Mumbai07 Oct 22 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Montreal
About Montreal
Montreal is a popular holiday destination in Canada that is a blend of the 18th and 21st-century architecture. The city is known for its diverse culture, be it Indian, Portugal or French. The city is known for its spectacular museums, eclectic cuisine and a busy marketplace. It is also like paradise for photographers. The city is, especially, famous for its vibrant and happening nightlife. You can party till you drop and treat yourself to a refreshing cup of coffee the next morning to cure that hangover. History and adventure lovers will also find their famous spots in the city quite conveniently and quickly. You can either head to Montreal with your family or with your friends, and the city will have something in store for all kinds of holidays. It is the perfect place just to sit back and relax. Getting around the city is also quite convenient. You can either book yourself a taxi, or you can use the trams or other means of local commute to explore Montreal on your own. Make sure you book a hotel in Montreal that is closer to the tourist attractions that you plan to visit to cut down on travel time.
Best Time to Visit Montreal
Summer is the peak season for Montreal, and it welcomes a lot of tourists during this time. The temperature ranges from 10 to 25 degree Celsius. A lot of events and festivals are hosted in summer. June to August is when the city experiences summer and sees a surge in the number of tourists. Make sure you book your hotel in Montreal in advance before there is a surge in prices and availability becomes an issue. You will also have to book your flight tickets to Montreal in advance if you don't wish to overpay. Though the days are quite warm, the evenings are chilly and the humidity increases in certain areas of the city. It is best to explore the city on foot by yourself in summer. You can attend a lot of events hosted in the city this summer like Formula One: Grand Prix of Canada, MURAL Fest, Montreal International Jazz Festival, Montreal Pride, Montreal International Tango Festival, Osheaga and MUTEK. Make sure you also pack a pair of layers, in case it gets chilly in the evenings and nights.
After the heat of summer, the fall season brings quite a relief to Montreal. September to November is the fall season in the city, and it is also the best time to visit Montreal. If you are visiting Montreal in late autumn, make sure you pack your warm clothes, too, because it will get pretty cold. The temperature ranges between -3 to 19 degree Celsius in autumn. If you don't like crowded places, autumn is an ideal time for you to visit. The weather is quite pleasant and does not affect any of your sightseeing plans. You can also sign up for outdoor activities during this time if you want You can attend events like the World Film Festival that starts in August and goes on till September, POP Montreal, Montreal Burlesque Festival and Black & Blue Festival. Though hotel prices drop in autumn since it is shoulder season for the city, you still might want to book several weeks in advance, so you get a better deal.
December to February is winter, and it can get quite brutal. It is highly recommended that you do not plan your vacation to Montreal in winter. The temperature ranges from -17 to -3 degree Celsius, and of course, it witnesses heavy snowfall. You can, however, head to the Underground City if you want to go on a shopping spree, go for a movie or binge on your favourite food at the restaurants here. You can also indulge in winter sports like ice skating, sleigh rides and skiing if you have no problem fighting the cold weather. The city also lights up beautifully during Christmas and New Year's Eve. You can also join the celebrations and have the time of your life. If you are planning to try winter sports, make sure you book your hotel in Montreal in advance since availability will be an issue at the last moment.
March to May is also an ideal time to plan a holiday to Montreal. The spring season makes the city far pleasant. The hotel prices drop, and you might even get cheap flight tickets to Montreal during spring. The temperature ranges from -8 to 18 degree Celsius. The weather becomes warmer as the months progress. If you are travelling during the beginning of spring, you might want to pack your boots and warm clothes, too, since it will snow lightly in the city. You can attend the Montreal St Patrick's Parade, Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival or Montreal Museums Day if you are planning a spring vacation.
Places to Visit in Montreal
Montreal is the economic and cultural capital of Quebec. It is also the second-largest city in Canada. Montreal is also the second-largest French-speaking city in the world. You will find a lot of French culture in the city. Mount Royal Park is in the centre of the city, and you will also find monuments dedicated to Jacques Cartier and King George IV. You can also visit the Notre-Dame Basilica, one of the oldest churches in Montreal. It was founded in 1656. The church also has a carving of Louis-Philippe Hebert, who was a popular sculptor. Just a 20-minute tour of the church will leave you amazed. Old Montreal is a popular tourist attraction in the city. Place d'Armes, Place Royale and Place Jacques-Cartier are some of the popular places in Old Montreal that date back to the 18th century. You can also head to Vieux-Montreal that reflects the Parisian culture and also has a stunning waterfront. You can take a stroll here and just admire the beautiful buildings around you. Jardin Botanique is one of the main reasons that tourists love Montreal. Not only does it have about 30 themed gardens but also has over ten exhibition greenhouses.
Oratoire Saint-Joseph is near Mount Royal Park is another tourist spot where you can know more about the belongings and lifestyle of the saint. Head over to Musée des Beaux-Arts if you are an art lover. The museum houses 1400 paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures. You will also find a lot of masterpieces by Canaletto, El Greco, Mantegna, Veronese, Goya and so on. If you love history and archaeology, you can visit the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History. It was established in 1992 to celebrate the city's 350th anniversary.
