When you search “Fly business class from Canada to Europe” on Google Flights, this comes up…

Based on these results, you may think flying business class to Europe is virtually impossible unless you’re willing to spend thousands of dollars. But that’s not actually the case. There are so many ways you can fly business class on points from cities like Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto to Europe. 

If you want to experience that first-class feeling, keep reading for our eight insider tips and tricks on how to get business-class tickets for international flights without breaking the bank. 

But First… Why Business Class?

You may be wondering, is it worth it to fly business class to Europe? Seeing as you can find many deals on cheap or decently priced flight tickets to Europe in Economy class, why would you want to spend the extra money or points on Business class seats? 

Besides feeling like royalty, here are just a few of the many benefits of flying Business class on long-haul flights:

• Airport lounge access: Most airlines, like Air Canada, United, and British Airways, have business class lounges you can access simply by booking a ticket in business class. 

• Extra room: From lie-flat seats to lots of legroom, business class is a whole other experience from economy. 

• Luxury meals: Most airlines provide full meal service with complimentary wine, beer, snacks, and a more elevated meal than economy. 

• Priority treatment: You’re the first to board the plane, you’ll get your free checked bags first, and you're the first to leave the plane on landing. 

• Free amenity kits: Most business class seats have a small amenity kit, including a sleep mask, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste, socks, and more. 

The Best Ways to Fly Business Class to Europe

Since it’s nearly impossible to find cheap business class flights from Canada to Europe when booking with cash, we’re focusing on 8 of the best airlines and loyalty programs you can use to book your flight with points. 

We’ll discuss how you can find good deals and the most lucrative ways to earn and transfer your points so you can book that trip to Europe faster. 

1. Air Canada

Air Canada offers the most flight options from Canada to Europe. You even can get direct flights from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver to a few European cities. Most long-haul routes have lie-flat seats in Air Canada’s Signature Class, making booking flights with points very worth it. 

With Signature Class Air Canada flights, you get access to the Maple Leaf Lounges, where you can relax or get some last-minute work done before your flight. 

The best way to book Air Canada flights with points is with Aeroplan. You can earn Aeroplan points by signing up for their loyalty program, using an Aeroplan credit card, or transferring American Express Membership Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to Aeroplan. 

To get the best deals when booking Air Canada flights with points, take a look at their flight reward chart “Between North American and Atlantic Zones.”

If you book flights for less than the estimated number of points for the miles you are flying, you are getting a good deal. 

Here are a few examples of business class flight deals you can book with Aeroplan points: 

Montreal (YUL) to Barcelona (BCN) for 156.9k points 

Toronto (YYZ) to London (LHR) for 130.6k points 

In our opinion, these business-class redemptions are okay, but still expensive compared to some you can find for even 70k points. You need to shop around and keep an eye out for the best deals. 

Hint: Subscribe to the Chexy Rundown below for the best business class flight deals, sent to your inbox weekly! 

Take a look at these articles we’ve written on other ways to upgrade your Air Canada experience:

• How to reach Aeroplan Elite Status

• A guide to Air Canada eUpgrades

2. Air France and KLM 

Air France and KLM are both part of the Flying Blue rewards program. 

Air France operates flights between Paris and:

• Toronto

• Montreal

• Quebec City 

• Ottawa

• Vancouver

KLM flies between Amsterdam and:

• Toronto

• Montreal

• Calgary

• Edmonton

• Vancouver 

You can redeem Air France KLM Flying Blue Miles for business class flights by transferring either: 

• American Express Membership Rewards points at a ratio of 1:0.75, or 

• Marriott Bonvoy points at a ratio of 3:1. 

Here are a few examples of how much a business class flight could cost with points: 

Air France flight from Montreal (YUL) to Paris (CDG) for 101,500 Miles. 

KLM flight from Toronto (YYZ) to Amsterdam (AMS) for 86,5000 Miles. 

Normally, these business class flights would cost over $5,000 if you book in cash. Assuming each Mile is worth around 2 cents, we are redeeming the first flight for about $2,030 and the second flight for $1,730–which is a steal!

3. British Airways

You can get free British Airways business class flights by redeeming Avios points. You can transfer American Express MR, and RBC Avion points at a 1:1 ratio. The best way to earn points is by using an American Express or RBC credit card. 

You can also use the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card to earn Avios points if you plan on travelling with BA often. 

Currently, you can take British Airways flights from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. To book a flight with points, head over to the Reward Flight Finder page. 

You can book a business class flight from Toronto (YYZ) to London (LHR) for 80k Avios points + $375. 

4. Lufthansa

You can book Lufthansa business class flights from Toronto to Frankfurt or Montreal to Frankfurt or Munich. If you’re planning to travel to Germany, Lufthansa can be worth it to book in points, but take a look at other airlines and compare prices first. 

