Review of American AA4195 – Montreal-New York JFK – Eco Class

Published June 6, 2016Updated September 16, 20264 min readEditorial integrity

Note9.4/10

Flight Carrier: American Airlines
Departing Airport: Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Arrival Airport: John F. Kennedy International Airport
Flight Number: AA4195
Duration: 1:30
Aircraft: Embraer ERJ 145
Cabin Class: Economy
Cost: 7,500 air miles

First step of my transatlantic round trip in first class, here is a presentation of the flight taking me from Montreal to New-York on American Airlines.

American Flight AA4195 – Montreal-New-York JFK – Eco Class

This flight cost 7,500 avios miles and $59. Thanks to him, I was able to access the First Class flight offered by British Airways to New-York JFK. Indeed, in Montreal, British Airways offers “only” economy or business class (which is already very good!).

In the middle of a sunny day in Montreal, I join the 747 bus that will quickly take me to the Montreal-Trudeau Airport.

20160601 yul jfk 01 — Departure with a 747… the first of the day!

Once you arrive at the airport, head to the transborder terminal where flights to the United States depart.

20160601 yul jfk 03 — Terminal for flights to the United States

We go along the corridors, rather empty at this hour (14h30).

20160601 yul jfk 04 — Shift to check-in counters

All American companies have their own check-in counters.

20160601 yul jfk 07 — Registration terminals

Since I had already checked in for my flight and had the ticket in electronic format in my iPhone, I went directly to the security lines. These are not very busy. I quickly realized that I had better get in the general line because the one reserved for holders of certain credit cards or status in the airline programs was full and didn’t seem to be moving!

20160601 yul jfk 10 — More people in the fast lane…!

The passage through security will take less than 5 minutes, towards the customs! Again, this will be a very fast passage (less than 10 minutes).

Once through customs, it is the traditional passage – obligatory – in the corridor of Duty Free. Remember: it is not necessarily interesting to buy products there!

A quick look at the flight screen… my flight is well displayed on time, so I just have to find a seat to work on milesopedia.

But before, we go along the various restaurants proposed in the terminal.

20160601 yul jfk 19 — Various choices at door 79

20160601 yul jfk 23 — …and the traditional Starbucks

Let’s move on to the rest areas. In this regard, I would like to congratulate the Montreal Airport for having well thought out rest areas: electrical outlets, play areas for young children, deck chairs. It’s nice!

20160601 yul jfk 25 — Loungers facing the tarmac

20160601 yul jfk 27 — I promise Alexandra… it will still be there when we come back!

I settle down to observe the passage of some planes while enjoying the sun. However, there are no electrical outlets here: it is intended for relaxation!

20160601 yul jfk 28 — Relaxing in the sun at Montreal-Trudeau Airport

A plane… special that is not really to my taste.

During my moment of relaxation, the YULi application made by the Montreal Airport, which I just downloaded, keeps sending me gate changes and promotions. I decide to disable all notifications because it’s really annoying. I hope the Airport will correct this!

20160601 yul jfk 29 e1464897546458 — Too many notifications… kills an application.

Let’s get down to business: boarding. Having a single seat with no one beside me, I don’t rush to get on board. Anyway, my carry-on bag will go in the hold, as the luggage compartments are not big enough. Tonight’s aircraft is an ERJ 145.

I took a seat on board. The single-aisle aircraft is configured as a 2-seater – 1-seater.

20160601 yul jfk 38 — An almost complete aircraft

The seat is old, but still comfortable with decent legroom for a plane of this size.

20160601 yul jfk 37 — Place for the legs

We get ready to take off, we have a beautiful sight of the Control Tower and the Marriott Hotel.

20160601 yul jfk 36 — Control Tower and Marriott Hotel

Let’s go!

20160601 yul jfk 45 — We are helped out of the door

We cross the path of some very different aircraft before going to the runway.

20160601 yul jfk 50 — Qatar Airways – Special Barcelona livery

20160601 yul jfk 54 — Air Canada Jazz – Green

20160601 yul jfk 58 — Air Canada takes off just before us

20160601 yul jfk 59 — Positioning on track 06 Right

A fast takeoff, we fly over the Island of Montreal before quickly crossing the border. In a few minutes we pass by the Burlington Airport, which competes with Montreal with its low cost flights!

