Air Canada Business Class to Europe, Up To 4
While Aeroplan is a great program for redemptions, Air Canada itself can be stingy with business class award space at saver level (re. bookable with partner programs). With that in mind, I thought this was a good one to flag.
There isn't much space on the return, but there's space to London, Amsterdam, and Milan in October. Don't forget, you can include a connection on your award ticket or even book a separate positioning flight to see other European cities.
Now, let's get into the details!
|
|
Straight To The Points:
Routes: YYZ-AMS/LHR, YUL-LHR/MXP
Operating airline: Air Canada
Class of service: Business class
Dates: October 2023
Seats available: 2-4
Cabin layout: 1-2-1
Book with (per person, one-way):
- *Air Canada Aeroplan:
- YYZ/YUL-LHR: From 58,000 points
- LHR-YYZ/YUL: From 56,100 points
- *ANA Mileage Club: 88,000 miles (round-trip only)
- *Asiana Club: 40,000 miles
- *Avianca LifeMiles: 63,000 miles
- *EVA Infinity MileageLands: 65,000 miles
- *Miles & More: 56,000 miles
- *Singapore KrisFlyer: 81,000 miles
- *Turkish Miles&Smiles: 45,000 miles
- *United MileagePlus: 77,000 miles
*No surcharges
Taxes/fees (per person, London example):
- One-way: ~$44
- Round-trip: ~$347
LifeMiles has a partner booking fee.
Most of the taxes/fees stems from the UK's Air Passenger Duty (APD) fee. If you start your return journey from another country, you can reduce the taxes.
Bank transfer partners:
- Air Canada Aeroplan: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Marriott
- ANA Mileage Club: Amex, Marriott
- Asiana Club: Marriott
- Avianca LifeMiles: Amex, Capital One, Citi, Marriott
- EVA Infinity MileageLands: Citi, Capital One
- Singapore KrisFlyer: Amex, Chase, Citi, Cap One, Marriott
- Turkish Miles&Smiles: Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Marriott
- United MileagePlus: Bilt, Chase, Marriott
Don't forget to let me know if you book and how you did it!
|
|
Flight Experience
The business class cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout. You'll have a lie-flat seat and direct aisle access regardless of which seat you choose. Personally, I like the window seats.
I will caution that the quality of the food can be inconsistent. I had a nice meal on one flight while the other was subpar. Similarly, the crew on one of my flights was great while the other seemed a bit less interested. Still, for a flight to Europe, I don't think this will be a huge issue.
If you want to check out Air Canada's Signature Suite - it's a restaurant within the Maple Leaf Lounge, it's a much better dining option than inflight. I was really impressed with the food, drink, and service. You'll need to book a flexible award with Aeroplan points to have access.
|
|
Available Dates
YYZ-LHR
October: 3-27
November: 13, 21, 24, 27, 28
LHR-YYZ
October: 17, 18, 24, 25
YUL-LHR
October: 7, 10-13, 16, 17, 20, 22-24, 26, 29, 31
LHR-YUL
October: 2-5, 7-17, 19, 21-28, 31
YYZ-AMS
October: 6, 11, 13-15, 20-22, 25-27
AMS-YYZ
October: 5, 23, 26
YUL-MXP
October: 8-10, 15, 16, 22-24
MXP-YUL
October: 17, 24
|
|
Best Ways To Book
ANA Mileage Club: Best Round-Trip Rate
At 88,000 miles, this is the best option if you want to book a round-trip award ticket. Please keep in mind that Amex transfers can take 2-3 days to process so award space could disappear while you wait.
Aeroplan: Great One-Way + Flexible Rate w/ Signature Suite Access
Aeroplan rates start at 58,000 points on the outbound and 56,000 points on the return. If you want to book a one-way award and have Amex or Chase points, this is the way to go.
Keep in mind that connections could increase the award rate. Use use GCmap to calculate your total flight distance and double-check Aeroplan's zone-based chart. Stopovers can be included for 5,000 miles on a one-way.
You can use additional points to book a flexible award if you want to visit the Signature Suite at YYZ.
Turkish: Best One-Way Rate
If you have Bilt, Capital One, or Citi points, Turkish is an excellent option at 45,000 miles one-way. Turkish's online search for Star Alliance partners isn't great and transfers aren't always instant so it's best to call, put an award on hold, then transfer points.
United: Useful If Connecting From The West Coast
Since the Aeroplan rate could jump to 90,000 points with a connection on United from the west coast on your way to Milan, 77,000 United miles is a better option if you have have Bilt or Chase points.
|
|
How To Book
If you're not sure what dates you want, you can use United to search:
- From United's homepage, select Advanced search
- Choose to show price in miles
- Enter the origin & destination
- Select your dates or choose Flexible dates and choose a month
- Select nonstop
- Select the number of passengers
- Select Business
- Show flights from "Star Alliance airlines"
- Run the search
- Transfer points (if necessary)
- Log into your account
- Run the search again
- Complete the booking
Once you know the exact dates you want, you can run the search with the program you'll be using to book. As always, I recommend confirming the program you're using sees the award space before you transfer points.
If you want to book with Turkish miles, I'd suggest calling (800-874-8875) to put the ticket on hold before transferring points. They'll hold the award space for up to two days, though transfers shouldn't take that long.
|
|
Final Thoughts
If you're able to plan ahead, it's always nice to lock in business class flights before most people are thinking about booking so you can avoid the rush.
If you're flying from the US on a separate award ticket, I found clearing immigration in Toronto to be a smooth process. Just make sure you leave extra time if you're not connecting on the same ticket. Of course, you could always fly the day before and spend a day in Toronto or Montreal.
Happy Booking!
|
|
|
|
