Save On Flights To Europe With Air Transat

Fly to Paris, Venice, London, or Dublin for under $800 ‒ until May 15, 2019.
creditcardGenius Team
updated on Aug 5, 2021
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Please note this offer is no longer available. You can find current offers here.

Spring is here and that means it’s the perfect time to start planning a summer trip.

And if Europe is on your bucket list of places to visit, Air Transat has a sale from now until May 15, 2019 – head to Europe for less with crazy savings compared to the competition.

In fact, there are many last minute deals for departures in less than a month.

Never miss an amazing deal again + get our bonus 250+ page eBook for FREE. Join 50,000 other Canadians who receive our weekly newsletter – learn more.

Flight deals to Europe

Here’s an example of deals we found for Canada’s major airports – Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. We’ll also check out Google Flights to see what the competition is like, so you can see how much you could save.

Travel dates: May 18, 2019 – June 13, 2019
Airline: Air Transat
Departing from: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary
Destination options: Paris, Venice, London, or Dublin
Flight Cost: $649 – $739
Best credit cards to use for redeeming points: * American Express Cobalt® Card
*

(Disclaimer: These may change or become unavailable at any time.)

Want to see more deals? Head over to this site to find a deal that suits you.

Vancouver to Paris flight savings

Let’s start out West in Vancouver for our first deal.

Head to Paris and see some classic sights, such as the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Versailles, which was home to the French Royal family in the 18th century.

And even head outside of Paris for some sightseeing, like Normandy, Mont St Michel, and Vimy Ridge, where you can pay respects to some of our fallen soldiers from World War 1.

Air Transat schedule and price from Vancouver to ParisAbove: Air Transat flight from Vancouver to Paris.

Google flights comparison from Vancouver to Paris
Above: Top 6 prices for flights from Vancouver to Paris – with Air Transat miles ahead of the competition.

Your total savings

For our trip, the Air Transat price was $699 for a direct flight. There were no other direct flights available on those days, but the next best price option cost $891, a savings of $192.

Air Transat cost $699
Price of nearest competitor $891
Total savings $192

Montreal to Venice flight savings

There’s nothing like a trip to Venice to take in something truly different.

Hop in a Gondola for a ride through Venice canals, head to Piazza San Marco and see St Mark’s basilica, or explore Venice’s side streets and see what the city has to offer.

Once you’re finished exploring Venice, hop on a high-speed train for quick and easy access to Milan, Turin, Bologna, Florence, Rome, and Naples to see even more beautiful Italian landscapes.

Air Transat schedule and price from Montreal to VeniceAbove: Details of Air Transat flight from Montreal to Venice.

Google flights comparison from Montreal to Venice
Above: Top 6 prices for flights to Venice from Montreal – again with Air Transat hundreds of dollars less than of the competition.

Your total savings

Our direct flight to Venice has a cost of $701 on Air Transat. Air Canada’s equivalent direct flight has a cost of $932 on the same dates, giving you great savings of $231 per ticket.

Air Transat cost $700
Price of nearest competitor $932
Total savings $231

Calgary to London flight savings

If you want to explore the United Kingdom, London is a great starting point.

First, you can see Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Trafalgar Square. From there, you can head out to the rest of England and even Scotland to see everything these great, historical countries have to offer.

Air Transat schedule and price from Calgary to LondonAbove: Details of Air Transat flight from Calgary to London.

Google flights comparison from Calgary to London
Above: Top 6 prices of flights from Calgary to London, this time with Air Transat nearly $300 less than the nearest competitor.

Total savings

Our Air Transat flight to London (Gatwick Airport) had a cost of $739, while its nearest competitor’s direct flight had a price of $1,011, giving you a great savings of $272.

Air Transat cost $739
Price of nearest competitor $1,011
Total savings $272

Toronto to Dublin flight savings

Want to explore Ireland? You might want to start in the esteemed city of Dublin.

There’s Dublin castle, built in 1160 to serve as a defensive fortification of the city, St Patrick’s Cathedral, and Molly Malone statue, which is right outside the National Museum of Ireland.

Once you’ve seen everything in Dublin, you can easily head out on the road to see what other treasures Ireland holds.

Air Transat schedule and price from Toronto to DublinAbove: Details of Air Transat’s flight from Toronto to Dublin.

Google flights comparison from Toronto to Dublin
Above: The top 6 prices of flights from Toronto to Dublin – with Air Transat still reigning supreme when it comes to prices.

Total savings

Our direct Air Transat flight to Dublin has a cost of $649. It’s nearest competitor’s direct flight was $898, a savings of $249.

Air Transat cost $649
Price of nearest competitor $898
Total savings $249

Points for discounted flights and hotel

Want to save even more on these flights? A flexible rewards travel card will allow you to use your points to redeem for any travel purchase.

If travel to Europe is something you like to do frequently, a flexible rewards card is generally going to be a better option than either Aeroplan or AIR MILES, as most airlines charge large taxes, fees, and surcharges – giving your miles low value when redeemed for European flights.

With a flexible rewards card, you’ll always get the same guaranteed return no matter how you end up using your miles.

And, you don’t even have to save up enough points to cover the full cost. You can use combinations of points and your credit card to pay for your booking as well.

