Do you ever think that one day in the future Southwest would fly out of YYZ - MCO?

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I was thinking last night that do you ever think Southwest Airlines would fly out of YYZ - MCO for maybe 2 -3 flights a day, if they started to realize how many people from Toronto drove the 2 hours to Buffalo to fly on their airline. Or would airlines like Air Canada, West Jet & Air Transat not allow an American airline like Southwest to come into Canada & take their business away?

 

[donkthemagicllama]

If they did, I think the Canadian taxes/fees would make their flights not much more attractive than WestJet's (pricewise anyway).

 

[tmli]

No, they are an internet sales company only and would have difficulty getting tico approval for sure. I am not sure about the US but here in Canada we are not even allowed to sell them through a travel agency.

 

[cdnmickeylover]

I don't think that they are only on the internet. They have been around a lot longer than the internet has. I doubt they will come to Canada though - the taxes would kill them here.

 

[usetheforceluke]

Last trip I had to call Southwest's Customer Center... to make a long story short, the rep basically said there was no way they'd fly out of Canada simply because they couldn't turn the planes around quick enough, and, more importantly, the company wasn't prepared to pay the taxes and landing fees that are charged here.

I thought that they're also the most profitable North American airline with or without the Internet.

Jim.

 

[tmli]

As a Canadian the only way to purchase Southwest is via internet (or maybe by phone?) as a consumer. An ontario travel agent will not book it for you as it is not covered by tico. It is irrelevant whether it has been around before the internet or not. "Internet sales company" is a term we use to describe companies or products consumers book directly on the internet that we can't.

Our gov't taxes us to death when flying in and out of Canada and the yyz airport is the worst. Southwest could not offer the same total fares as they do out of Buffalo....the taxes to fly from yyz to mco are usually higher than the full fare I pay out of Buffalo.

 

[cdnmickeylover]

All I meant was that Southwest is not just an internet only company. I'll buy though that it might be considered this by Canadian travel agents since they can't book it. If you book in the States though, a travel agent can book it for you. We can also book it by telephone not just on the internet.

Frankly because of the difference in price between flying from Pearson and Buffalo I don't really care if it's covered by TICO or not. I'm willing to take a risk that the most profitable airline in North America won't go bankrupt.

 

[alohamom]

That is strange about Canadian travel agents not being able to book Southwest. The first time I flew with them about 4 years ago, Florida Travel (an agency in Cambridge, Ontario) booked them for me. I didn't even know about Southwest until then, but the agent asked if I minded flying out of Buffalo to save $$$ and of course I said go fo it. It didn't take a genius to figure out how to book it yourself and the rest is history, been flying to MCO ever since on SW. As far as SW out of MCO, I would probably still be driving to Buffalo because it is the TAX that kills the prices of the tix! Especially when it is times the 4 of us.

 

[surfer_ed]

Landing fees at Pearson, Secuirty Taxes and NAVCan charges would put their price up to Air Canada's and beyond I am sure.

A few weeks ago I heard on the radio that Pearson is supposed to be the most expensive airport in the world.

 

[madonna31]

If they did, I think the Canadian taxes/fees would make their flights not much more attractive than WestJet's (pricewise anyway).

So true. It's not the Canadian airlines, but rather the taxes that kill us.

That is strange about Canadian travel agents not being able to book Southwest.

Oh a Canadian TA can book Southwest for you (provided that they know it exists), you are just not covered by TICO is all. However, if you get trip cancellation insurance, or pay with a credit card who offers insurance who cares about TICO?