20160601 yul jfk 61 — General view shortly after takeoff

20160601 yul jfk 62 — St. Lawrence River

20160601 yul jfk 69 — Burlington Airport

A quick trip to the bathroom to see what it looks like on a small plane like this. Really amazed at the space given! As big as a Boeing 747!

20160601 yul jfk 73 — General view of the cabin

The service begins. It will be limited to non-alcoholic drinks and the traditional bag of peanuts. This is normal for a flight of this duration.

We arrive rather quickly on New York with a sight of Central Park. Unfortunately, sitting on the left side, I can only see Manhattan for a few seconds before landing, the plane having made a big loop to wait because of the traffic.

The landing is smooth and we pass in front of the Terminal 7 or “British Airways Terminal”. A flight leaves every hour to London, and each one is operated by a Boeing 747. The one I’m about to take is among them.

20160601 yul jfk 90 — Boeing 747 – British Airways

20160601 yul jfk 89 — Boeing 747 – British Airways

20160601 yul jfk 92 — Boeing 747 – British Airways

We also see other aircraft, unknown in Montreal.

20160601 yul jfk 98 — American Airlines Terminal

Here we are at the door. Let’s go to the second step of my trip, the flight in First Class on a British Airways Boeing 747!

20160601 yul jfk 100 — Arrival gate at New-York JFK

The maps used for this trip

To complete this portion of the transatlantic trip, I needed British Airways Executive Club air miles (obtained with American Express Membership Rewards cards) and Scotia bonus points (this allowed me to pay the taxes!)

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
American Express^® Gold Rewards Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$250	Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months Up to 60,000 points After $12,000 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
American Express Platinum Card^® Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$799	Welcome offerAfter $10,000 in 3 months Up to 100,000 points After $10,000 in 3 months	Apply NowCompare

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 12 months Up to 50,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026 After $7,500 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare

Our featured card

FeaturedCompare

RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

RBC RBC Avion Rewards - Elite

Annual fee: $120
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,190Total$1,190Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $1,190
Welcome offerAfter $5,000 in 6 months: Up to 70,000 points; Ends Nov 25, 2026

For a limited time, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card offers a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Avion points, worth up to $1,500 in travel.

35,000 points upon approval of your application
20,000 points when you charge $5,000 in purchases to your account within the first six months
15,000 points on the first anniversary of your account

You can redeem your Avion points for flights with more than 500 airlines, with no blackout periods or seat restrictions, or transfer them to partner programs such as American Airlines AAdvantage, The British Airways Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and WestJet Rewards.

The card earns you 1.25 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all your other eligible purchases. It also includes extensive insurance coverage: emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption, collision coverage for rental vehicles, and mobile devices.

The annual fee is $120.

Legal

Refer to RBC page for up to date offer terms and conditions

^† Based on the Air Travel Reward redemptions from the Air Travel Redemption Schedule starting at 35,000 Avion points for one round-trip long-haul flight to almost anywhere in Canada or the United States with a maximum ticket price of $750, you will need a minimum of 70,000 Avion Points for two round-trips long-haul flights to almost anywhere in Canada or the United States, exclusive of Hawaii and Alaska. All applicable taxes, service fees and surcharges are the responsibility of the traveler. For more details, including information on redeeming for first class and business class seats, visit: www.avionrewards.com/travel/index.html. For general redemption terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to the Avion Rewards program, please visit: www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800 ROYAL 1-2 (1-800-769-2512).

^ Based on the Air Travel Reward redemptions from the Air Travel Redemption Schedule starting at 15,000 Avion points for a round trip within or to an adjacent Canadian province/territory or U.S State with a maximum ticket price of $350. You will need a minimum of 60,000 Avion Points for four round-trips within or to an adjacent Canadian province/territory or U.S State. All applicable taxes, service fees and surcharges are the responsibility of the traveller. For more details, including information on redeeming for first class and business class seats, please visit: www.avionrewards.com/travel/index.html. For general redemption terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to the Avion Rewards program, please visit: www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800 ROYAL 1-2 (1-800-769-2512).

