Air Transat flights : Guide and tips to save money

Air travel can be costly when you don’t know how to search for the best fares to get a trip that’s not too expensive. Fortunately, you can save money by booking Air Transat flights.

Air Transat, renowned for its flights to Europe, the United States, Canada and other sunny destinations, is a major player in the Quebec and Canadian air markets.

In this guide, we give you all the tips you need to find cheap Air Transat flights and save on your next plane tickets.

For Canadians, Air Transat and Air Canada are the two main airlines available for the vast majority of flights. The big difference between the two companies is that Air Transat targets mainly leisure travel, while Air Canada tries to attract business customers as well.

As a result, Air Transat will serve more secondary airports in Europe and the South than Air Canada. In addition, Air Transat may offer flights on more dates or on a different day of the week, which may be more convenient for you.

For those looking for an enhanced flying experience, Air Canada’s Signature business class is the way to go. Furthermore, when we take a look at the scope of its destinations, we can see that Air Transat doesn’t go as far as Asia, Africa and Oceania, unlike Air Canada.

Here’s a map of Air Transat’s direct flight coverage. You can find this information on the Flight Connections website.

Here is a table showing Air Transat‘s current direct flights from their Canadian airports of operation. You can quickly see, in bold, the destinations that Air Transat serves exclusively with direct flights, as opposed to Air Canada.

For example, for a family trip to Portugal, the most practical itinerary for your vacation might be to land in Lisbon and depart from Porto. Air Transat is therefore the preferred choice between the two airlines, especially with young children, as these flights are direct.

Similarly, Air Canada is not offering international flights from Quebec City airport at the moment. So flights with Air Transat are the only direct options available.

As of autumn 2023, Air Transat and Porter Airlines are now partners, offering codeshare flights! This means that connecting opportunities are greatly increased for North American travellers. In all, the two airlines serve more than 80 destinations.

Codeshare flights allow simplified check-in and transfer of baggage from one airline to another when connecting. Read all about this new partnership in this article:

Air Transat’s official website offers a multitude of air ticket options for travellers looking to explore the world.

Every trip is unique, and Air Transat offers the freedom to choose the fare that’s best for each individual, with the flexibility to change or cancel flights, plus a host of other benefits. Although you can get excellent travel insurance by paying with the appropriate credit card, it’s best to select the right fare class when buying a plane ticket. In fact, if you change your mind, this is not a situation eligible for protection by insurers.

In addition, any mishaps that may occur during your trip, such as flight delays or lost luggage, can be reimbursed and compensated through your credit card insurance as well!

As far as luggage and seat selection are concerned, many credit cards offer annual travel credits to reimburse such expenses. So, to save on your Air Transat tickets, it may be a good idea to opt for the Eco Budget fare and pay for your seat selection with the travel credit on the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^®!

What’s more, this card gives you unlimited free access to the National Bank Lounge, so you can eat and drink before your Air Transat flight. So you don’t have to pay extra for the gourmet Club Class meal either!

The best way to find airline tickets at the best prices (all airlines included) is to use Google Flights. Indeed, with the Explore tool, you can easily spot dates that are more affordable at a glance.

For Europe, Air Transat flights will often appear at the top of the results list:

Contrary to popular belief, it’s a myth to say that there are certain dates or days of the week when it’s best to buy a plane ticket because it’s always a question of supply and demand.

However, Google Flights can show you the best time to book, based on data from previous years, and display a calendar of the cheapest dates too. It’s certain that there will be less demand to leave or return on a weekday than on a Friday night.

If you’ve ever played around with flight search engines, you’ve probably seen more affordable prices to Europe with a stopover from Toronto than direct from Montreal.

Here’s an example where the segment between Montreal and London is the same on both routes, but adding a return trip to Toronto lowers the price.

Once again, it’s a question of supply and demand, and it’s not a mistake; that’s how pricing works. It’s very important to note that you can’t simply book the Toronto itinerary and decide to embark (or disembark) in Montreal. This practice is known as “skiplagging” and involves considerable risks and consequences.

Most of the time, the prices you can find on platforms like Expedia or Skyscanner are similar to what you can get on the airline’s official website.

Therefore, it’s best to book directly so you don’t have a third party to deal with if there’s ever a problem; third parties and airlines often tend to throw the ball back and forth on this.

Currently, Air Transat does not have a loyalty program like Air Canada with Aeroplan. So, to save on Air Transat flights, you’ll have to turn to credit card rewards points (travel points), specifically those that can be used to reimburse any travel purchase or against any expense.

All credit card issuers have travel points programs:

Each of the above programs has its own way of doing things, but the general principle is the same: you book your flight with Air Transat (or any other airline), and then redeem your points for a statement credit. Your purchase will be reimbursed with points.

Here’s an example with American Express Membership Rewards:

It should be noted, however, that we can maximize the value of our points with certain programs. In fact, American Express Membership Rewards points will always have a value of 10,000 points = $100, whether you use them to reimburse your airline ticket or for groceries.

However, NBC Rewards points have a higher redemption value when you book a flight, whether with Air Transat or another airline, on their Rewards à la Carte platform versus an account credit on your shopping :

We can see that it’s better to use NBC Rewards points for travel than for an account credit on any purchase. Finally, by booking with their platform, you can also earn more points!

Guides for each program can be found here :

For fans of all-inclusive packages with Air Transat, points are used in the same way as for airline tickets.

Here’s an example of how to redeem NBC Rewards points to save on an all-inclusive trip with Air Transat:

Air Transat stands out for its extensive coverage in Europe and for vacations in the South. Airline tickets are often more affordable than their competitors. Then, with little touches like the Kids Club, it’s easy to see why many families choose Air Transat.

With a multitude of credit card rewards programs to choose from, the challenge is simply to maximize your savings on flights!