When you are researching to buy a plane ticket, do you pay particular attention to the type of aircraft? Should you take this into consideration in your decision?
Reasons to choose your plane
Travelers often ask about selecting the best seats on the plane. For example, families often target rows with bassinets, and people try to avoid seats near the lavatories.
Flight prices are often similar for certain routes. In fact, the fare variation depends on the traffic, not the type of aircraft. Thus, on a flight between Montreal and Vancouver, Air Canada operates with several aircraft.
We can see here that the price is 22,600 Aeroplan points for business class on 3 of the 4 flights: 1 flight on the Boeing 737-MAX, 1 flight on the Airbus 330, and 1 flight on the Boeing 787.
However, Business Class on the Airbus 330 or the Boeing 787 is clearly a better product than on the Boeing 737-MAX. Indeed, Business Class seats on wide-body aircraft recline 180 degrees.
Whereas Business Class on the Boeing 737-MAX is a recliner-type seat. So for the same price, you can have a better product. A good reason to choose your plane if you are not limited by flight schedules!
Another example of a blatant difference is in Qatar Airways Business Class. The following three products are in the same service class; you will have the same service since you are in Business Class, but the seat is not comparable. Choosing your plane therefore allows for a better product.
It is easy to see the difference in the « hard product » between these three Qatar Airways business class seats. The « hard product » is the fixed product such as the seat and its functionality.
The comfort and atmosphere of the aircraft
Choosing your plane is not only relevant for business class!
Some aircraft are equipped with better technology that provides greater comfort.
the pressurization of the cabin is more comfortable
the air in the cabin is more humid
the brightness control is better
the air is filtered differently
the engines are quieter
For example, on the Boeing 787, the aircraft’s advanced pressurization system makes the air less dry than on an Airbus 330 or Boeing 777. In addition, the cabin is pressurized to 6,000 feet, 2,000 feet lower than older aircraft, which provides all the benefits of a higher concentration of oxygen in the air.
Then, when comparing the B-787 to the B-777, the B-787’s wing performs better. Thus, the plane can climb faster during a flight to settle above the clouds and thus avoid more turbulence under the same conditions. Consequently, the flight is more pleasant, and you arrive at your destination more rested.
Similarly, just because you are crossing the Atlantic does not mean you will avoid single-aisle planes. Indeed, this flight between Montreal and London may be less expensive, but it involves not only a layover, but the transatlantic segment is on a small plane.
For some, a single-aisle aircraft is less comfortable than a large aircraft, as there can be congestion during service, and travel is more limited.
AvGeek: for the enthusiasts
For some people, everything related to aeronautics is fascinating. You can recognize them because their eyes will light up if you mention the opportunity to fly on “the Queen of the Skies,” for example. Indeed, their bucket list is often filled with specific aircraft types such as the Boeing 747 or the Airbus 380.
So, choosing your plane is even more important than the itinerary for an AvGeek. What to do when returning from a trip to Portugal when you absolutely want to fly in Singapore Airlines’ new suites? You opt for the Lisbon-Frankfurt-New York-Montreal route for a route that allows you to take the desired flight!
How to choose your plane?
The airline’s search engine
On the Air Canada search engine, you can select the option to have the aircraft type appear in your search results.
ExpertFlyer
There are several types of seats within the same aircraft. To determine what kind of “hard product” you will receive, you can go to Expert Flyer and find your plane’s seat map. In general, it is the seat configuration that will allow you to know what the product in question is.
For example, on Qatar Airways, you can usually see the following three configurations in their Business Class. When you have direct aisle access, you are in Qatar Airways’ new Business Class. When the seats are not aligned, it is indeed the Qsuite!
On Air Canada’s side, it’s the same: most wide-body aircraft have been retrofitted with the new “Signature Class” seats for their Business Class. However, some Airbus 330s are still equipped with the old Business Class. The old Business Class consists of 3 people per row, while the new Business Class seats 4 people with the new seats.
Air Canada is going further in 2026: the airline unveiled a complete overhaul of its cabins at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, with a brand-new Signature Class offered for the first time on a single-aisle aircraft in Canada, the Airbus A321XLR, starting in summer 2026. The new Boeing 787-10 will get its own exclusive Signature Plus suites, a first for the carrier. Air Canada has not yet announced the exact routes or in-service date for the 787-10.
How can we analyze the different routes?
It should also be noted that routes are not permanently assigned to an aircraft. Indeed, it’s all about making their fleet profitable. An airline like Air Canada can decide to use its Boeing 787, its Boeing 777 or its Airbus 330 between Montreal and Paris. Schedules are planned, but they are subject to last-minute changes.
Changes often occur monthly; so, if you are keen to fly on the B-787 and are flexible with your dates, you can try searching for another month.
To ensure you are protected (as much as possible) from aircraft changes, you can consult trends on Flight Radar. For example, connections between Montreal and Tokyo and between Montreal and Shanghai will almost certainly be made on the B-787, while there is more alternation on the connection between Montreal and Paris.
How to choose an airline?
