A Perfect Storm Sends Increasing Numbers of Canadian Travellers to U.S. Airports

[webworm]

It's now up to 5 Million Canadians a year that fly out of the US. No suprise here!
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/press...s_of_canadian_travellers_to_u_s_airports.aspx

 

[Ted in Halifax]

Excellent article ...

 

[torontodisneyfan]

Living in Toronto, I almost always fly out of Buffalo. For my trip in May 2013 I bought airfare on Jet Blue for my DD and I for $480 total. The cheapest out of Toronto is with Air Canada for $862 total.

Even with parking and gas in Buffalo, I am still saving over $250.

Why would I fly from Toronto??

 

[Tower]

Why would I fly from Toronto??

The family economy should take precedence over the Canadian economy. I don't see any federal government truly looking out for the individual family budget, we have to do that ourselves.

 

[stefanospops]

I would much rather fly from Toronto if the prices were close. I live in Etobicoke near YYZ and always start by pricing my flight from there with the major carriers. I have only once in the last 7 trips flown from Pearson because my trip that one time fell on US Thanksgiving weekend and airfares were almost the same from BUF vs sunwing from YYZ. I paid about $200 more total to fly from YYZ but I was okay with that since I didn't have to park my car at the airport (my parents dropped us off) and drive to get there.

All this said, the experience flying from Buffalo is way better. You clear customs at the border in your car, not standing in a line that can take hours. When we fly home we check our suitcases onto our flight from our hotel so we don't have to worry about our luggage all day. And driving back is another breeze through customs.

 

[Sue M]

I would much rather fly out of YVR, but I make the 3 hr drive down to Seattle. Just booked Jan flights with United, $308 RT incl tax. Canadian airlines are double at least. So even factoring in 2 nights hotel I'm was ahead.

We stay at a hotel that gives free parking while away, and I'm usually too tired on the way home to drive, so we stay over that night too, then drive home the next morning refreshed.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I only wish it were easier to fly from the US! So far I've flown usually out of Charlottetown (a 3 minute drive) and a few times from Halifax (about 3 hours). To drive even to Bangor, it's at least 5 hours. When you're limited in time to one week, that's a long drive, and Bangor isn't that much cheaper, Portland is better from what I understand. Since I'm single, it's easier, but if I had a family, it would probably be a must to fly from the US.

 

[archdandy]

I usually have pretty good luck with Sunwing. I booked our October flight through them from Pearson and it was around $300 RT taxes included.

 

[duckwife]

Interesting article. When I am comparing prices between YVR and BLI/SEA I take into consideration the travel time and hotel costs and it is usually still a huge savings for our family of 3. This time, the cost of all 3 flights from SEA is only slightly more than the cost of one flight from YVR. Crazy!
Also, when a Canadian airline advertises a seat sale it sounds great until you add the taxes and fees and then it is suddenly not such a great deal!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

For our Christmas trip, we paid $1125 for the three of us out of Buffalo (Airtran there, Jetblue home....and the overall price above factors in fees for one checked bag per person on the Airtran flight). Flight times are excellent (arriving at MCO at 10:30 am on our arrival day, and leaving at 2:30 pm on our departure day).

Westjet from Toroonto, in comparison, is $1882 for the same dates. Flight times are horrible (arriving at MCO after 11 pm, and leaving at an ungodly early hour of the morning on departure day).

Add in the pleasure of flying from a smaller airport, clearing customs at the border, etc. to the $750 savings and better flight times, and its a no brainer.

We are 2 hours from Toronto and 4 hours from Buffalo, so either require a park and fly for us.

 

[RookieMouse]

For our March Break trip, we are driving further than usual but saving a whole bunch of money in the process. We live just outside Fredericton but are driving to Manchester, NH to fly Southwest, and here is why:

6 people (3 adults, 2 teens, 1 11-year-old)
5 round trip Manchester - Orlando (2 March - 9 March) - Southwest
1 one way Manchester - Orlando (2 March) - Southwest
1 one way Orlando - Bangor (7 March) - US Airways

Non-stop direct flights (with Southwest)
First 2 bags per person fly free (with Southwest)

Total for the 6 of us - $2405 USD (booked when the Canadian dollar was higher)

Comparison fares checked today:

1. Exact same flights as above - $3697 USD

2. Air Canada round trip Fredericton - Orlando (through both Montreal AND Toronto, arriving 11pm-ish in Orlando) - $5863 CDN ($5994 USD)

3. Westjet round trip Moncton - Orlando - (no outbound flight on the 2nd, must fly the 1st or 3rd, 2 stops each way, return flights require an overnight in New York) - $7219 CDN ($7380 USD)


Worth a 6+ hour drive? Most definitely.


John

 

[networktek]

same with us we live in Downtown Toronto and always drive down to Buffalo and fly from there unless there is a really good deal through westjet or aircandada other wise its all airtan or southwest for us

 

[lynypixie]

We're going to do it for the first time this year, probably. We're a family of 5, and can't get anything under 2000$ in Montreal. Air Canada is over 2500$.

Right now, Jetblue in Burlington, VT, is 1800$

Even staying the night in Burlington, we still save.

And honesly, I have no desire of flying with Air Canada. If I am to be served in english only, might as well be with a cheaper flight.