Air Transat Flights: Tips for Saving on Your Flights

Air travel can be quite costly if 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 travel market.

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

Air Transat or Air Canada: Which is Better?

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. Plus, when we take a look at the range of destinations, we can see that Air Transat doesn’t go as far as Asia or Oceania, unlike Air Canada.

Direct Flights with Air Transat

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

Current Air Transat Flights

Here is a table showing Air Transat ‘s current direct flights from their Canadian airports of operation.

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 does not offer many international flights from Quebec airport at the moment. So flights with Air Transat are the only direct options available.

As of fall 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 enable 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 Different Flight Tickets

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

Economy Class Fare Options

Club Class fare options

Air Transat’s different Fare Classes: How to Choose?

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^®!

Additionally, 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!

Tips for Cheap Flights with Air Transat

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:

When Should You Buy Your Plane Ticket with Air Transat?

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.

Why Are Flights with Layovers Cheaper?

If you’ve ever played around with flight search engines, you’ve probably seen more affordable prices to Europe with a stopover in 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 is very important to note that you cannot 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.

Is it better to book your flight on platforms like Expedia or Skyscanner to save money?

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.

Using Credit Card Points for Cheap Flights with Air Transat

At present, Air Transat does not have a loyalty program like Air Canada does with Aeroplan. However, there is a partnership with Porter Airlines, making it possible to use VIPorter points to pay for flights with Air Transat.

The VIPorter and Air Transat Partnership

This partnership allows VIPorter points to be used to book flights with Air Transat, extending the usefulness of this well-established loyalty program in Canada. However, it should be noted that not all Air Transat flights can yet be purchased with VIPorter points.

This partnership makes perfect sense when you consider the VIPorter co-branded credit cards, which offer accelerated VIPorter points accumulation. Holders of the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard and the BMO VIPorter Mastercard can also benefit from generous welcome bonuses when they sign up. In addition, they have access to certain exclusive advantages with Porter, but points can also be used to book flights operated by Air Transat, directly via the Porter site or the VIPorter space.

This is a golden opportunity for frequent flyers to maximize the value of their points on two Canadian airlines, by taking advantage of a single, centralized frequent flyer program.

Otherwise, in general, 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:

Some offer you the possibility to:

Of course, it’s best to choose programs that offer more flexibility, but don’t overlook those that offer a little less!

Earn Points to Pay for a Trip with Air Transat

There are two main ways to earn enough points to cover the cost of a flight with Air Transat:

In reality, you need to establish a strategy that encompasses both ways of doing things. For example, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® gives 5X points when used at the grocery store (a family’s biggest expense) or in restaurants, so points add up fast! That’s the equivalent of a 5% return on your flights with Air Transat.

Then you can quickly build up your points portfolio with a welcome bonus, which you’ll receive once you’ve met the requirements. This generous contribution of points is a one-off. So you have to mix the two avenues.

How to Reduce the Price of a Plane Ticket Using Points?

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), then redeem your points for a statement credit. Your purchase will be reimbursed with points.

Here’s an example with American Express Membership Rewards:

Note, however, that you can maximize the value of your 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 greater redemption value when you book a flight, whether with Air Transat or another airline, on their Rewards à la Carte platform versus a Statement credit on your purchases:

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

Guides for each program can be found here:

Save on All-Inclusive with Voyage Air Transat

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:

Bottom Line

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!