Royal Jordanian Launches New Toronto Route

Royal Jordanian Airlines has shifted its North American routes, and is now set to serve five cities on the continent. Part of this shift was adding Toronto as a destination, in addition to its preexisting service to Montreal.

Let’s have a look at the routings and how to redeem miles on Royal Jordanian’s Canadian routes, should you so desire.

Royal Jordanian’s New Toronto Route

On June 2, 2022, Royal Jordanian will begin service to Toronto. The flight won’t be a direct link between Amman and Toronto, but rather it will add an additional flight on the Amman–Montreal service. 

The airline previously had a flight to Detroit after touching down in Montreal, but Detroit will be served by a direct flight from Amman going forward.

The service to Montreal and Toronto will operate thrice-weekly:

• RJ269 Amman to Toronto, departing 10:45am and arriving 5:45pm, Monday/Tuesday/Thursday
• RJ270 Toronto to Amman, departing 7:50pm and arriving 3:30pm, Monday/Tuesday/Thursday

Royal Jordanian Airlines operates a two-cabin Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route, with 246 seats in economy class and 24 lie-flat seats in business class in a 2-2-2 configuration.

Aside from the two Canadian destinations, Royal Jordanian also offers direct flights from Amman to New York JFK, Chicago, and as of May 24, Detroit within North America.

Booking Royal Jordanian’s Flights to Toronto

As a Oneworld partner, it’s possible to redeem British Airways Avios, Alaska Mileage Plan, and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles for flights with Royal Jordanian. Let’s have a look at how to book business class flights with all three programs.

British Airways Avios are relatively easy to come by in Canada, as they can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio with American Express Membership Rewards and RBC Avion. There are also frequent transfer bonuses from both programs, making the ratio more favourable.

It’s also possible to earn Avios directly through the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card.

At 5,587 miles, flights to Toronto fall in Zone 7 on the Avios partner reward schedule. This means a one-way flight in business class costs 92,750 Avios and $463 in taxes and fees. Note that the cost to Montreal is the same.

In the opposite direction, the cost in Avios remains the same, but the taxes and fees dip down to $379.

Flying in economy in either direction costs 31,000 Avios and the same amount of taxes and fees.

Alaska miles are a bit harder to come by in Canada. They are most easily earned through a co-branded credit card, such as the MBNA Alaska Airlines World Elite Mastercard, or by transferring from Marriott Bonvoy points at the optimal ratio of 60,000 Bonvoy points = 25,000 Alaska miles.

It appears that the Toronto flight on Royal Jordanian hasn’t been loaded into the Alaska Mileage Plan search engine yet. However, the cost would be the same as flying to Montreal, which is 42,500 miles in economy or 85,000 miles in business class.

Note that the taxes and fees on Alaska Mileage Plan are significantly less than with Avios.

Lastly, it’s possible to book flights with Royal Jordanian using Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

For Canadians, Asia Miles are relatively easy to come by, as the program is transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards at a ratio of 1:0.75 and of RBC Avion at a ratio of 1:1. It’s also possible to earn miles directly through the RBC Cathay Pacific Visa Platinum Card.

Flights between Amman and Montreal or Toronto price at 40,000 miles in economy or 75,000 miles in business class. Note the hefty taxes and fees of around $488 eastbound and $405 westbound. 

Despite the hefty fees, I would likely side with Avios or Asia Miles, as they are relatively easier to earn. Alaska miles are more valuable as they can be redeemed for other sweet spots within the program instead, such as flying First Class with Japan Airlines or Cathay Pacific.

If Amman were my ultimate destination, I’d also consider flying via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines on an Aeroplan redemption, which would cost 70,000 Aeroplan points in business class with very reasonable taxes and fees.

How Is Royal Jordanian Business Class?

On its flights to Montreal and Toronto, Royal Jordanian offers its premier business class product, Crown Seats, with lie-flat beds.

The 2-2-2 configuration is disappointing for solo travellers, as anyone in a window seat would have to crawl over the other passenger when the seat is converted to a bed. To avoid this, solo travellers can choose either one of the middle seats, as both have direct aisle access.

I’ve yet to fly this route, so I can’t comment directly on the ground or in-flight service. Feel free to comment below if you have anything to share about your experience with Royal Jordanian or the Crown Lounge ground experience in Amman.

Conclusion

Royal Jordanian has reconfigured its North American services, now serving two Canadian cities instead of one. The Amman-based airline has Toronto as a tag-on destination to its existing Montreal route, while splitting off the previous tag-on flight to Detroit into a direct route instead. 

Service to Toronto begins on June 2, 2022 and continues thrice-weekly. It’s possible to redeem loyalty points for business class flights on this route through various Oneworld airlines that we can access here in Canada. 

It’s always nice to see more foreign airlines adding service to different Canadian cities, streamlining what would otherwise be a lengthy day of travel for those who prefer the most direct routing possible.