Want to know your best flexible travel credit card options you have? Check out our top 3:

Credit Card Welcome Bonus Earn Rate Annual Fee & Income Requirements Apply Now
American Express Cobalt Up to 30,000 points (terms) Up to 5 points per $1 * $120
* No income requirement
Apply Now
Scotiabank Gold American Express 15,000 points (terms) Up to 4 points per $1 * $99
* $12,000 personal income requirement
Apply Now
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card 50,000 points (terms) Up to 5 points per $1 * $120
* No income requirement
Apply Now

Related: The Battle For Easy Rewards: TD vs RBC vs CIBC vs BMO vs Scotia vs Amex

American Express Cobalt Card

One of the best options is the American Express Cobalt® Card.

You’ll earn lots of American Express Membership Rewards points on day-to-day purchases:

  • 5 points per $1 spent on groceries and dining,
  • 2 points per $1 spent on travel, transit and gas purchases, and
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Plus, you can also earn a welcome bonus of up to 30,000 points – 2,500 points for every month you spend more than $500 on the card.

When redeemed for any travel booked, each point is worth 1 cent, giving you up to a 5% return on your spending. And, your points are worth the same no matter where you make your booking.

But it’s not the only way to use your points. While these flights won’t provide the best value, the Fixed Points Travel program allows you to use a set amount of points to cover the base airfare of a flight to a set zone. If you can maximize the chart, your points can be worth up to 1.75 cents.

There’s also the option to transfer your points to Marriott Bonvoy at a 5:6 ratio, use your points for Ticketmaster purchases, or even just get a cash statement credit. The choice is yours.

For a card that has an annual fee of $120 – charged out as $10 per month – and no income requirements, Amex has a great offering for your travel needs.

Get the full details here:

3.7 Genius Rating
4.1 (80) User reviews
award seal ×8 Award winner
Annual fee
See rates
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$150
15,000 points
Annual rewards
$540
GC Ends: Dec 31, 2025
Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $100
American Express Cobalt® Card
Instant approval: Yes
Credit estimate:
3.7 Genius Rating
4.1 (80) User reviews
award seal 8x Award winner
Annual fee
See rates
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$150
15,000 points
Annual rewards
$540
GC Ends:
Dec 31, 2025
Credit estimate:
 (660 - 724)
Instant approval: Yes

Scotiabank Gold American Express

Another great choice is the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card.

Similar to the Cobalt Card, you’ll earn plenty of Scotia Rewards points at these rates:

  • 4 points per $1 spent on gas, groceries, entertainment and restaurants, and
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

As part of signing up, get 15,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months.

Use your points to pay for any travel where each point is worth 1 cent. Just note if you want to make a partial points redemption, you’ll have to book your travel through Scotia Rewards.

However, we checked Scotia Rewards for these flights, and all of them were the same price. And even if that weren’t the case, Scotia Rewards does price matches. If you do find a lower price, the difference will be paid out in Scotia Rewards points.

There’s also the option to transfer your points to Cineplex SCENE, get merchandise, gift cards, and statement credits as well.

And, coming on August 1st, some exciting changes are coming to this card. You can see the details here, but the biggest one is this card will no longer be charging foreign exchange fees, saving you even more money when travelling abroad.

It comes with an annual fee of $99, and a low personal income requirement of $12,000.

Get the full details here:

4.6 Genius Rating
3.2 (60) User reviews
award seal ×1 Award winner
Annual fee
$120.00 $0
1st year waived
Welcome bonus
$500
50,000 Scene+ points
Annual rewards
$588
GC Ends: Dec 31, 2025
Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $100
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
Instant approval: Yes
Credit estimate:
4.6 Genius Rating
3.2 (60) User reviews
award seal 1x Award winner
Annual fee
$120.00 $0
1st year waived
Welcome bonus
$500
50,000 Scene+ points
Annual rewards
$588
GC Ends:
Dec 31, 2025
Credit estimate:
 (660 - 724)
Instant approval: Yes

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

While you won’t be able to use your points to help pay for any of these flights, the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card can help pay for another large travelling expense – your hotel bills.

And with over 7,000 Marriott properties worldwide, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a place to stay.

First, you can earn a welcome bonus of 50,000 points after spending $1,500 in the first 3 months.

Then, earn Marriott Bonvoy points on all of your purchases:

  • 5 points per $1 spent at Marriott properties, and
  • 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.

But the reason you want to get this card is for the perks. As long as you have this card, you’ll get access to these Marriott Bonvoy perks:

  • free hotel night stay of up to 35,000 points, awarded every year on your card’s anniversary,
  • automatic Silver Elite Status,
  • Gold Elite status when you spend $30,000 annually on the card, and
  • 15 Elite night credits per year.

The free night stay alone more than covers the annual fee. We value a single Marriott point at 0.97 cents, giving this free night stay a value of up to $339. The Marriott Silver Elite status helps make your stays more enjoyable as well.

Add it all up, and you save a big bite out of your hotel bill while travelling.

You also have the option to transfer your points to over 40 airline partners as well, most of them at a 3:1 ratio, including Aeroplan. Transfer 60,000 points at a time and you’ll get 15,000 bonus points as part of the transfer.

Get the full details here:

2.6 Genius Rating
4.2 (10) User reviews

Up to 50,000 bonus points + Annual free night certificate.*

Annual fee
See rates
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$485
50,000 points
Annual rewards
$501
Learn more
Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card
Instant approval: Yes
Credit estimate:
Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card
2.6 Genius Rating
4.2 (10) User reviews

Up to 50,000 bonus points + Annual free night certificate.*

Annual fee
See rates
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$485
50,000 points
Annual rewards
$501
Learn more
Credit estimate:
 (560 - 659)
Instant approval: Yes

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