Things to do in Montreal
You can visit museums and historic landmarks in Montreal. Sign up for a sightseeing tour of the4 city, or you can explore the city on your own. Montreal is also known for its vibrant and colourful nightlife. Apart from that, the city also has a lot of spots for you to go shopping and dining. Canada is known for its Maple syrup, and you can also sign up for a tour to Sugar Shack to sample some and see how it is made. Jean-Talon Market is where you head to if you want to buy fresh produce, home-grown spices, cheeses, handmade chocolate or binge on grilled sausages. If you are visiting the city with your family, you can also take your kid to the Barbie Expo.
Food and Restaurants in Montreal
Even though you will find a lot of restaurants in Montreal that serve French cuisine, you will also find restaurants that serve Portuguese, Mexican, Indian, Thai, Moroccan and other cuisines. Poutine, bagels, smoked meat are some of the popularly ordered foods here. Fairmount Bagel and St-Viateur Bagel Shop are the most popular eateries in the city for bagels. Le 409 is a popular place that serves Indian food. You can head to La Campagnola Italian steakhouse for authentic Italian food, steaks and Sicilian cuisine. Bistro 1843 and Bistro L'entrepont are some popular restaurants to try traditional French and Canadian food.
How to reach Montreal (Transportation)
Montréal–Trudeau International Airport is about 20 km away from Downtown Montreal and has been named after Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the father of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The flight connectivity to Montreal from India is excellent. British Airways, American Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, United Airlines and Air Canada have frequent flights to Montreal with layovers at London, New York, Newark, Washington and Toronto. If you book in advance, you might get cheap flight tickets to Montreal. If you are travelling to Montreal during the offseason, you might even get exciting flight deals to Montreal online. It is not very difficult to get a taxi or car rental from the airport. The Montreal airport also has premium lounges, restaurants, cafes, shopping areas, currency exchange, and a lot more for passengers. You can also book a hotel in Montreal that is closer to the airport, so you are boarding an early flight and want to avoid the commute. You can also call for an airport shuttle service from your hotel.
About Sri Lankan Airlines
Sri Lankan Airlines is the official flag carrier of Sri Lanka and is also part of the Oneworld airline alliance. The airline is currently the largest carrier in Sri Lanka with respect to the fleet size and the number of destinations covered. It was initially launched as Air Lanka in 1979, following the termination of Air Ceylon, the former Sri Lankan flag carrier. Operations of Air Ceylon were terminated as Air Lanka took over all the flight activities. Air Lanka was partially acquiesced by Emirates in 1998, which resulted in a total rebranding of the airlines. The acquisition also introduced the current livery that Srilankan Airlines possesses. In 2008 though, the Sri Lankan government acquired all the shares of Air Lanka from Emirates and brought forth a rebranded airline. While the partnership with Emirates was terminated, the airlines changed its name to SriLankan Airlines and changed the logo of the company as well.
Right after its rebranding, Sri Lankan Airlines acquired six Airbus A330-200s to add to its fleet of Airbus A340-300 and A320-200 aircraft. Soon, in 2000, the airline further added its fourth aircraft, A340-300, which arrived at Colombo with the airline's refurbished corporate livery. Sri Lankan Airlines also upgraded its A340 fleet by adding a two-class configuration to enhance the brand name and reflect its new corporate image. The airlines also worked to increase its destinations for domestic routes and international routes, primarily in India and the Middle East. As expansions continued on one side, the airlines commenced flights to Jeddah, the third Saudi destination, after Riyadh and Dammam. In 2017, the airlines also introduced its direct daily non-stop flight connection to Melbourne in Australia. This has been Sri Lankan Airlines' most ambitious expansions to date as its long haul route between Australia, and Sri Lanka was brought back after a hiatus of 16 years.
Currently, Sri Lankan Airlines is known to operate about 560 flights in a week. It has excellent connectivity as it operates in over 113 destinations across 51 countries. These numbers also include the codeshare operations that have been signed by the airlines. The airline's main hub is situated at the Bandaranaike International Airport, located in the capital city of Colombo. Sri Lankan Airlines joined the Oneworld airline alliance much recently, in 2014, to be precise. In the same year, Airbus A330 and Airbus A320, both found Oneworld's livery on their aircraft, commemorating the airline's establishment as one of the airlines in the alliance carrier. The airlines' livery is an all-white fuselage with SriLankan titles covered in blue while the tail sees the new corporate logo acquired by the airlines.
Fleet size of Sri Lankan Airlines
Sri Lankan Airlines' current fleet size is 26, which majorly has only Airbus aircraft. The maximum aircraft in their fleet includes the Airbus A330-300s. The airline introduced its first Airbus aircraft in 1992 as it began chartering the Airbus A320-200 to domestic routes to the Maldives, southern India and Pakistan. During the presidential rule of Premadasa, the airline further added Airbus A340-300 aircraft in its fleet with the first Airbus A340 being delivered in 1994. Sri Lankan Airlines became the first in Asia to charter Airbus A340 aircraft. In 2012, during President Rajapakse's rule, the airline planned for ambitious growth in expanding its fleet size to 35 aircraft with deals being signed with both aircraft companies, Airbus and Boeing. Former CEO of Srilankan Airline, Kapila Chandrasena also stated that the airline planned to add either Airbus A330-300 or Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8 in its fleet. With this, they aimed to replace the Airbus A340-300. In 2013, the airlines bagged government approval to charter four Airbus A350-900 and seven A330-300 aircraft while deliveries of A330-300 commenced from 2014. Following the large order, the airline also leased three Airbus A350-900s, deliveries of the same starting in 2017.
