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Air Transat: End of Free Carry-On Baggage for Certain Destinations

Air Transat: End of Free Carry-On Baggage for Certain Destinations
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Following in the footsteps of WestJet and Air Canada, Air Transat is ending free carry-on baggage for passengers who have booked certain basic fares on North American flights and to sun destinations. Air Transat will charge between $35 and $50 to include a carry-on in the booking.

End of Free Baggage With Air Transat

Air Transat assures that flights to Europe, Peru and Morocco are not affected by these changes.

As explained on the pax nouvelles website:


According to Bernard Côté, Senior Director, Brand Communications at Transat, “These adjustments allow us to offer even more competitive rates and better align ourselves with industry practices, in order to continue to offer an accessible travel experience that is adapted to market expectations”.

Here are more details on the changes according to fare class:

  • Budget Eco or Promo Fare: passengers are entitled to one personal item, and all other baggage must be checked in and will be subject to the applicable fees.
  • Standard Eco: passengers are entitled to one carry-on bag and one personal item. Checked baggage, previously included, is now subject to applicable fees.

Air Transat With Points

Air Transat has not yet launched its frequent flyer program, which should arrive sometime in 2025. Until then, it’s still possible to redeem travel credit card reward points as payment for a flight on Air Transat. For example, you could use points from the National Bank World Elite Mastercard or TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card and use the travel booking portal to book your flight.

Or, using the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card or Scotiabank Visa Infinite Passport Card, you can purchase your flight directly on the Air Transat website, then apply your Aventura or Scene+ points to get a Statement credit.

Read our guide to saving on your flight tickets with points to find out more.

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$139 $0Welcome offer
Up to 60,000 points
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Annual fee$150 $0Welcome offer
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Up to 160,000 points
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Annual fee$150Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026
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Bottom Line

Air Transat is following the trend of other airlines in Canada by adding these baggage fees.

We therefore advise you to take into account the baggage included or excluded when searching for flights or booking your all-inclusive packages with Transat, and to confirm the inclusions (and exclusions) of each fare class before booking.

Our tip for saving on baggage fees: holders of the National Bank World Elite Mastercard can apply their $150 annual travel credit to offset this expense.

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Annual fee
$0 $150
No annual fee the first year
Our valuation
$150
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueAnnual fee rebated$150Total$150Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
First Year Annual Fee Rebate
$150 annual fee rebated
Ends Nov 4, 2026
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on National Bank's website

With Milesopedia, take advantage of an exclusive offer: your first-year annual fees are refunded with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. This offer is exclusively available on the Milesopedia network, from June 30 to November 4, 2026.

  • Refund of the first-year annual fee (a $150 value) for the primary cardholder. This fee is charged to your new card account, then refunded as a credit on your statement within five months of opening your account, provided it remains open and in good standing.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the best Mastercard credit card offered by NBC.

With this card, you earn up to 5 points per dollar on your purchases:

  • 5 points per dollar for groceries and restaurants
  • 2 points per dollar on gas and electric recharge purchases
  • 2 points per dollar on recurring bills
  • 2 points per dollar on À la carte Travel
  • 1 point per dollar for all other purchases

And since it’s an NBC mycredit Mastercard, you can use it at Costco.

With this card, you have access to a $150 annual travel credit that you can use in any of these categories:

  • Airport parking
  • Baggage fees
  • Seat selection
  • Access to airport lounges
  • Airline ticket upgrades

What’s more, you can enjoy access to DragonPass airport lounges and unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau.

Finally, Milesopedia has named the National Bank World Elite Mastercard as the Best Travel Credit Card in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$80,000
Household$150,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xRestaurants
  • 5xGroceries
  • 2xTravel
  • 2xBills & recurring payments
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$778
2nd Year Value$923

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$400
Travel creditsIncluded

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 60 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 31 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $2,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Travel AccidentIncluded

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+2 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Here is the latest news about Air Transat:

Our featured card

Annual fee
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No annual fee the first year
Our valuation
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on BMO's website

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is one of the best Visa Infinite rewards credit cards in Canada. Its welcome offer lets you earn up to 70,000 BMO Rewards points, for a total value of up to $1,150*.

It also includes a monthly statement credit for streaming services, an annual $50 lifestyle credit, and no annual fee for the first year (a $120 value)*.

With the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you also get:

  • 5x BMO Rewards points for every dollar spent on groceries, meal delivery or takeout, rideshare, public transit, and gas*
  • 1 BMO Rewards point for every dollar spent on all other purchases*
  • 10% more points when you add an authorized user to your account*
  • Mobile device insurance offering coverage up to $1,000*
  • The Pay with Points feature, which allows you to redeem your points on recent purchases starting at $1*
  • Six months of Instacart+ membership plus a monthly $10 Instacart credit with an eligible card*

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xRestaurants
  • 5xGas & EV
  • 5xGroceries
  • 5xTransit
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,128
2nd Year Value$365

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 21 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 21 days
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Our editorial integrity

Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.