The best way to get a free Lufthansa business class flight is by booking with Aeroplan points. 

A business class flight from Toronto (YYZ) to Frankfurt (FRA) is 60k points, which is average according to the flight reward chart. 

Make sure you compare pricing, airlines, and stopovers because most routes involve flight changes, where only part of your trip will be in business class. 

5. TAP Air Portugal 

You can fly business class with TAP Air Portugal from Toronto or Montreal. Again, using Aeroplan points is the best way to redeem flights for points. 

You can fly from Toronto or Montreal to Lisbon (LIS) for just 60k Aeroplan points. 

6. WestJet

WestJet doesn’t offer a ton of business class flights, but if you live in or near Calgary, you’re in luck. WestJet only flies business class from its Calgary (YYC) hub to the following European destinations:

• Rome (FCO)

• Barcelona (BCN)

• Paris (CDG)

• London Heathrow (LHR)

• London Gatwick (LGW)

• Dublin (DUB)

• Edinburgh (EDI)

You can redeem WestJet Dollars for flights at a rate of 1 WestJet Dollar per Canadian Dollar. Keep in mind that when redeeming, your Dollars can only be redeemed on the base fare, meaning you’ll need to pay additional fees and surcharges. 

The cheapest way to book WestJet business class flights is to be flexible and use their Low Fare Finder. Upon checkout, you can apply your WestJet Dollars to your booking. 

The best and fastest way to earn WestJet Dollars is by using a co-branded RBC Mastercard–either the World Elite or regular Mastercard. 

7. Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines offers business class flights from Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver to cities like Istanbul. The best way to book is using Aeroplan points on Air Canada’s website. 

It can be difficult to find available business class seats, as there’s not much consistency with how they release award space. Plus, most flights with stopovers will be in mixed cabin, which isn’t really business class, as one flight will be in economy. 

In the example below, 70k points for business class can seem tempting, but you never really want to book a mixed cabin. 

You can snag a business class seat from Toronto (YYZ) to Istanbul (IST) for just 70k Aeroplan points (cheaper than Premium Economy!), but keep in mind there is a stopover in Dublin. 

8. United Airlines

United Airlines, one of Air Canada’s Star Alliance partners, flies to many European cities with a stopover in the U.S. A few of the better deals you can get include flying to Chicago, then a destination in the United Kingdom, or from Newark to many cities in Western Europe. 

Here are a few examples of some great deals we found, when you book business class on United with Aeroplan points:

Toronto (YYZ) to Rome (FCO) via Newark (EWR) for 74.7k points. 

Vancouver (YVR) to London (LHR) via Newark (EWR) for 70k points. 

Tips on Booking Business Class Flights to Europe 

Here are a few top tips from us avid travellers to you:

Sometimes, when redeeming Aeroplan points, some airlines only have economy class available for redemption. Be flexible with the dates and airlines to get that business class flight. Otherwise, redeeming for economy may not be worth it. 

You cannot redeem Aeroplan points on this flight from Montreal (YUL) to Munich (MUC); only Economy. Do you really want to be sitting in economy for a 7+ hour flight?

Sometimes, when booking business class flights with Aeroplan points, if there are multiple flights, only one or two flights in your journey will be in business class. When selecting your flight, you can see which flights have business class by hovering over the “Mixed Cabin” text. 

For example, this flight says 59%, meaning you’ll be in business class during the longer flight of the two. 

Whereas, this option says 13%, meaning you’ll be in business class on the shorter flight, which usually isn’t worth it. 

These are not really business class, and we wouldn’t recommend using your points on them. 

When booking business class flights with points, you’ll almost always have to pay extra fees, such as fuel surcharges, airport fees, and government taxes. This number will vary depending on your flight and airline, but it usually isn’t more than a couple hundred dollars. 

Last but not least, here’s our top tip on how to earn enough points to book these flights: use your credit card to pay for your large expenses. 

You’ll need to be smart about this, though. If you know you’ll be travelling with Air Canada often, choose an Aeroplan credit card, which will have points multipliers for different spending categories. 

For example, the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card earns you 3x the points on Air Canada bookings (so use it to book all your travel!), 2x the points on dining and food delivery, and 1x the points on everything else. 

If you don’t travel super often but still want to earn enough points for a free flight or two, choose a credit card with a rewards program where you can transfer points to other programs. 

For example, the American Express Gold Card earns you up to 2x the points on travel and everyday purchases, which can be redeemed 1:1 for Aeroplan points. 

With a credit card like these, it’s a great idea to use it on your large everyday expenses, like your rent and bills. With Chexy, you can pay your rent with your credit card and earn rewards (like Aeroplan or MR points) that you can use for free flights and travel upgrades. 

So, what are you waiting for? Get started with Chexy today. 

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