1 This offer only applies to new applications for an RBC Avion Visa Infinite or RBC Avion Visa Platinum credit card (each, an “Eligible Credit Card”) received between “August 13, 2026” and “November 25, 2026” (“Offer Period”) and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”) subject to the conditions below. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)) on the Eligible Credit Card account, as well as existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card account transferring to an Eligible Credit Card account during the Offer Period, are not eligible for the offer.

35,000 welcome Avion points (“Welcome Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty (60) days after your application has been approved, provided that your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Welcome points are credited to your account, “good standing” meaning that your Eligible Credit Card account must not be past due for more than two (2) consecutive credit card account statement periods, closed, charged off or in credit revoked status.

You will receive 20,000 bonus Avion points (“Bonus Points”) if a total of $5,000 or more (“Qualifying Transaction Amount”) in qualifying net purchases and/or pre-authorized bill payment transactions (“Qualifying Transactions”) are posted to your Eligible Credit Card account within the first six (6) months from your Eligible Credit Card account opening date (“Period”). The Bonus Points will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty days (60) after you reach $5,000 in Qualifying Transactions, provided your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Bonus Points are credited to your account.

Qualifying Transactions exclude cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges and fees. Credits for returns and adjustments posted to your Eligible Credit Card account during the Period will reduce the amount of your Qualifying Transactions. The Qualifying Transaction Amount is based on the transaction posting date of each Qualifying Transaction, not the transaction date. This means that transactions that take place prior to the last day of the Period will not be considered for the Qualifying Transaction Amount if they have not yet been posted or processed by the merchant, the payment network (Visa) or Royal Bank by the last day of the Period.

15,000 additional Avion points (“Anniversary Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within twelve (12) to sixteen (16) weeks after the one- year anniversary of your account opening, provided that your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Anniversary Points are credited to your account.

If you close or change your Eligible Credit Card Account for another type of RBC Royal Bank credit card before the Welcome Points, the Bonus Points and/or the Anniversary Points have been credited to your account, you may lose the benefit of this offer. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time without notice, even after your application has been approved, including if we suspect that you may be manipulating or abusing it, or engaging in any suspicious or fraudulent activity, as determined by Royal Bank in its sole discretion. For complete terms and conditions that apply to the Avion Rewards Program, please visit www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800-769-2512.

^Point redemptions for flights under the Air Travel Redemption Schedule start at 7,500 points for a short-haul one-way Economy Class flight priced at no more than $175 (and start at 15,000 points for a short-haul round-trip Economy Class flight priced at no more than $350). The traveller is responsible for all applicable taxes, administration fees and surcharges. To learn more, including guidelines regarding redeeming points for a Business Class flight, visit www.avionrewards.com/fr/travel/.

2 Avion points are earned on qualifying net purchases only; they are not earned on cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant) interest charges or fees, and credits for returns and adjustments will reduce or cancel the points earned by the amounts originally charged.

4 To participate in this offer, you must have an RBC debit card or a credit card which is issued by Royal Bank of Canada (excluding RBC commercial credit cards) (“RBC Card”). RBC business clients will only be able to link up to two (2) RBC business credit cards and one (1) RBC business debit card to a Petro-Points card.

You must be enrolled in RBC Online Banking or the RBC Mobile app in order to link your RBC Card to your Petro-Points card. Card linking may take up to 2 business days to process before savings and bonus points can be applied to purchases. A linked RBC Card means an RBC Card linked to a Petro-Points Account. Your linked RBC Card acts as your Petro-Points card. You will automatically earn Petro-Points when you pay for qualifying purchases with your linked RBC Card at Petro-Canada locations and you do not need to swipe your Petro-Points card before you pay. You can redeem your Petro-Points at Petro-Canada using your linked RBC Card. Each time you use your linked RBC Card to purchase any grade of gasoline, or diesel, at a Petro-Canada location, you will save three cents ($0.03) per litre at the time of the transaction.

