Tips for Flying Iqaluit-Ottawa/Ottawa-Iqaluit
This may be a better use of my time than composing plane rants.
Canadian North is a unique airline in many ways. In particular, their Ottawa-Iqaluit route has some oddities. I've compiled a short list of tips for a smooth trip:
1) Check in at the airport- At least on this route, Canadian North does not like electronic boarding passes. Visit the check-in counter for a paper boarding pass even if you've checked in online to keep everything smooth.
2) Check a bag- one bag up to 50lbs is included in fare price, so I have checked my carry-on and kept my personal item on this route to avoid carrying extra baggage.
3) Charge your phone before boarding- the planes do not have outlets available.
4) Bring your own entertainment- no entertainment is provided either through an app or screens. Sometimes WiFi is available, but this is not reliable.
5) Prepare to walk across the tarmac- The plane will be a cargo/passenger hybrid, with passengers boarding at the back. Since boarding is at the back, you will have to walk the tarmac on both ends. General reminder for walking: the tarmac is a secured area, so you cannot take pictures.
6) Ask what is included in the flight- nearly everything is included in this flight. Each flight you will have the option to receive:
- a meal (entree, salad, bread)
- a drink (standard unless otherwise specified. The flight attendants will announce any unusual options- in the past specialty coffee has been available for some flights)
- alcohol (red and white wine included, other choices $6)
- a warm cookie
The food is very good (at least for airplane food), and is typically provided by Thyme & Again Creative Catering.
7) Use the wipe they hand out- before giving meals, a flight attendant will bring around a tray of little white cylinders. They are warm wipes; use it for your tray table and maybe armrests. Based on the cleanliness of the plane, I don't think that anyone cleans the seats or trays between trips.
8) If your flight is relatively empty and you want more leg room, ask for a front seat. That have enough leg room that once a woman on my flight did yoga in the floor space during the flight.
9) It costs a lots. Suck it up- Canadian North has a monopoly on this route and they guard it carefully. There are no other reasonable options. Sometimes flights will go on sale. You can sign up to receive flight price alerts from Google and wait for the price to dip for a day, but $800 is a typical price for this route (round trip).
10) Final tip! Canadian North really does not care what you bring on board (save dangerous goods), so bring what you need to bring. They are generous with checked bag weight limits (aim for 50 lbs, but chances are they won't care if it's a little over) and carry-on allowances (I know a woman who brings open cardboard boxes full of fresh fruit during the summer and stores them in the overhead bins). You can ask if you are concerned, but chances are people will just get confused. If it's not okay, a flight attendant will tell you.
Happy flights!
- Aliya
Canadian North is a unique airline in many ways. In particular, their Ottawa-Iqaluit route has some oddities. I've compiled a short list of tips for a smooth trip:
1) Check in at the airport- At least on this route, Canadian North does not like electronic boarding passes. Visit the check-in counter for a paper boarding pass even if you've checked in online to keep everything smooth.
2) Check a bag- one bag up to 50lbs is included in fare price, so I have checked my carry-on and kept my personal item on this route to avoid carrying extra baggage.
3) Charge your phone before boarding- the planes do not have outlets available.
4) Bring your own entertainment- no entertainment is provided either through an app or screens. Sometimes WiFi is available, but this is not reliable.
5) Prepare to walk across the tarmac- The plane will be a cargo/passenger hybrid, with passengers boarding at the back. Since boarding is at the back, you will have to walk the tarmac on both ends. General reminder for walking: the tarmac is a secured area, so you cannot take pictures.
6) Ask what is included in the flight- nearly everything is included in this flight. Each flight you will have the option to receive:
- a meal (entree, salad, bread)
- a drink (standard unless otherwise specified. The flight attendants will announce any unusual options- in the past specialty coffee has been available for some flights)
- alcohol (red and white wine included, other choices $6)
- a warm cookie
The food is very good (at least for airplane food), and is typically provided by Thyme & Again Creative Catering.
7) Use the wipe they hand out- before giving meals, a flight attendant will bring around a tray of little white cylinders. They are warm wipes; use it for your tray table and maybe armrests. Based on the cleanliness of the plane, I don't think that anyone cleans the seats or trays between trips.
8) If your flight is relatively empty and you want more leg room, ask for a front seat. That have enough leg room that once a woman on my flight did yoga in the floor space during the flight.
9) It costs a lots. Suck it up- Canadian North has a monopoly on this route and they guard it carefully. There are no other reasonable options. Sometimes flights will go on sale. You can sign up to receive flight price alerts from Google and wait for the price to dip for a day, but $800 is a typical price for this route (round trip).
10) Final tip! Canadian North really does not care what you bring on board (save dangerous goods), so bring what you need to bring. They are generous with checked bag weight limits (aim for 50 lbs, but chances are they won't care if it's a little over) and carry-on allowances (I know a woman who brings open cardboard boxes full of fresh fruit during the summer and stores them in the overhead bins). You can ask if you are concerned, but chances are people will just get confused. If it's not okay, a flight attendant will tell you.
Happy flights!
- Aliya
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