TravelingForMiles.com may receive commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on TravelingForMiles.com are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. TravelingForMiles.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers.
Some links to products and travel providers on this website will earn Traveling For Miles a commission which helps contribute to the running of the site – I’m very grateful to anyone who uses these links but their use is entirely optional. The compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site and does not impact reviews that are published. For more details please see the advertising disclosure found at the bottom of every page.
British Airways and American Airlines have posted a fantastic Business Class fare for travel between Amsterdam and Montreal. The fare doesn’t appear on all searches and may not even price up on the airlines’ websites but I’ll show you how to track it down and give you an example of where the fare can be booked.
I haven’t been able to force the Matrix search to price up this fare so I cannot see the fare rules – this may be around for a while or you may need to book asap to avoid missing out.
Routing
There are a variety of routings on offer depending on which airline you choose to fly with.
If you choose American Airlines you’ll find that you’ll be routed through one of the airline’s East Coast destinations before moving on to Montreal:
I’d avoid this routing if possible as not only is the long-haul aircraft not all that great (here’s a review of American’s 767 Business Class cabin) but you’ll also have to deal with US immigration – if you don’t have Global Entry this could be tiresome.
The better routing is with British Airways via London Heathrow:
The short-haul journey is very short and the long-haul journey will be in a more comfortable Business Class cabin (here’s a review of the British Airways 787 Club World cabin)
Availability
I found this fare on Google Flights so that’s the site the following screenshots are taken from.
You’ll find prices from $1,571 in February and March:
Prices go up to the low $1,800s in April & May:
The pricing looks bad in June but the very best fares appear in July….
…and August before disappearing in September.
There are a few sub-$2,000 days in October and November but that isn’t a very exciting deal.
Finding & Booking The Deals
The easiest way to find the better deals is to use Google Flights but you’ll find that although Google Flights will quote you the better deals….
…you’re told to call the airline and the fare suddenly jumps.
That’s not exactly ideal.
Fortunately the online travel agents are a little more helpful and, after finding dates through Google Flights, I was able to bring up the great deals on SkyScanner….
…and the pricing didn’t change all the way to the point at which my credit card details were required.
Be Careful Which Flights You Choose
Some routings via London will require an airport change (Gatwick to Heathrow) and SkyScanner shows this pretty clearly:
The should me no need to book flights like these as I’ve seen plenty of availability for routings that only take you via Heathrow and the cost is the same or very similar.
Where To Credit The Flights
Most of you probably know this already but I’ll repeat it briefly for anyone new to this hobby – British Airways and American Airlines are both members of the oneworld alliance and so these fares can be credited to any oneworld loyalty program.
I suspect that most readers will be crediting these flights to the British Airways Executive Club (where you’ll earn at least 360 Tier points from just one trip) or to the American Airlines Executive Club where you’ll earn Elite Qualifying Miles & Dollars as well as Redeemable Miles based on the distance travelled (booking these fares via British Airways can be a very nice way to boost your progress to AAdvantage elite status).
If you’re not sure where to credit you flights you should take a look at the wheretocredit site which will give you all the information you need.
Bottom Line
Some of the prices here are very good indeed – sub $1,500 to cross the Atlantic in Business Class is a great fare – but just be careful which routings you choose. Ensuring you book into the best Business Class cabins you can find and ensuring that your routing doesn’t involve an awkward connection will be key to getting the best out of your trip.
