• Ipsos Reid annual survey finds Air Canada's lead widening over other Canadian carriers
• Business Traveler USA names Air Canada "Best North American Airline for International Travel" and "Best North American Airline for Inflight Experience"

MONTREAL, Dec. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Air Canada is the preferred airline for domestic travel for 92 per cent of frequent business travellers, according to the Ipsos Reid 2018 Canadian Business Traveller Survey. The national study determined Air Canada is the only Canadian airline to see a consistent increase in preference and in usage for the past five years.  Additionally, readers of leading frequent business traveller magazine Business Traveler have named Air Canada "Best North American Airline for International Travel", as well as "Best North American Airline for Inflight Experience", solidifying Air Canada's position as the preferred airline for business travel.

"This year's Ipsos Reid Canadian Business Traveller Survey confirms Air Canada is the preferred airline of Canadians who fly most often and that its lead over other carriers continues to widen. The 2018 results revealed the broadest margin of frequent traveller preference for Air Canada versus our domestic competitors since 2014, and we are especially pleased that this positive trend is seen in all regions of Canada," said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada.

"Year-over-year increases in key ratings by business travellers reflect our business customers' appreciation of our strong global network, schedule, loyalty programs and focus on customer service. Together with the results from Business Traveler USA, this further indicates that Air Canada is successfully executing its global strategies, which include introducing a new, industry-leading loyalty program in 2020. On behalf of our 30,000 employees worldwide, I thank our customers for choosing Air Canada in growing numbers, and we look forward to welcoming them onboard North America's only international four-star airline as affirmed by global air transport rating organization Skytrax, for their next flight," concluded Lucie.

The 27^th annual Canadian Business Traveller Survey is an online survey conducted independently by Ipsos Reid, based on business travellers who took a minimum of six round trip flights for business in the past 12 months. The results showed consistently strong ratings in customer preference for Air Canada's frequent flyer reward program, convenient flight schedule and customer service. Among other things, the survey of frequent business travellers found:

• Overall satisfaction with Air Canada's service continues to increase, contrasting that of domestic competitors, climbing six percentage points over 2017 for in-flight and four percentage points for airports. Air Canada's highest scores in the last five years was satisfaction in its schedule, loyalty program, customer service and perception as a dynamic organization. 
• Air Canada is the only Canadian airline that has seen an increase in it's Net Promoter Score (NPS) for 2018,
• 96 per cent intend to use Air Canada for domestic business travel in the coming year, significantly more than the intention to use other Canadian carriers.  
• Air Canada is the preferred airline for travel between Canada and the U.S., increasing by 11 percentage points over the last five years.
• Business travel increased the most internationally to Europe, Asia and other global destinations, growing by five percentage points over last year.

Business Traveler USA invites its readers annually to select the top travel providers across the globe, noting that business travellers are always the first to identify the best products and services essential to success and return on the traveller's investment.

Additionally, the editors of Frequent Business Traveler which specializes in travel news, strategies and tips for global business have also recognized Air Canada's Signature Lounge at Toronto Pearson as "Best Airline Lounge in the Americas" and, Air Canada together with Star Alliance partner United, as "Best Airline in the Americas".

More information about Air Canada's array of services for business travel ranging from small to medium to large corporations is at: www.aircanada.com/businesstravel 

About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 200 airports on six continents.  Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2017 served more than 48 million customers.  Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 63 airports in Canada, 56 in the United States and 98 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,317 airports in 193 countries.  Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax. In 2018 Canada was voted the Best Airline in North America in the Skytrax World Airline Awards and it was also named the Eco-Airline of the Year by Air Transport World.  For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook.

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SOURCE Air Canada