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. Redemptions will be grouped by loyalty program for ease of understanding.

To make things clearer and 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…