What if the same route is served by two different airlines? It is always possible to choose your plane and/or airline.
Subsequently, the choice will be between the “hard product” and the “soft product.” Indeed, the service and attention given to the customer differ from one company to another, as does the type of seat.
On the “soft product” side, the distinction will be more at the level of meal quality, film selection, the work of flight attendants in general, etc.
In this respect, cultural differences may give some companies an advantage. For example, I have a preference for the Japanese touch: meals, cushions, attention, etc.
Indeed, I often travelled on the route between Dallas/Forth Worth and Tokyo Narita where my choice was almost always Japan Airlines compared to American Airlines.
So, how to choose your plane? On Milesopedia, we have written a multitude of Review articles covering the “hard product” and “soft product” of several flights and several companies to help you choose according to your preferences. You will thus be able to make an informed decision and optimize your precious points to another level!
On another topic, a question that often comes up in the Facebook community is about seat selection. Indeed, with the travel credits offered by certain credit cards like the National Bank World Elite Mastercard, it is relevant to use them to secure a preferential seat!
The SeatGuru website allows you to view the cabin map by indicating the airline and flight number.
The color code for the seats indicates whether the Review is positive, mixed, or negative. You can also find information about this seat, such as whether it is near the lavatories or not.
Finally, travelers who wish to fly on a specific aircraft must remember that nothing is guaranteed. A company’s mandate is to get you to your destination in the service class you paid for; no compensation will be given if you no longer have your pod.
The airline always reserves the right to make changes to optimize their fleet; if there are only 50 people on your Boeing 787, it is possible that the company will assign another aircraft for your flight.
$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.
Milesopedia first-year estimateⓘFirst-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.
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.
Legal
® Mastercard and World Elite are registered trademarks, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. National Bank is an authorized user.
® The À LA CARTE REWARDS logo is a registered trademark of National Bank of Canada.
® NATIONAL BANK OF CANADA LOUNGE is a registered trademark of National Bank of Canada.
® À LA CARTE REWARDS PLAN is a registered trademark of National Bank of Canada.
® Apple Pay is a registered trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Apple Inc. is not a sponsor of or participant in National Bank Mobile Banking Solutions.
® Google Pay is a registered trademark of Google LLC. Use of this trademark is subject to Google Inc. Permissions.
TM À LA CARTE TRAVEL is a trademark of National Bank of Canada. The À la carte Travel agency is owned by Transat Distribution Canada Inc. and holds a Quebec permit (No. 753141).
TM À LA CARTE REWARDS is a trademark of National Bank of Canada.
® THE TOTAL, THE CONNECTED and NATIONAL BANK are registered trademarks of National Bank of Canada.
* Mastercard® World Elite®
The National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® credit card was voted best Mastercard credit card by Milesopedia in 2026, 2025 and 2024.
The National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® credit card was voted best travel credit card by Milesopedia in 2026, 2025 and 2024.
Every year, Milesopedia reviews credit card offers from major financial institutions and establishes its Ranking based on over 150 criteria such as fees, welcome offer, minimum income required, number of points per category, account credits, insurance, airport lounge access, etc.
Certain restrictions apply. For more information, see the Rewards Plan section or the Plan Rules applicable to point accumulation.
Grace period: No interest is charged on purchases made during the month if the cardholder pays the full balance of their account within twenty-one (21) days of the statement date. This grace period does not apply to cash advances and balance transfers. Minimum payment: if your account balance is less than $10, you must pay the balance in full. If you reside in the province of Quebec, your minimum payment is 5% of your account balance plus any overdue amount, or $10, whichever is greater. If you reside outside Quebec, your minimum payment is 2.5% of the credit card account balance plus any overdue amount, or $10, whichever is greater. Account statement: an account statement is sent monthly.
Table of examples of credit fees calculated over a 30-day period
Annual interest rate
$500
$3,000
22.49%
$9.24
$55.45
20.99%
$8.63
$51.76
13.2%
$5.53
$33.16
9.2%
$3.78
$22.68
*Variable interest rate in effect as of September 1, 2021.
Balance transfers and cash advances are subject to National Bank credit approval. Each amount transferred cannot be less than $250.
Exclusive to World Elite Mastercard cardholders. Presentation of the physical credit card and boarding pass is required to access the lounge. The National Bank® Lounge is accessible to customers traveling on international flights only (excluding flights to Canada and the United States). You benefit from free and unlimited access with one guest and two children aged 12 and under. Until July 31, 2026 (date subject to change), customers can enter the National Bank Lounge three hours before their flight departure time. From August 1, 2026 (date subject to change), access will be authorized for a maximum duration of 2 hours (3 hours for customers who hold a Private Banking 1859® World Elite® Mastercard® credit card). National Bank customers who are not World Elite ® Mastercard ® cardholders can also access the current lounge based on current rates and benefit from a 25 % discount on these rates : 63,24 $ taxes included for adults (excluding discount) $40.24 taxes included for children aged 2 to 12 (excluding discount) free for children under 2 (excluding discount) The entry fee is subject to change without notice and is the responsibility of the lounge operator.
