Air Transat is adding five new nonstop routes to Europe for summer 2027, including Geneva and Birmingham, according to Prince of Travel. Most of the new flights leave from Quebec City and Montreal. If you live in Quebec and fly to Europe for work or for a break, this is good news, because a nonstop flight saves you the hours a connection eats.
What did Air Transat announce?
Air Transat is adding five nonstop routes from Canada to Europe for summer 2027. Two of the new cities are Geneva and Birmingham. The most new flights come from Quebec City and Montreal.
That is what the report gives us. The full list of the other three routes, the days of the week and the start dates are not in the summary we have. So check Air Transat's own site for the exact details before you plan around any one flight.
Air Transat is based in Montreal, so it makes sense that its home province gets the most growth. What stands out is the choice of cities. These are not the obvious picks.
Why do Geneva and Birmingham matter?
They are cities most Canadians reach with a stop somewhere first. A nonstop flight changes that.
Geneva is a business city. It is home to banks, big international groups and a lot of private wealth, and it sits close to the Alps and the French border. If you do business in Switzerland, or you want a ski trip with less hassle, a nonstop flight is a real upgrade.
Birmingham is the bigger surprise. It is one of the largest cities in the UK, but it lives in London's shadow. Most people flying to England land at Heathrow and take a train north. Honestly, that is a tired routine. If your work or your family is in the middle of England, flying straight there means you skip London entirely.
Our view: these two routes show Air Transat is going after people with a specific reason to go, not just tourists heading to the usual spots.
Is this good news for flyers in Quebec City?
Yes, and Quebec City may be the biggest winner. For a long time, many flyers there have driven to Montreal or connected through a bigger airport to reach Europe.
Every new nonstop flight from your home airport is time back in your week. You skip the drive. You skip the risk of a missed connection. You skip the long walk between gates. For a business owner, those hours matter more than a small difference in fare.
Montreal flyers get more choice too. More routes from one airport usually means more ways to build a trip that fits your schedule.
Can you use points on these flights?
Not with Aeroplan. Air Transat is not part of a major airline alliance, so these seats will not show up when you search with Aeroplan points.
That does not mean points are useless here. Air Transat recently launched its own loyalty program, Staria. Many bank cards also let you put points toward any flight booked through their travel portal or against a travel charge on your statement. The value is usually lower than a great award booking, but it can still cut the cost of a trip you were going to take anyway.
Our advice: if Geneva or Birmingham is where you actually need to go, pay attention to these routes. A nonstop flight to the right city often beats a fancier seat to the wrong one.
Should you book now or wait?
If you know you are going to Europe next summer, start looking early. Summer is the busiest season for flights across the Atlantic, and new routes can get popular fast.
If your plans are not firm, there is no rush to book today. Just keep these routes in mind before you default to a connection through a big hub.
If you run a business, your spending may already cover more trips than you think. Turn Left shows you how many business class trips that spending buys, so you can see what your spending buys.