Reply To: Fly to Canada on Amex points?

[jj]

Flying to Calgary in the winter is super-frustrating since BA made the route summer only. Calgary accesses some of the world’s best in-resort expert skiing – I go misty-eyed whenever I think of Fernie’s powder – but flight choices are very limited if you don’t want to use Air Canada. Note that WestJet doesn’t have direct flights every day, so it’s uusally impossible to fit a trip into 7 days.

The most obvious indirect option is KLM via Amsterdam which could in theory be accessed via a Virgin or Delta points transfer and offers connections to loads of UK airports. Having said that, a connecting flight after a long overnight transatlantic flight is very unwelcome, and last time I attempted this route I was delayed in Amsterdam for 35 hours.

Other possible connections are via Seattle or Dallas with BA/AA/Alaska. But the flight timings are normally terrible with long layovers, and both routes are very indirect.