At Prince of Journey, we regularly spotlight find out how to flip factors into luxurious enterprise and first-class flights. However not each journey requires lie-flat seats and champagne. Typically, flying economic system might be essentially the most sensible and budget-conscious choice.
On this new sequence, we’ll discover the very best economic system class redemptions utilizing factors, organized by vacation spot, beginning with Europe. To make issues extra actionable, redemptions will likely be grouped by loyalty program moderately than airline. This helps you rapidly perceive which factors to make use of, since in lots of circumstances, reserving the identical airline via completely different applications can yield very completely different pricing.
Why Concentrate on Flights from Canada?
This information spotlights economic system flights departing from Canadian cities, since these are essentially the most accessible and sensible choices for many Canadian travellers. Whereas positioning flights to the US are sometimes worthwhile for premium redemptions, they’ll drive up the full value of an economic system reserving, which is in any other case sometimes inexpensive.
When you can’t discover award availability to your required European metropolis, think about reserving an inexpensive intra-European connection (paid with both factors or money). These short-haul flights are sometimes cheap and might even cut back the price of your total redemption when booked as a part of an extended itinerary.
Until famous in any other case, money quantities listed are in Canadian {dollars}. Most examples assume a one-way award, however return fares are likely to mirror these costs, generally providing slight reductions when booked round-trip.
Canadian Loyalty Packages
Air Canada Aeroplan
Aeroplan is Canada’s flagship loyalty program and provides glorious entry to flights throughout Europe via Air Canada and its Star Alliance companions. With a mixture of dynamic and glued pricing, it’s one of the vital versatile applications for Canadian travellers.
Execs:
- Nice award availability on Air Canada-operated flights
- A number of European companion airways with mounted redemption charges with direct flights from Canadian cities (e.g. TAP Portugal, Turkish Airways, LOT, Swiss, Austrian, Lufthansa)
- Affordable taxes and charges
Cons:
- Dynamic pricing for Air Canada and United flights (although including a phase could decrease prices on United redemptions)
- Inconsistent companion award availability; particularly, award house launch patterns differ and a few companion flights solely seem as married flight segments
- Excessive cancellation charges ($150 for traditional economic system)
When you take a look at Aeroplan’s Flight Award Chart, you’ll discover the expected ranges for flight redemptions from North American to Europe, which primarily fall inside the 4000–8000 mile distance bands.
Whenever you do a reside search, nevertheless, you might discover redemption charges beneath the expected ranges, with charges beginning as little as proven within the chart beneath:
British Airways Membership
Avios is the foreign money of British Airways Membership and can be utilized on British Airways, Aer Lingus, Finnair, Iberia, Qatar, and different Oneworld companions. It’s particularly worthwhile for off-peak journey and short-haul redemptions inside Europe.
Execs:
- Nice award availability (as much as 8 economic system seats on British Airways, 3 economic system seats on Aer Lingus, 4 economic system seats on Finnair)
- Wonderful worth for short-haul flights inside Europe (as little as 6,000 Avios) if that you must join onwards in Europe
- Low cancellation charges ($58 per ticket)
Cons:
- Excessive taxes and charges when departing from London
Word: British Airways flights may also be booked utilizing Asia Miles or AAdvantage, however Canadian switch choices to those applications are at a much less beneficial fee and taxes are sometimes larger. Finnair flights have cheaper taxes and charges if booked via Finnair Avios (transferrable from British Airways Avios).
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
Flying Blue is the joint loyalty program of Air France and KLM, recognized for beneficiant award house and robust protection throughout Europe. Month-to-month Promo Rewards and family-friendly reductions make it a versatile choice for economic system journey.
Execs:
- Good award availability (can typically discover 9+ seats out there on Air France and KLM)
- Good onward connections via Paris and Amsterdam
- Solely airways to supply direct flights from YEG and YQB to Europe
- Month-to-month Promo Rewards can supply reductions of as much as 25% off saver redemption charges
- 25% low cost on award redemptions for youngsters aged 2–11 flying on Air France or KLM
Cons:
- Dynamic pricing for Air France and KLM
- Other than incomes miles on the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®, the switch ratio from Amex Membership Rewards is much less beneficial (1:0.75)
- Greater taxes and charges than with Aeroplan
Porter Airways VIPorter
Porter Airways is rising its worldwide presence via new partnerships, together with a key collaboration with Air Transat. Air Transat operates quite a few routes to Europe, primarily from Toronto and Montreal, and now you can redeem VIPorter factors for journey on these flights.
Execs:
Cons:
- Dynamic pricing, however many routes presently value on the saver fee of 25,000 factors
- Some Air Transat routes should not but out there for reserving via VIPorter
Mounted-Worth Reward Packages
Mounted-value reward charts supply flexibility by letting you e-book virtually any flight, so long as the fare falls inside the program’s most allowable worth. Not like reserving via airline applications, you don’t have to fret about award seat availability.
Relying on the ticket value, these redemptions can generally supply higher worth than conventional airline applications. Nevertheless, when money fares are excessive, they could find yourself costing extra.
RBC Avion Rewards
RBC Avion Rewards is a versatile journey rewards program that permits you to redeem factors via its fixed-value chart or switch to airline companions. Its mounted chart provides predictable worth on flights, particularly when money fares are beneath the utmost thresholds.
When you’re reserving a flight to Europe that prices greater than 32,500 factors one-way (or 65,000 round-trip) via an airline program, and the money fare is beneath $1,300 earlier than taxes and charges, it’s value contemplating an RBC Avion redemption as a substitute.
CIBC Aventura®
CIBC Aventura® permits members to redeem factors via a tiered fixed-flight chart or for journey purchases by way of its journey portal. This system is greatest leveraged for round-trip redemptions when flight costs align with the chart’s most ticket values.
In case your round-trip flight to Europe prices greater than 50,000 factors via an airline program and the fare is beneath $1,300 earlier than taxes and charges, it’s value checking how a lot the identical flight would value utilizing CIBC Aventura factors with their mounted journey chart.
U.S. Factors Packages
A number of the best-value or lowest-cost redemptions can be found via airline applications that require U.S.-based loyalty factors. Listed here are a couple of standout examples:
Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership is a flexible loyalty program that gives nice worth on each Virgin Atlantic and companion airline redemptions, particularly for flights between North America and Europe. Withfrequent switch bonuses and low-mileage economic system choices, it’s a powerful choice regardless of larger surcharges on some routes.
Execs:
- Extremely-low value saver redemptions to London from 6,000 factors one-way
Cons:
- Dynamic pricing
- Excessive taxes and charges
- Current devaluation of SAS candy spot
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan
Alaska’s Mileage Plan is a distance-based program with nice worth on quite a lot of airline companions of various airline alliances. With no cancellation charges and stable award availability, it’s a powerful selection for versatile travellers.
Execs:
- Good availability on Condor (6+ economic system seats per flight)
- Icelandair provides many connections onwards to different European locations and might be booked on the similar redemption fee
- No cancellation charges
Cons:
- Exhausting to earn miles since US Amex ended transfers to this system via HawaiianMiles
Word: Icelandair flights from Vancouver had been included to be full about routing choices, however at 50,000 miles doesn’t signify a fantastic redemption.
ANA Mileage Membership
ANA Mileage Membership provides glorious redemption charges on Star Alliance companions. Although award availability might be restricted, the factors redemptions are laborious to beat however double examine the taxes and charges which might be excessive.
Execs:
- Wonderful worth on Star Alliance flights to Europe at 27,500 miles one-way
Cons:
- Restricted award availability
- Excessive taxes and charges
Conclusion
Whereas enterprise class will all the time have its enchantment, flying economic system to Europe on factors generally is a good, environment friendly technique to stretch your miles. That is very true for household journey or brief journeys. With a number of applications providing aggressive redemptions and first rate award availability, there’s no scarcity of choices.
Ensure to check level necessities, taxes, switch companions, and availability earlier than reserving. Preserve an eye fixed out for month-to-month promos or last-minute seat drops. With a little bit of technique, economic system journey might be simply as rewarding.
