Flight Dilemma (Specific)

[IrisSphere]

Hello fellow Canadian DISers!

Just getting ready to book my flights to Orlando for end of August trip, and wanting to see your opinions (i know everything is personal, but if you have a POV, i'd love to hear it).

We live in Toronto. I am considering flying out from Buffalo - the tickets are $240 each (there are two of us). Just checked, and tickets with Air Canada from Toronto are $396 each. They are both direct flights, leaving at similar times. The only large difference is that we won't have to drive to Buffalo on friday afternoon with the second option.

The difference (including parking for a week) is only about $260. If you were in my place, would you just bite the bullet, and fly direct? Or take the savings with a little extra hassle?

Thanks in advance!

 

[3pletprincesses]

Wow you flight out TO is cheap is that really including taxes. If it is, I would bit the bullet and fly direct as suppose to have to drive across the border and then fly and this is coming from someone who drives 3 hours to catch a us flight to save money

 

[wdwmike59]

We usually fly out of Buffalo but the prices this year were just too high. With there being 5 of us this time, we would have needed two hotel rooms in Buffalo and the price difference in the flights just wasn't enough. Plus the non-stop flights on Southwest were already sold out long ago so we would have been changing planes as well. We got non-stop return flights for five on Aug 19th returning Aug 27th for $470 a person. Not too bad.

 

[stefanospops]

I would fly out of Toronto if it didn't mean I was saving a lot of money. We are flying to NYC to do a 5 Day Disney Cruise to Halifax and Saint John and it is actually cheaper for us to fly to Newark on Porter than it is to fly Jetblue from Buffalo. We live barely 10 minutes from the island airport and it will be our first time flying from there. We are looking forward to it!

Typically, we have been able to save as much as 50% by flying out of Buffalo and for 6 tickets (I bring the MIL too) that is a huge savings! BUt if I only saved $200-$300 I would fly from Toronto.

 

[KNovacovschi]

I would fly from Buffalo. We are a family of 3 and going in Oct. We are in Hamilton. I booked our trip about 3 mths ago & paid about $860 US round trip. I have been watching Air Canada/Tango prices and yes the flight prices are comparable but when it came to the end & all those other charges were added on it ended up being about $1500 approx, the taxes & stuff were around $400. It is your preference of course but I would highly recommend Buffalo.

 

[minnie56]

I would fly from Toronto..
Not enough of a difference to deal with a possibly backed up border and the haul there including factoring in the gas there and back!

JMO

 

[C&B Young]

Both Toronto (1 hr drive) and Buffalo (90 min drive) are accessible to us, and we have always opted to fly out of Toronto thus far. Like you, there's 2 of us and the overall savings from flying from Buffalo vs. Toronto never worked out to be more than $250 altogether. The hassle of doing a border crossing and less convenient flights haven't been worth the savings to us yet. Air Canada's baggage fees might be the tipping point for our next trip to WDW though.

 

[Stitch'sCousin]

Go with Toronto if the difference is that small.

 

[dontthrowsand]

Small difference in my opinion. I wouldn't want to drive back after a flight or vacation so I'd pick Toronto

 

[Cdn Mickey]

Hello fellow Canadian DISers!

Just getting ready to book my flights to Orlando for end of August trip, and wanting to see your opinions (i know everything is personal, but if you have a POV, i'd love to hear it).

We live in Toronto. I am considering flying out from Buffalo - the tickets are $240 each (there are two of us). Just checked, and tickets with Air Canada from Toronto are $396 each. They are both direct flights, leaving at similar times. The only large difference is that we won't have to drive to Buffalo on friday afternoon with the second option.

The difference (including parking for a week) is only about $260. If you were in my place, would you just bite the bullet, and fly direct? Or take the savings with a little extra hassle?

Thanks in advance!

We have thought about Buffalo too, but by the time we figure it out we choose Toronto.
We could fly out of Kitchener, to Chicago and down but again not worth hassle.
Connection times, stretch a 2 hour flight into 5-7 hours??
Do you have the baggage price added in?
I was told $50 round trip for 1 bag.
I would rather fly direct from Toronto, shorter return drive home!!
Why add another hour or more - depends on traffic or accidents

Have a great trip!!

 

[momtoamulan]

You figure, gas, wear and tear on the car...border crossings...could be the same amount in the end.

We picked Buffalo...it was cheaper for us (after taxes and parking etc.)...

 

[pigletto]

We always always fly out of Buffalo. It's actually closer to us, and a much smaller airport which I find more convenient. So far I have lucked out with prices for 5 Disney trips as well. We're non-stop for 5 of us this August for 1200. I watch carefully and book when I see a price I can live with. That's our bag fees included as well so it's a no brainer.
With such a small difference I suppose I would go with Toronto. Are you sure there aren't bag fees and that the parking is that small of a difference? Buffalo I have found is very cheap to park at for the week.

