The Best Ways to Fly Economy to Europe on Points

At Prince of Travel, we often highlight how to turn points into luxurious business and first class flights. But not every trip calls for lie-flat seats and champagne. Sometimes, flying economy can be the most practical and budget-conscious option.

In this new series, we’ll explore the best economy class redemptions using points, organized by destination, starting with Europe. To make things more actionable, redemptions will be grouped by loyalty program rather than airline. This helps you quickly understand which points to use, since in many cases, booking the same airline through different programs can yield very different pricing. 

Why Focus on Flights from Canada?

This guide spotlights economy flights departing from Canadian cities, since these are the most accessible and practical options for most Canadian travellers. While positioning flights to the US are often worthwhile for premium redemptions, they can drive up the total cost of an economy booking, which is otherwise typically affordable.

If you can’t find award availability to your desired European city, consider booking a cheap intra-European connection (paid with either points or cash). These short-haul flights are often inexpensive and can even reduce the cost of your overall redemption when booked as part of a longer itinerary.

Unless noted otherwise, cash amounts listed are in Canadian dollars. Most examples assume a one-way award, but return fares tend to mirror these prices, sometimes offering slight discounts when booked round-trip.

Canadian Loyalty Programs

Air Canada Aeroplan

Aeroplan is Canada’s flagship loyalty program and offers excellent access to flights across Europe through Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners. With a mix of dynamic and fixed pricing, it’s one of the most versatile programs for Canadian travellers. 

Pros:

• Great award availability on Air Canada-operated flights
• Multiple European partner airlines with fixed redemption rates with direct flights from Canadian cities (e.g. TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, LOT, Swiss, Austrian, Lufthansa)
• Reasonable taxes and fees

Cons:

• Dynamic pricing for Air Canada and United flights (though adding a segment may lower costs on United redemptions)
• Inconsistent partner award availability; specifically, award space release patterns vary and some partner flights only appear as married flight segments
• High cancellation fees ($150 for standard economy)

If you look at Aeroplan’s Flight Award Chart, you’ll find the predicted ranges for flight redemptions from North American to Europe, which mainly fall within the 4000–8000 mile distance bands.

When you do a live search, however, you may find redemption rates below the predicted ranges, with rates starting as low as shown in the chart below:

 

British Airways Club

Avios is the currency of British Airways Club and can be used on British Airways, Aer Lingus, Finnair, Iberia, Qatar, and other Oneworld partners. It’s especially valuable for off-peak travel and short-haul redemptions within Europe. 

Pros:

• Great award availability (up to 8 economy seats on British Airways, 3 economy seats on Aer Lingus, 4 economy seats on Finnair)
• Excellent value for short-haul flights within Europe (as low as 6,000 Avios) if you need to connect onwards in Europe
• Low cancellation fees ($58 per ticket)

Cons:

• High taxes and fees when departing from London

Note: British Airways flights can also be booked using Asia Miles or AAdvantage, but Canadian transfer options to these programs are at a less favourable rate and taxes are often higher. Finnair flights have cheaper taxes and fees if booked through Finnair Avios (transferrable from British Airways Avios).

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

Flying Blue is the joint loyalty program of Air France and KLM, known for generous award space and strong coverage across Europe. Monthly Promo Rewards and family-friendly discounts make it a flexible option for economy travel. 

Pros:

• Good award availability (can often find 9+ seats available on Air France and KLM)
• Good onward connections through Paris and Amsterdam
• Only airlines to offer direct flights from YEG and YQB to Europe
• Monthly Promo Rewards can offer discounts of up to 25% off saver redemption rates
• 25% discount on award redemptions for children aged 2–11 flying on Air France or KLM

Cons:

• Dynamic pricing for Air France and KLM
• Aside from earning miles on the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®, the transfer ratio from Amex Membership Rewards is less favourable (1:0.75)
• Higher taxes and fees than with Aeroplan

 

Porter Airlines VIPorter

Porter Airlines is growing its international presence through new partnerships, including a key collaboration with Air Transat. Air Transat operates numerous routes to Europe, primarily from Toronto and Montreal, and you can now redeem VIPorter points for travel on these flights.

Pros:

Cons:

• Dynamic pricing, but many routes currently price at the saver rate of 25,000 points
• Some Air Transat routes are not yet available for booking through VIPorter

 

Fixed-Value Reward Programs

Fixed-value reward charts offer flexibility by letting you book almost any flight, as long as the fare falls within the program’s maximum allowable value. Unlike booking through airline programs, you don’t have to worry about award seat availability.

Depending on the ticket price, these redemptions can sometimes offer better value than traditional airline programs. However, when cash fares are high, they may end up costing more.

RBC Avion Rewards

RBC Avion Rewards is a flexible travel rewards program that lets you redeem points through its fixed-value chart or transfer to airline partners. Its fixed chart offers predictable value on flights, especially when cash fares are below the maximum thresholds. 

If you’re booking a flight to Europe that costs more than 32,500 points one-way (or 65,000 round-trip) through an airline program, and the cash fare is under $1,300 before taxes and fees, it’s worth considering an RBC Avion redemption instead.

CIBC Aventura®

CIBC Aventura® allows members to redeem points through a tiered fixed-flight chart or for travel purchases via its travel portal. The program is best leveraged for round-trip redemptions when flight prices align with the chart’s maximum ticket values. 

If your round-trip flight to Europe costs more than 50,000 points through an airline program and the fare is under $1,300 before taxes and fees, it’s worth checking how much the same flight would cost using CIBC Aventura points with their fixed travel chart.

U.S. Points Programs

Some of the best-value or lowest-cost redemptions are available through airline programs that require U.S.-based loyalty points. Here are a few standout examples:

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a versatile loyalty program that offers great value on both Virgin Atlantic and partner airline redemptions, especially for flights between North America and Europe. Withfrequent transfer bonuses and low-mileage economy options, it’s a strong option despite higher surcharges on some routes. 

Pros:

• Ultra-low cost saver redemptions to London from 6,000 points one-way

Cons:

• Dynamic pricing
• High taxes and fees
• Recent devaluation of SAS sweet spot

 

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Alaska’s Mileage Plan is a distance-based program with great value on a variety of airline partners of varying airline alliances. With no cancellation fees and solid award availability, it’s a strong choice for flexible travellers.

Pros:

• Good availability on Condor (6+ economy seats per flight)
• Icelandair offers many connections onwards to other European destinations and can be booked at the same redemption rate
• No cancellation fees

Cons:

• Hard to earn miles since US Amex ended transfers to the program through HawaiianMiles 

 

Note: Icelandair flights from Vancouver were included to be complete about routing options, but at 50,000 miles does not represent a great redemption. 

ANA Mileage Club

ANA Mileage Club offers excellent redemption rates on Star Alliance partners. Though award availability can be limited, the points redemptions are hard to beat but double check the taxes and fees which can be high. 

Pros:

• Excellent value on Star Alliance flights to Europe at 27,500 miles one-way

Cons:

• Limited award availability
• High taxes and fees

Conclusion

While business class will always have its appeal, flying economy to Europe on points can be a smart, efficient way to stretch your miles. This is especially true for family travel or short trips. With multiple programs offering competitive redemptions and decent award availability, there’s no shortage of options.

Make sure to compare point requirements, taxes, transfer partners, and availability before booking. Keep an eye out for monthly promos or last-minute seat drops. With a bit of strategy, economy travel can be just as rewarding.