Review: Air Canada and SWISS from Montreal to Barcelona and Four Points by Sheraton Barcelona Diagonal

I went to Spain between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Here is a report that summarizes the flights and the accommodation used.

Itinerary

A last minute trip to Europe to visit a friend is a good excuse to write an article. One week before my departure, on December 25th, I proposed to a friend from Toulouse to join me a little further south in Barcelona. He finds a cheap ticket with Vueling. All that remains is to find an award ticket to reach the Catalan city.

We often talk about the flexibility needed to put together an itinerary with miles. This is even more true when you are looking at the last minute. One of the advantages, however, is the availability of seats in business class. Indeed, Air Canada’s Star Alliance partners will release these seats at the last minute when their sale seems unlikely.

The return flight is easy to find with Swiss to minimize carrier surcharges, but the Aeroplan site tells me there is no availability for the 25th inbound.

I am looking with British Airways, having Avios points from a bonus transfer of American Express Membership Rewards points. But there too no room. I look at Iberia. The Spanish company is part of the same group (IAG) as BA and uses the same currency (Avios). Having flown with Vueling (still part of the IAG group) this summer I opened an account that allows me to transfer Avios Executive Club to Avios Iberia Plus. Do you follow me?

I manage to find a route via London and Madrid but the taxes are high (about $400).

But looking closer at Swiss flights from the US East Coast, I see availability with Aeroplan from Boston and New York. I then look at the Montreal-Boston segment and I find several flights available in economy class (which is normal because the flight is operated with a CRJ200 which does not have business class).

After a call to Aeroplan customer service I got my round trip ticket for 110,000 miles and $198. Here is the itinerary.

Compare

American Express^® Gold Rewards Card

American Express Amex Membership Rewards

Annual fee: $250
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,020Total$1,020Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $1,020
Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months: Up to 60,000 points

Earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points with this welcome offer for the American Express Gold Rewards Card. That’s a value of $600 toward travel or any purchase charged to the Card:

5,000 Membership Rewards points per month when you charge $1,000 in net purchases to your Card, for 12 months (a total of 60,000 points in the first year).

You can also transfer your points to airline partners such as Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair), Flying Blue, and hotel partners (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors).

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

60,000 Aeroplan points
60,000 Avios
60,000 Flying Blue Miles
72,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this Card, you get many benefits like:

$100 annual travel credit
Priority Pass membership and 4 complimentary Plaza Premium visits per year
$50 NEXUS credit

You earn 2 points per dollar for travel purchases, and at:

gas stations
grocery stores
drugstores

And 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or controlling the accuracy of the information published on this website. For full and up-to-date product information, click on the Apply now link. Terms and conditions apply.

Annual fee

Primary card$250

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

2xPharmacy
2xGas
2xTravel
2xGroceries
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,555

2nd Year Value$589

Transfer partners

AeroplanAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
Etihad GuestAirline
Flying BlueAirline
Hilton HonorsHotel
Marriott BonvoyHotel

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$160

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Trip CancellationUp to $1,500

Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Summary of flights

Here is a mini photo-novel that illustrates the many flights to and from the airport.

I leave Quebec under the snow but with a splendid blue sky

I took an earlier flight than planned and I’m glad because I enjoyed the sunset over Boston.

the Lufthansa lounge in Boston is small and not very nice (located in the basement it has no windows) but the food and drink offer is very good

very reported on our pages, the Swiss business class seat. A little old but comfortable.

only one passenger in Business Class for the flight between Barcelona and Geneva

Swiss Business Class lounge in Geneva, a classic.

boarding by bus for this 35 minutes flight between Geneva and Zurich in Boeing 777-300ER, what a pleasure avgeek 🙂

the Business cabin in the Boeing 777-300ER of Swiss

a 35 minutes flight but so many spectacular views

Hotel in Barcelona

There is a neighborhood that aroused my curiosity in Barcelona: El Poblenou. With an industrial past, it has known a new youth following the Olympic Games of 1992. It is much less touristy and very pleasant.

Starwood has a hotel at the end of the ramblas in Poblenou: Four Points. It is not the most luxurious but it is very well located and comfortable. Plus at 7,000 SPG points per night for a price of $160 per night, it’s still a good value.

image 17 01 02 a 16 47 — Four Points Barcelona

Compare

Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

American Express Marriott Bonvoy

Annual fee: $120
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600Plus $100 of bonus paid after the first year, not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $600
Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months: Up to 70,000 points

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points with the current offer:

Earn up to 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 10,000 points after you spend $500 on your Card in your 13th month of Cardmembership.

The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 70,000 point welcome offer is worth about $630, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.