Air Canada has its sights set on the sunny south this winter with new routes and boosted flights to the Caribbean and Florida. Beginning in December, the airline says 50 flights servicing a total of 55 Sun destinations will leave Canada daily.
If you’re planning to escape the cold this winter, take a look at the highlights below and lock in a booking if it lines up with your plans.
Air Canada Launches New Routes to Tulum, Sint Maarten
Air Canada has announced that it will offer non-stop flights to Tulum (TQO) from four Canadian cities this winter, as well as two routes to Sint Maarten (SXM).
The new routes to Tulum will operate from Quebec City (YQB) and Ottawa (YOW), and routes that just launched in May from Montreal (YUL) and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) will continue to run over the winter months.
From Ottawa, Air Canada will operate a once-weekly flight to Tulum on Saturdays beginning on December 13, 2024, with the following flight times:
- AC1808, Ottawa (YOW) to Tulum (TQO), departing 4:34pm and arriving 9:35pm
- AC1809, Tulum (TQO) to Ottawa (YOW), departing 10:15pm and arriving 2:25am the next day
Beginning December 13, 2024, Air Canada will also operate a once-weekly flight on Fridays from Quebec City to Tulum with the following flight times:
- AC1814, Quebec City (YBQ) to Tulum (TQO), departing 4:50pm and arriving 10pm
- AC1815, Tulum (TQO) to Quebec City (YBQ), departing 10:50pm and arriving 3:10am the next day
The new routes to Tulum are operated by Air Canada’s subsidiary Air Canada Rouge. Passengers can choose between two classes of service on the flights: Economy Rouge and Premium Rouge.
Passengers based out of Montreal will also enjoy a once-weekly flight on Sundays to Sint Maarten (SXM) starting on November 17, 2024, with flight times as follows:
- AC1362, Montreal (YUL) to Sint Maarten (SXM), departing 10:15am and arriving 3:55pm
- AC1363, Sint Maarten (SXM) to Montreal (YUL), departing 4:55pm and arriving at 8:55pm
The Montreal–Sint Maarten route will be serviced by the two-cabin Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, and passengers can choose from economy or business class for this flight.
This route comes in addition to the existing route from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Sint Maarten (SXM), which will increase from twice weekly to four-times weekly for the Winter 2024/2025 schedule.
The flights are available for purchase with cash or Aeroplan points across Air Canada’s channels, including the Air Canada website and the Air Canada app.
Air Canada Boosts Frequency to Sun Destinations This Winter
In addition to the new routes, Air Canada is also boosting its winter schedule to give travelers more options to head south.
From Toronto Pearson (YYZ), the following routes will increase in frequency or capacity in Winter 2024/2025:
- Sarasota (SRQ): four weekly flights (up from three)
- New Orleans (MSY): five weekly flights (up from four)
- Los Cabos (SJD): five weekly flights (up from three)
- Bermuda (BDA): four weekly flights (up from three)
- Tulum (TQO): four weekly flights (new winter route)
From Montreal (YUL), the following routes will increase in frequency or capacity in Winter 2024/2025:
- Miami (MIA): three weekly flights (up from two)
- Phoenix (PHX): four weekly flights (up from two)
- San José (SJO): daily flights (up from one weekly)
- Providenciales (PLS): three weekly flights (up from two)
- Fort-de-France (FDF): six weekly flights (up from five)
- Tulum (TQO): five weekly flights (new winter route)
From Quebec City (YQB), the following routes will increase in frequency or capacity in Winter 2024/2025:
- Orlando (MCO): two weekly flights
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL): two weekly flights
- Punta Cana (PUJ): two weekly flights
- Cancun (CUN): one weekly flight
From Ottawa (YOW), the following routes will increase in frequency or capacity in Winter 2024/2025:
- Tampa (TPA): two weekly flights (up from one)
- Orlando (MCO): four weekly flights (up from two)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL): six weekly flights (up from four)
- Punta Cana (PUJ): four weekly flights (up from three)
Meanwhile, passengers departing from Vancouver (YVR) will enjoy two weekly flights to Cancun (CUN), up from one, and passengers based out of Halifax (YHZ) will enjoy thrice-weekly flights to Tampa (TPA), up from two.
Air Canada Expands Service to Sun Destinations
With many Canadians looking to escape the winter blues during the cold, dark months, Air Canada is boosting its capacity to popular warm-weather destinations with both its mainline and Rouge operations.
From airports in Eastern Canada, Air Canada will contend with Air Transat, Canada Jetlines, Flair Airlines, Porter Airlines, and WestJet to bring passengers south this winter.
For its part, Porter Airlines has more than doubled its capacity to destinations in Florida this winter, although it doesn’t yet fly to any destinations in the Caribbean. WestJet has also recently added capacity from Calgary (YYC) and Edmonton (YEG) to warmer waters this winter.
Meanwhile, WestJet is in the process of integrating Sunwing Airlines into its mainline operations, and Air Transat is fresh off of being named the World’s Best Leisure Airline at the 2024 SkyTrax World Airline Awards.
With plenty of options to choose from, keep in mind that some airlines charge extra for carry-on bags, while others don’t.
If you’re keen on booking a flight to somewhere warm this winter, be sure to consider the various options available to you. With plenty of competition, it should be a sign that prices will be reasonable, and you’ll otherwise need to be mindful of what’s included (and what’s not) with your fare.
For Air Canada flights, be sure to use a co-branded credit card to ensure you’re earning the most points on your purchase. Plus, many Aeroplan co-branded credit cards also come with a free checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight passengers on the same booking.
| Credit Card | Best Offer | Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
 85,000 Aeroplan points $599 annual fee | 85,000 Aeroplan points | $858 | Apply Now |
 Up to 80,000 Aeroplan points† $599 annual fee | Up to 80,000 Aeroplan points† | $766 | Apply Now |
 Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points† First Year Free | Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points† | $683 | Apply Now |
 60,000 Aeroplan points $599 annual fee | 60,000 Aeroplan points | $634 | Apply Now |
 40,000 Aeroplan points $120 annual fee | 40,000 Aeroplan points | $573 | Apply Now |
 Up to 40,000 Aeroplan points† $139 annual fee | Up to 40,000 Aeroplan points† | $525 | Apply Now |
Conclusion
Air Canada has announced plans for its Winter 2024–2025 Sun network with the addition of new routes and boosted capacity to many destinations.
The new routes include Ottawa and Quebec City to Tulum, as well as Montreal to Sint Maarten. The airline has also bumped up the number of flights departing from Eastern Canada to destinations across the US, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
All flights are loaded into Air Canada’s booking channels, and can be purchased with cash or Aeroplan points throughout the schedule.