Air Canada’s Newest Route Isn’t Even Flown By A Plane

Air Canada has launched a new route between its Toronto Pearson hub and Kingston, Ontario, but passengers won't be traveling via aircraft. Instead, the connection will be served by a motorcoach in partnership with The Landline Company, with two daily roundtrips launching in September.

This becomes Air Canada's third "route" that isn't served by an aircraft, joining its bus connections between Toronto Pearson and Hamilton and the Region of Waterloo. The airline previously served Kingston, Ontario, but discontinued service in 2020 due to the ongoing impact of the COVID pandemic, but will now be returning after more than five years away.

Air Canada To Launch Another Bus Route

The Canadian airline will begin its third motorcoach route at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) on September 23rd, with two daily services between Toronto and Kingston Norman Rogers Airport (YGK). The route will be served by luxury motorcoaches made by Canadian manufacturer Prevost and operated by The Landline Company, which also works with major US airlines, including American Airlines and United Airlines.

The two daily trips are optimally timed to tie into Air Canada's extensive network out of YYZ. There is a morning service from Kingston that gets passengers into Toronto before 07:00, as well as an afternoon service for a 17:30 arrival in Toronto.

Kingston currently has no scheduled commercial services, with the last operator, Pascan Aviation, discontinuing its Montreal connection in early 2023. Air Canada previously flew to the airport from Toronto-Pearson but stopped in June 2020. Ranbir Singh, Director of Regional Airlines and Markets at Air Canada, commented,

"We are delighted to be reconnecting customers in Kingston and the surrounding region to our global network. This is a premier example of the new opportunities our growing partnership with The Landline Company unlocks."

Flying By Coach Perks

Each Landline coach features 36 reclining leather seats in a two-by-one configuration, which are a step-up in comfort from your typical economy class seat. Each seat comes equipped with a table tray and power outlets, while there is generous overhead space for luggage. All coaches come with WiFi access and also have an onboard lavatory. They are also fully accessible for passengers with disabilities, including a power lift.

Flying by coach is pretty similar to catching a flight, other than the mode of transport itself. This means passengers still have to check in as normal and will get a boarding pass for all segments of their flight, as well as bag tags. Be advised that the bags won't be checked in for you for your next segment, so you'll need to do this at a self-service bag drop at the airport.

Members of Aeroplan, Air Canada's frequent flyer program, will also benefit from the journey as they would a normal flight. The connection gives Eastern Ontario residents more convenient access to Air Canada's vast network out of Toronto Pearson. Be advised that you can't book a Landline coach journey as an independent segment, as it must be part of a connecting itinerary.

No Added Fee Until 2026

As an added bonus, Air Canada is allowing many passengers to travel by coach for no added fee for journeys originating in Kingston, compared to journeys originating at Toronto Pearson.

The airline is also issuing a fee waiver for customers looking to add this coach segment to an existing booking. This will be valid up until December 31, 2025, but customers will need to do so through the Air Canada Contact Centre.

The Toronto-Kingston motorcoach route is the third such service in Air Canada's network. The airline has been operating similar services out of Toronto Pearson to John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM) in Hamilton and Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF).