Air Transat Touches Down in California for the First Time

California, eh?

Canadian leisure airline Air Transat debuted in California for the first time after its inaugural flight from Montréal (YUL) to Los Angeles (LAX) landed on Monday, May 16, 2022.

“We are thrilled to be operating this route and flying passengers to a multifaceted city that is known for its many tourist attractions, but that also represents an excellent new gateway to the rest of California,” said Joseph Adamom, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Air Transat.

If that wasn’t exciting enough, San Francisco (SFO) will become Air Transat’s second Californian destination when it begins flying nonstop from Montréal on May 19, 2022.

Let’s take a look at more details of these all-new routes.

Air Transat Begins Flights Between Montréal and L.A. and San Francisco

As a purely leisure-focused airline, it makes sense for Air Transat to offer nonstop service to California for sun-loving Quebecers. Los Angeles and San Francisco will become the airline’s sixth and seventh U.S. destinations, respectively.

“We welcome Air Transat to beautiful Southern California just in time for travelers to head north for fun and vacations this spring and summer,” said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer at Los Angeles World Airports.

The L.A. route will operate three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with the following schedule:

• Depart Los Angeles (LAX) 11:50 p.m. — Arrive Montréal (YUL) 8:30 a.m. (+1)
• Depart Montréal (YUL) 7 p.m. — Arrive Los Angeles (LAX) 10:30 p.m.

When the route starts on May 19, 2022, Air Transat’s service to San Francisco will operate twice weekly with a similar schedule to the L.A. service:

• Depart San Francisco (SFO) 11:40 p.m. — Arrive Montréal (YUL) 8:10 a.m. (+1)
• Depart Montréal (YUL) 7 p.m. — Arrive San Francisco (SFO) 10:20 p.m.

We’re seeing round-trip fares from $344 in economy between Montréal and L.A., while Club Class — Air Transat’s equivalent to the domestic U.S. first class experience — can be had from $936 round-trip.

Air Transat has chosen the state-of-the-art Airbus A321neoLR aircraft to serve both of these California routes. It’s the same jet the airline uses for its flights across the Atlantic to Europe.

Club Class features recliner seats in a 2-2 configuration, while the economy cabin is arranged in a standard 3-3 configuration.

It’s worth noting that Air Canada already operates these routes. However, taking a look at fares, you can save a significant amount of money in most cases by choosing Air Transat over Canada’s flag carrier.

Hot Tip: Looking to visit either of these California cities this summer? Here are some of your best hotel options in Los Angeles and San Francisco that you can book with points.

Final Thoughts

Air Transat has landed in California for the first time. This is good news both for Canadians craving the sun and the wealth of cultural attractions available in Northern and Southern California, as well as Californians who now have a less expensive option for getting to the unique and charming city of Montréal.