6 Each time you use your linked Eligible Avion Rewards Credit Card to pay for purchases at a Petro-Canada Location, you will earn a bonus of twenty percent (20%) more Avion points than you normally earn for every $1 in purchases in accordance with the Avion Rewards Terms and Conditions. Please allow up to ninety (90) days from the date the transaction is posted on your credit card statement for the bonus points to be deposited into Avion Rewards account. Authorized Users are excluded from earning Avion points bonus.

6 Each time you use your eligible linked Avion Rewards credit card to pay for purchases at a Petro-Canada location, you will receive a bonus of twenty percent (20%) more Avion points than you would normally receive for each dollar of purchase, in accordance with the terms of the Avion Rewards program. Please allow up to ninety (90) days from the date the transaction is posted to your credit card statement for your bonus points to be deposited into your Avion Rewards account. Authorized users cannot earn bonus Avion points.

7 Coverage underwritten by RBC Insurance Company of Canada. Please refer to the insurance certificate for complete details. rbc-visa-infinite-avion-certificate-of-insurance.pdf

9 Under 65 years of age, 15 days of coverage. For age 65 and over, 3 days of coverage. Coverage underwritten by RBC Insurance Company of Canada.

12 You will earn 1.25 Avion points for every dollar spent when you use your RBC Avion Visa Infinite card to pay for travel-related purchases made at merchants classified by Visa’s “Merchant Category Code” (“MCC”) as “travel”, which may include: airlines, accommodations, tour operators, cruise lines, travel agencies and car rental companies. Even though some merchants may sell travel products/services, purchases made at these locations may not necessarily qualify for the 1.25 Avion points per dollar if the merchant is not classified with a “travel” MCC. Also, merchants that are not classified by a “travel” MCC may be located on the premises of merchants that are classified with a “travel” MCC, and purchases made at these locations may not qualify for this added benefit. For more details, please refer to the Avion Rewards Terms and Conditions at: https://www.avionrewards.com/terms-and-conditions/index.html

14 The term “redeem” means using your Be Well points to pay, or partially pay, for eligible purchases using your Be Well card at participating Rexall locations according to the instructions provided by the cashier, the point-of-sale terminal or any other payment processing device. You can redeem the Be Well points you earn for eligible purchases—see section 5 of the Be Well terms (available at https://www.letsbewell.ca/terms-conditions)—or for another purpose that we may provide from time to time.

You must have joined the Be Well program and registered your Be Well card, or otherwise called customer service, to redeem Be Well points. Any Be Well points earned on a Be Well card will remain the property of the Be Well administrator until the enrollment and registration process is complete.

You must redeem a minimum of 25,000 Be Well points at any time, which are worth $10. Be Well points can be redeemed in $10 increments, up to a maximum of $200 (500,000 Be Well points) in a single transaction. A maximum of 500,000 Be Well points can be redeemed within a 24-hour period.

In Ontario and British Columbia, Be Well points cannot be redeemed for prescription drugs. As the laws of each province and territory may change from time to time, you are encouraged to consult your pharmacist for more information in this regard.

Be Well points you earn when you make a purchase cannot be redeemed immediately for that same purchase. They can only be redeemed for a future eligible purchase that must be made at least 12 hours after earning those Be Well points.

16 To receive a complimentary DashPass subscription for $0 delivery fees on orders of $15 or more at eligible restaurants when you pay with your Eligible RBC Credit Card, you must subscribe to DashPass by adding an Eligible RBC Credit Card, accept the DoorDash terms and conditions, and activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” before November 16, 2028 (“Offer Period”). If you are an existing DashPass subscriber and have already added an Eligible RBC Credit Card to your account you must activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” during the Offer Period. If you have been charged for DashPass you will receive a refund to the method of original payment, in the amount of the monthly subscription fee for the month you activate your complimentary subscription. For all clients, by clicking on “Activate Free DashPass” you agree to the DoorDash terms and conditions which can be found at https://help.doordash.com/consumers/s/terms-and-conditions .

Eligible RBC Credit cardholders include primary cardholders, co-applicants, authorized users, primary business cardholders and secondary business cardholders on an Eligible RBC Credit Card account.

