet through the transition.
The carrier will retire its Rouge A319s and transition the Rouge A320/A321 fleet to mainline, including a full interior retrofit. This includes adding the high definition tail camera and Bluetooth pairing on the IFE screens.
Finally, the carrier’s regional fleet will receive an interior refresh, with larger overhead bins, new seats, and in-seat power.
Nasr also mentions that the company expects its first A321XLR to be delivered in January, aligning with the company’s recent public statements and discussion about new route options for the type.
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Is the placement of the Rouge logo on the Max from AC or is it an independent depiction.
That image is taken from the video shared with employees and aligns with the statement that it will be similar to how Jazz aircraft are identified.
Hi,
This is a fascinating look at how Air Canada Rouge is leveraging the MAX’s efficiency to densify its leisure-focused network. The configuration, with what looks like a slimline seat at a 30-inch pitch, is a clear strategic move to compete on cost with ultra-low-cost carriers while offering a slightly more bundled product. It will be very interesting to see how this cabin is received by the vacation market, which often prioritizes price above all else.
My question is about the operational flexibility: With this single, dense configuration, does this aircraft give Rouge the ability to seamlessly swap in and out of mainline Air Canada’s thinner routes during off-peak seasons, or is its role strictly dedicated to high-volume, sun-destination flying from here on out?
This sure seems like AI-generated slop based on the spam URL that tried to sneak in, and which I’ve removed.
But to answer the bigger question, AC already runs some markets on a blend of Rouge and mainline. I’d expect that will continue.
Also, there is a segment of the leisure market that focuses solely on base fare (which is different from price). But typically airlines there are competing with the couch for those customers; if it gets more expensive the travel simply doesn’t happen. But there are also leisure pax willing to pay a bit to be comfortable. Maybe not as many of them in Canada as other markets (or maybe there are, I have no idea), and not necessarily willing to pay a LOT extra. But the leisure operators aren’t only catering to the bottom of the market.