Flight test: Air Canada economy class

Entertainment The touchscreen console has an array of movies, television programs, games and news and current affairs from Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC. There are dozens of new-release movies, most from the backlots of Los Angeles, but also foreign films from Hong Kong and Finland, for example. There are several programming choices in French and Quebecois.

There is an "avant-garde" directory of half-a-dozen films, some of which don't seem particularly cutting edge. It includes Jack Goes Boating, a Philip Seymour Hoffman film that received this classification presumably because it doesn't include an action sequence.

There is also a power board (US-type three-prong socket) and a USB port. The games function does not work. There's no volume control, nor fast forward, so advertisements that precede each film must be watched. Six films into a 16-hour flight and I set the dial to the satellite tracking screen to sit out the long-haul journey.

Service In most cases the staff are exemplary — Canadians are famously friendly, so imagine a Canadian flight attendant. I do have one, though, who barks orders and rolls her eyes when I request a set of headphones.

Comfort This is economy so I just feel lucky to have an aisle seat.

Food and beverage The midnight snack (supper time, Sydney-time) is a cold, soggy roll with nondescript processed meat and cheese and two dry ginger biscuits. Lunch is an uninspiring, stir-fried chicken with baked potatoes and carrots and steamed broccoli. Breakfast, served just before landing in Vancouver, is an egg omelette and one of those bread rolls, stiff from the fridge. Tea, coffee, wine and beer are served.

Flight frequency Air Canada flies daily between Sydney to Vancouver.

Online aircanada.com.

Tested by Linton Besser, who flew courtesy of Travel Alberta and Tourism British Columbia.