The DashPass monthly subscription fee will be waived (“Complimentary DashPass Subscription”) and you will receive either a 6 months or 12 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription based on the Eligible RBC Credit Card you use to subscribe to DashPass.

DashPass subscriptions purchased through third parties, including third-party payment accounts, or online or mobile digital wallets (like Apply Pay and Google Pay) are not eligible for the Complimentary DashPass Subscription.

Eligible RBC Credit Cards: Your Eligible RBC Credit Card may only be used with one DoorDash account to receive a Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Once you have received a Complimentary DashPass Subscription you cannot use the same eligible RBC Credit Card to obtain a Complimentary DashPass Subscription with another DoorDash account.

You are only eligible for one 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription and one 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription during the Offer Period. The Complimentary DashPass Subscription commences on the date you subscribe to receive the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. For example, if you subscribe to a 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription in on the last day of your second month of a 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription you will receive a total of 14 months of Complimentary DashPass Subscription. In order to validate your credit card as an Eligible RBC Credit Card, Royal Bank may need to administer a $0.50 charge to validate your card enrollment. This charge will be reversed in 3 to 5 days once your account has been validated.

12 Month Complimentary DashPass Subscription is available for the following Eligible RBC Credit Cards:

As an RBC Avion Visa Platinum, RBC Avion Visa Infinite , RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege for Private Banking, WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, RBC Rewards Visa Preferred, RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard, More Rewards RBC Visa Infinite, RBC British Airways Visa Infinite, RBC Avion Visa Business, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business, WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for Business (Elite Benefit cards) cardholder.

You are eligible for a Complimentary DashPass Subscription for 12 months from the date you subscribe to receive the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. You will be auto-enrolled into full-price membership at the then-current rate after the end of the 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Your RBC credit card account must be open and not in default to maintain the benefits of DashPass.

6 Months Complimentary DashPass Subscription is available for the following Eligible RBC Credit Cards:

As an Rewards+TM Visa‡, Signature^® RBC Rewards^® Visa‡, RBC^® Visa‡ Platinum, RBC^® Visa‡ Cash Back, RBC^® Cash Back Mastercard‡, RBC^® Visa‡ Classic Low Rate Option, RBC^® Visa‡ Classic, RBC^® Student Visa‡ Classic, RBC^® Visa‡ Classic II Student, RBC^® Visa‡ Gold, RBC^® U.S. Dollar Visa‡ Gold, RBC Rewards Visa‡ Gold, RBC RateAdvantage^® Visa‡, WestJet RBC^® Mastercard‡, RBC ION Visa, RBC ION+ Visa, More Rewards RBC Visa, RBC Staff VISA Classic Expense, RBC Staff VISA Gold Expense, RBC^® Visa‡ Business, RBC^® Visa‡ Business Gold, RBC^® Visa‡ CreditLine for Small BusinessTM, or RBC^® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡, WestJet RBC^® World Elite Mastercard‡ (Premium Benefit Cards).

You are eligible for a Complimentary DashPass Subscription for 6 months from the date you subscribed to the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. You will be auto-enrolled into full-price membership at the then-current rate after the end of the 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Your RBC credit card account must be open and not in default to maintain the benefits of DashPass.

DoorDash not Royal Bank of Canada, is responsible for (i) services and products provided through DoorDash; (ii) DashPass, including the DashPass Benefits, the administration of DashPass and (iii) the DoorDash terms and conditions. The Complimentary DashPass Subscription offer may be amended or withdrawn at any time. To learn more about DashPass, visit www.doordash.com/dashpass (opens to external site). For full DashPass for RBC Program Terms and Conditions, visit rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/documentation/pdf/full-doordash-tcs-en.pdf

Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000

Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

1.25xTravel
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,567

2nd Year Value$271

Transfer partners

American Airlines AAdvantageAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
WestJet RewardsAirline

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Included

Travel medical (55-64)Included

Travel medical (65+)Included

Trip CancellationUp to $1,500

Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,500 / 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.

Comments from our members

Loading article…