Hot on the heels of Air Canada’s announcement of their first Airbus A321XLR route yesterday, the airline has revealed even more global expansion for 2026. Air Canada will be adding a new summer seasonal route to Catania, Italy and will bring back Toronto to Shanghai and Budapest next year. In addition to those new and returning routes, the relatively new Vancouver to Bangkok flight will b upgraded to year round service.
Highlights of the expanded 2026 Summer services:
- New Montréal – Catania, Italy
- New Montréal – Palma de Mallorca, Spain (announced yesterday!)
- Return of Toronto–Shanghai; Toronto–Budapest
- Extension of Vancouver–Bangkok to year-round
Schedules for the new routes:
Here is the schedule for the flights announced today and yesterday:
| Flight | From | To | Depart | Arrive | Days of Operation | Season |
| AC 932 | Montreal (YUL) | Catania-Sicily (CTA) | 19:35 | 10:15 +1day | Tue, Thu, Sat | Jun 4 – Oct. 22, 2026 |
| AC 933 | Catania-Sicily (CTA) | Montreal (YUL) | 11:50 | 15:20 | Wed, Fri, Sun | Jun 5 – Oct. 23, 2026 |
| AC 924 | Montreal (YUL) | Mallorca (PMI) | 18:45 | 08:25 +1 day | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat | Jun 17 – Oct. 23, 2026 |
| AC 925 | Mallorca (PMI) | Montreal (YUL) | 12:15 | 15:10 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat | Jun 18 – Oct. 24, 2026 |
| AC 942 | Toronto (YYZ) | Budapest (BUD) | 21:55 | 11:25 +1 day | Tue, Fri, Sat, Sun | Jun 5 – Oct. 23, 2026 |
| AC 943 | Budapest (BUD) | Toronto (YYZ) | 13:15 | 15:15 | Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun | Jun 6 – Oct. 24, 2026 |
| AC 27 | Toronto (YYZ) | Shanghai (PVG) | 12:45 | 16:20 +1 day | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun | Starts June 3 year-round |
| AC 28 | Shanghai (PVG) | Toronto (YYZ) | 18:00 | 19:55 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat | Starts June 4 year-round |
| AC 65 | Vancouver (YVR) | Bangkok (BKK) | 23:20 | 05:15 +2 days | Mon, Wed, Sat | Year-round |
| AC 66 | Bangkok (BKK) | Vancouver (YVR) | 07:15 | 06:50 | Mon, Wed, Fri | Year-round |
Earning points & miles on these flights
Most people who fly on these new and existing routes choose to credit these flights to Air Canada Aeroplan but you can also opt to credit these flights to any other Star Alliance or airline partner that provides for earning on Air Canada.
When it comes to paying for flights on Air Canada your best bet to earning the most points is to use any of the Air Canada Aeroplan co-brand credit cards. These include the following as the top points earners:
- American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card – 3 points per dollar spent on Air Canada flights
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card – 2 points per dollar spent on Air Canada flights
- American Express Aeroplan Card – 2 points per dollar spent on Air Canada flights.
Booking these flights with points
With such a variety of destinations in this announcement the amount of points required will vary by distance and region. The points you can expect to be required to redeem will follow the recently updated Air Canada award charts for the North America-Atlantic and North America-Pacific zones:
Award pricing for Air Canada is fully dynamic so the median ranges shown above are simply a guideline. Don’t forget you can also receive preferred award pricing on this route by having an Aeroplan co-brand credit card.
Images via Air Canada