Sri Lankan Airlines eventually phased out its Airbus A340-300 in 2016 and replaced the aircraft with A330-300 and A350-900. In 2015, the airlines also signed a deal with Air Lease Corporation and AerCap intending to acquire two Airbus A321neo aircraft, lease them from each of the firms. In 2016 though, after incurring some financial losses and concerns, the airline announced that they would be cancelling their order of eight A350 aircraft. As of 2019, the airline still has four Airbus A350-900 aircraft in the monthly order book of the aircraft manufacturing company with no cancellations or conversions of the order to A330-900 from Srilankan Airlines.
Sri Lankan Airlines Baggage Allowance
The baggage allowance at Sri Lankan Airlines differs from the ticket-type chosen by the passenger. For the business class travellers, the airline offers a maximum weight of 40 kg for checked baggage. The dimension of the bags also needs to be within 158 cm, inclusive of pockets, handles and wheels. The economy class sees a significant drop of maximum weight being 30 kg with the same baggage dimension to be followed. Interestingly, a plethora of international airlines usually has a baggage allowance of 23 kg for checked baggage for the economy class. This gives Sri Lankan Airlines a benefit, especially among travellers who are carrying a lot of luggage. There might be restrictions on the baggage allowance depending on the airline partners. More details concerning this can be figured out at the airline's website or even at their customer care service.
In terms of hand luggage that can be carried on board, the airline allows weight no more than 7 kg. While the maximum weight remains the same for travellers of business and economy class, the difference comes with the number of bags that they are allowed to carry. While business class allows two pieces of hand luggage, economy class passengers are only allowed to carry one bag. Besides this, the passengers are allowed an additional small bag which could include a laptop, handbag, camera bag, etc. For travellers travelling with infants, an additional 5 kg weighing baggage is allowed on-board. As the infants require feeding and changing on a regular basis, the inclusion of a dedicated infant baggage allowance has been introduced by Sri Lankan Airlines. Along with this, the traveller can also carry strollers or baskets or pushchairs for the comfort of the infant as well as the parent.
Sri Lankan Airlines In-flight services
Sri Lankan Airlines only offers two class-cabins, business class and economy class. However, both the classes have been blessed with exemplary in-flight services and facilities that make for a comfortable transit. In business class, the airline offers a reclining seat that can be converted into full flat-beds and is present in all long-haul fleet. Along with the flat-bed, the airline has also installed AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) facilities to cater to the entertainment quotient for the passenger. The seats are as wide as 19.5 inches which can recline up to 180 degrees with a bed that sprawls over 79 inches. The suites also come with a 15-inch personal In-flight Entertainment (IFE) system. Much recently, they also revealed their news feature in business class, Thales Avant IFE, which brings forth modern entertainment features and better business class seats. The A330-300 fleet has all-aisle access with a configuration of 1-2-1 seating, reserved for business class. The A320 and A321 aircraft offer a 2-2 layout with extra reclining seats and a pitch that ranges from 39 to 49 inches.
For the economy class, the airline does provide some in-flight services such as in-seat entertainment, which is present on all their wide-body and narrow-body aircraft. On their A330-300 and A320/A321neo aircraft, the airline has provided all cabin classes with paid-for internet access as part of their in-flight services. This also includes mobile services and access to WiFi. The airline is also the first in South Asia to have on-board WiFi services available. Sri Lankan Airlines' receives its catering services from Srilankan Catering Limited. Its hub is present at Bandaranaike International Airport. The kitchen as the capacity to prepare over 25,000 meals in a day in their state-of-the-art kitchen facility. The catering service was incorporated in 1979 and initially commenced as a joint venture with Thai Airways International. However, as the venture agreement lapsed in 1998 with Air Lanka ltd buying all the shares of Thai Airways International, the entity became a Sri Lankan Airlines Limited's subsidiary.
Popular routes and top cities for Srilankan Airlines
As of 2020, Srilankan Airlines operates in 40 cities in about 20 countries. Some of the popular international routes that Srilankan Airlines caters to include India, China, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Australia, to name a few. Top cities include Sydney, Paris, Beijing, Berlin, Hong Kong, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi, Tokyo, Muscat, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, London and Seoul.
Why travel by Sri Lankan Airlines?
Sri Lankan Airlines is best connected to Indian cities as well as several the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries. Hence, booking a Sri Lankan Airlines flight to reach cities in these countries would be the ideal way to go. Not to mention how the airline's website is also very helpful and efficient as it helps conduct web check-in, know about the flight status and get an update on Sri Lankan Airlines' flight schedule. You can further enjoy some of Sri Lankan Airlines' exquisite in-flight services.
