SkyTeam flagship airline KLM is currently selling extremely cheap non-stop business class flights from Amsterdam to Montreal. This deal is (only) available during the summer holidays. KLM’s business class offers the usual benefits, such as two pieces of luggage, lounge access, airport fast lanes, and so on.
Worldwide travel restrictions are in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. We strongly recommend gathering detailed information about the travel and quarantine restrictions that apply to your desired origin and destination.
A good start is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. It provides current updates on a country’s immigration policies. Even better, the Covid-19 Travel Regulations Map is one of the most useful tools you can find.
If you are willing to invest €150 more, you can also fly nonstop to Toronto. Premium tickets to Vancouver start at €1,662. Fare rules and availabilities to all three cities are almost identical.
KLM uses an Airbus A330 for these flights. Because you’re flying nonstop, the entire trip will take less than 8 hours.
We expect further shakeups in the airline industry over the following months. Some services might be cancelled, aircraft changed or downgraded. The schedule we describe may very well change.
Search & Book
The fare rules state that the trip has to be from 6 days (or a Sunday) to 3 months long. You’ll find availability from July 1 until August 19 from Monday through Thursday. You can see the exact available dates on Google Flights (instructions), but we’ve compiled all possible travel dates for trips up to four weeks in our availability calendar above, which will redirect you to KLM’s website.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
KLM Business Class
KLM has its business class rows in a 2-2-2 formation, meaning that window seats do not have direct access to the aisle. All seats can, however, be turned into a fully flat bed of at least 200 cm. You will enjoy premium class catering and a more generous baggage allowance (12kg hand luggage and 2x23kg bags that you can check in), as well as airport benefits, such as lounge access.
Miles
The flights are issued in booking class Z. That will get you the following number of miles:
- 13,676 Award Miles + 200 Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 13,676 RDM + 2,052 MQD on Delta SkyMiles
- 10,258 Miles on MEA Cedar Miles
- 8,548 Miles on Aeromexico Club Premier
- 8,548 Miles on Aerolíneas Argentinas AerolíneasPlus
- 8,548 Miles on CSA OK Plus
- 8,548 Miles on Saudia Alfursan
- 8,548 Miles on Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles
- 8,548 Miles on Korean Air Skypass
- 8,548 Miles on Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles
- 8,548 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
- 8,548 Miles on Air Europa Suma
- 8,548 Award Miles on Etihad Guest
- 6,838 Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
Information & Tips for Montreal
While Quebec City is the political capital of the province of Quebec, Montreal is the economic and cultural center. At the same time, it is the second largest city in Canada!
Flights to Montreal
Just like Toronto, Montreal is a pretty cheap destination for flights. Air Canada flies non-stop to Frankfurt/Main and Lufthansa flies non-stop from Munich to Montreal. In addition, there are many other connecting flights with stopovers in Europe or Toronto (mostly with Air Canada) as well as via the USA. Return flights for around 300€ (only hand luggage, checked luggage mostly 80-100€ surcharge) are a common sight. However, you should avoid the school holidays – especially the summer holidays! During this period, airfares quickly rise to over 500€ and reach highs of up to 1.000€ for a direct flight in economy class. Do not expect good deals during this time.
Best Time to Travel
The best times to visit Montreal are from March to May or from September to November. Thanks to comparatively mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine, these months are best suited for tourism. If you want to experience the Canadian winter you can also visit between December and February, but at this time you have to deal with weather restrictions.
From the Airport to the City Center
By taxi you pay a fare of $40CAD (approx. 27€) between the airport and the city centre. With the STM Airport Express (bus number 747) you pay $10CAD (approx. 6,70€) – the ticket is also valid on citywide public transit for 24 hours. The travel times by taxi as well as by bus depend strongly on the traffic and can take more than one hour during peak times.
→ All Dealz for Montreal
Information & Tips for Canada
The North American country of Canada is the second largest country in the world in terms of surface area. In Canada, English and French are the official languages. Tourists visit Canada because of its many natural attractions and large cities, and the flight prices vary between the east and west coasts. Flights to the east coast e.g. to Toronto or Montreal regularly cost less than 400€. For flights to the west coast, e.g. to Vancouver or Calgary, prices are closer to 400€ – 600€. Other destinations are mostly only reachable with an additional domestic flight. Just like in the USA, most airlines now only offer cheap fares that do not include checked baggage. For checked baggage you should budget an additional 50€ per direction.
Best Time to Travel
Canada is a huge country with many varying climate conditions, but it is safe to say that the winters (November to March) are very cold and snowy in most regions. Summers are relatively mild and partly rainy.
Immigration & Visa Requirements
Most EU citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 6 months. However, an electronic travel waiver (eTA) must be applied for, similar to the ESTA required for entry into the USA. This costs CA$7 (~€5) and is valid for up to 5 years.
Currency
Canada’s national currency is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). One euro is approximately CA$1.47. Many credit cards may charge a foreign currency fee of up to 2% to pay in CAD.
Transfer from Canada to the USA
Canada is located north of the USA and is the only other country apart from Mexico that shares a border with it (2 borders, actually: Alaska borders Canada in the southeast!) At many airports in Canada US immigration is already done before departure, so you arrive in the USA as a “domestic” passenger in the domestic terminal which can potentially save you lots of time since you do not have to stand in line at customs upon arriving. By land the same entry formalities take place as at the airport or by train at the station in Canada. Most EU citizens don’t need a visa and can instead make use of the digital ESTA procedure.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Airalo and Maya Mobile. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for Canada 🇨🇦 Compared
→ All Dealz for Canada
Source: flyertalk – Thanks!
Cover Picture: © Friedberg