Subject to providing the required supporting documents in the manner and within the prescribed timeframe. Certain conditions may apply. Only the primary cardholder of a National Bank World Elite Mastercard (Cardholder) whose account is in good standing can request a « Travel Fee Reimbursement ». « Account in good standing » means an account linked to the credit card that does not violate the Credit Card Agreement in any way and on which no restrictions apply. For example, and without limitation, the associated annual fees must have been paid in full. The maximum reimbursement of $150 can be requested from January 1 to December 31 of each year. Eligible expenses are: airport parking baggage fees seat selection airport lounge access worldwide airline ticket upgrades A reimbursement request must be made within 60 days of the purchase date. Travel expenses must be charged to the National Bank World Elite Mastercard credit card account. The maximum reimbursement of $150 is applicable per account. Please allow up to 7 business days for the reimbursement to be processed from the date your request is submitted. National Bank reserves the right to request additional supporting documents for validation purposes (e.g., invoices). You must keep all receipts and supporting documents for a period of 12 months from the date you made your reimbursement request. An unused reimbursement in one year cannot be carried over to the next year. You can make your request online at rewards.nbc.ca or by calling 1-800-341-8083 (toll-free) for an agent to assist you with your travel fee reimbursement request.
Point accumulation on grocery and restaurant spending depends on the total gross monthly amount charged to the credit card account, across all categories. Earn 5 points per dollar spent on eligible grocery and restaurant purchases. The 5 points per dollar accumulation is valid for the first $2,500 of gross monthly purchases charged to the account. Beyond this amount, eligible grocery and restaurant spending will earn 2 points per dollar. The calculation of the gross monthly purchase amount is based on monthly billing. A grocery purchase means a purchase made at a merchant whose primary business is selling food, such as a grocery store, delicatessen, supermarket, fruit store, or specialty food store. Meal kit subscriptions and meal delivery services are eligible. Therefore, this definition excludes, among others, retail stores and big-box stores whose primary business is selling non-food items. Some merchants may sell products or services identical or similar to those of eligible merchants, or are separate merchants located on the same premises as eligible merchants, but are classified by Mastercard in different categories. Purchases made from other merchants only earn base reward points. A restaurant purchase means a purchase made at a restaurant, including quick-service restaurants, bars, discotheques, nightclubs, and taverns. To view the full list of Mastercard codes associated with eligible merchants, download the À la carte Rewards Plan® terms and conditions document.
These protections apply if the purchases or rental are paid for in part with the card before departure, except, if applicable, for out-of-province medical-hospital insurance for which it is not necessary to charge the purchase of an à la carte trip and for baggage delay protection where the full cost of transport must have been charged to the card. All these protections apply to the primary cardholder, their spouse and/or their dependent children when they (spouse and dependent children) travel with the cardholder. Extended warranties apply to most new items purchased with the card, in Canada or abroad, provided the manufacturer’s warranty exists and is valid in Canada. Certain conditions, limitations and restrictions apply. For more information and details regarding your insurance coverage, please consult the insurance certificate linked to your card.
Subject to credit approval by National Bank.
Certain conditions apply. Visit mastercard.ca for more information. See all credit card terms and conditions.
To earn 2 points per dollar spent, you must pay for your gas or electric charging purchases at a gas station or certain big-box stores. Some merchants may sell products or services identical or similar to those of eligible merchants, or are separate merchants located on the same premises as eligible merchants, but are classified by Mastercard in different categories. Purchases made from other merchants only earn base reward points. To view the full list of Mastercard codes associated with eligible merchants, download the À la carte Rewards Plan® terms and conditions document.
Recurring bill payments are defined as payments made monthly or regularly that are automatically charged by the merchant to your National Bank World Elite Mastercard. Not all merchants offer recurring payments, and not all recurring payments are considered recurring bill payments. Therefore, some payments may not qualify for accelerated reward points.
To earn 2 points per dollar spent, you must pay for your eligible purchases through the À la carte TravelTM agency section of our À la carte RewardsTM site.
For example, if you spend $400 monthly on groceries, $200 on gas, $100 on recurring bills and $150 on other purchases, the $850 spent will generate 2,750 points, broken down as follows: 2,000 points for grocery spending (since the total gross monthly amount is $850, which is less than $2,500), 400 points for gas spending, 200 points for recurring bills and 150 points for other purchases.
Insurance up to $1,000 in case of breakage, loss or theft of mobile devices for a maximum period of 2 years following the date of purchase. Subject to purchasing the device with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard or a phone service subscription paid by recurring payments from your National Bank Platinum Mastercard starting September 1, 2022. For all conditions, please consult the insurance certificate linked to your card.
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
Aline, an experienced traveler and avid photographer, is an Avgeek, a foodie at heart and a mother to two children. An expert in credit cards & rewards programs, including Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy, American Express Membership Rewards, CIBC Aventura, and RBC Avion, she uses points to travel affordably and save in daily life. Having explored all 7 continents and 83 countries, Aline shares her travel passion and insights to help others make the most of loyalty programs.
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.
