Onboard Air Canada’s A321XLR: a strong argument for narrowbody business — and the controversial doorless version of Collins’ Aurora seat

A doorless inward-facing herringbone seat might feel very 2003, but the real-world experience on the AC version of this much-discussed business class seat makes quite the impression — and several good points in the doors-or-no-doors debate

By John Walton 16 min read
A wide shot of the AC A321XLR seat, an inward-facing herringbone in warm neutrals and reds.

Can longhaul narrowbody business class be just as good for passengers as its widebody equivalent? It’s one of the fundamental challenges of the seats, cabins, and passenger experiences industry — for the last decade, this decade, and the decade to come.

There are inherent problems posed by the 3D geometry of the space onboard an A321neo or 737 MAX cabin, and solving them has proven difficult for seatmakers across the board.

Even more than on widebodies, the space constraints of a single-aisle mean that every inch counts, driving deeper and deeper tradeoffs in design, certification, and manufacturing.

A view out of the seat at the large, stylish screen on the right and a storage area with power (2x USB-C, 1 AC). You can just about see the (stowed) screen of the passenger opposite, but by no means the passenger themself.
The more you look at the detail of the Air Canada cabin — and the Collins Aurora seats — the more impressive they get. Image: John Walton

And so to Air Canada’s A321XLR, with its doorless Collins Aerospace Aurora aisle-facing herringbone seats, which have received a real love-them-or-hate-them response in their (doored) American Airlines version.

The aircraft has an unusual role to play thanks to Air Canada’s triple-hub operational structure and network geography, so the airline and its design partner Acumen have made some controversial choices as a result, including no doors in business class and a tiny half-galley at the rear.

Short version: this is a great business class experience, better than many a widebody product I’ve flown. The seat is excellent, with genuinely beautiful CMF, especially comfortable padding, an incredible IFE screen — and an utterly stunning 4K front-facing camera that makes for a fascinatingly mesmerising experience.

Long version: read on.

The Up Front ReviewAir CanadaA321XLRBusiness ClassCollins AerospaceCollins Aerospace AuroraPanasonic
John Walton

Editor in chief of The Up Front, with two decades of experience reporting across the global aviation industry, specialising in business and first class, seats, cabins and the passenger experience.