 

[My 2 princesses]

The cheapest I have flown out of TO was for $250 return and that was Sunwing. If money is not an issue then I would totally do TO. The only thing that might make me go to Buffalo in that case is the fact that I can shop at Buffalo as we normally don't rent a car so do all our shopping at Buffalo. That and if you are paying for baggage (which we are doing for the very first time) we will be shopping at Buffalo more than Orlando. And the big difference for DH would be that he can get cheap beer rather than a bottle while flying

 

[MedicGoofy]

I will echo the other posters that say, if money is NOT an issue, then just fly out of Toronto. If you are looking at trying to save some money, then come on down and fly out of Buffalo.

I don't fly out of Toronto. For many reasons. I am 40 min to Buffalo. Double that to Toronto. Gas in Canada is freaking ridiculous. Going into the US saves me a TON when I get gas. I can get a tank and save $30. I'll fill up on my way home. Saving me from having to fill up here (I don't ever anyway, but just a point). The cost of flying from Buffalo is always cheaper. I have never found cheaper flights from Toronto. And I can always find a direct flight. Which doesn't matter to me, but for some of those that I fly WITH, do care....not great fliers

As for crossing the border. It's not that big of a deal. I have never had an issue. If you know that you are going to fly out of Buffalo, cross at Rainbow. It's the easier crossing. And just drive from there. Very easy. Adjust your times. Go much earlier in the day if you can, and you won't have an issue crossing. I cross the rainbow weekly, if not more sometimes and even in the summer, it really isn't that bad. Do NOT attempt the Queenston/Lewiston and check the Peace Bridge status.

To me, the only hassle would be driving down here. It's a bit of a drive. BUT, if you want to save the money, then it's worth it. Come down early, do shopping at the Walden or outlets, get some CHEAP gas and then fly out.

Enjoy your upcoming trip!!

 

[mom_rules]

I would fly out of Toronto if it didn't mean I was saving a lot of money. We are flying to NYC to do a 5 Day Disney Cruise to Halifax and Saint John and it is actually cheaper for us to fly to Newark on Porter than it is to fly Jetblue from Buffalo. We live barely 10 minutes from the island airport and it will be our first time flying from there. We are looking forward to it!

Typically, we have been able to save as much as 50% by flying out of Buffalo and for 6 tickets (I bring the MIL too) that is a huge savings! BUt if I only saved $200-$300 I would fly from Toronto.

We did this cruise back in June-Yyz-Newark on Air Canada with their 50% sale was just over $200 for 2 of us all in. Sometimes you hit it lucky

 

[snowangel72]

We have flown out of Buffalo at least a dozen times now. I won't go though Toronto anymore The reason is that it's a domestic flight...so we don't have any hassles on either end at the airport. It's FAST. You board you get off. Done. No scanners, no immigration on both sides, can take as much food on the plane as you want, etc.

Air Canada from Toronto = no food allowed, bags have to be scanned in Toronto and in Orlando. Takes forever!!! Oh and you have to pay per bag on AC and bags are free on SW

 

[dsneygirl]

We always pick Buffalo. It is just so much smaller and easier. You have to be at Pearson 3 hours before your flight, Buffalo is about 90 min have you factored that into your time. We just prefer far less hassles. I would rather wait 10min at the border in my car for Customs at the Peace Bridge than standing 10 min in line carrying all my crap.

 

[busyshrew]

I'm another vote for Buffalo. I don't know why people make a fuss over the border crossing - when you go via Pearson you go through customs too.... Buffalo is smaller, fast on, fast off, (because it's a domestic flight so much much easier), nice airport that is very easy to navigate. Also, we fly out in Jan/Feb for our trips and we've found that Buffalo, being a new-ish northern airport, can handle any snow issues just as well as Toronto can! I also look forward to flying light (no extra fees), and then buying up a big load of groceries and Target items in Buffalo, filling up the trunk and driving home with the haul.

That being said, if you live in Toronto itself, I would imagine the extra drive time might be a pain.

 

[boundfordisney]

Buffalo gets my vote for all the above reasons! Toronto is way to stressfull, whereas Buffalo airport is so easy to navigate! Wish westjet out of hamilton had more flights to orlando cause if they did they would be my number 1 choice, We avoid flying out of Toronto as much as possible. A 250 dollar savings can be a fair amount of shopping or spent on a special treat like perhaps tickets to see la nouba, which by the way is awesome and a must see at least once, even little ones as young as 3 have sat through the show with not a peep out of them, they were in awe too! I happen to sit beside a family with 2 little ones the first time we went and was concerned when we sat down beside them that the kids would be to young to sit that long without fussing, I was wrong they loved it!

 

[Spoonful_Of_Sugar]

I would fly from Toronto, it could be a pain to get to Buffalo.