Flying from BUF vs YYZ for March Break 2018

[DawnCh]

We are headed to WDW and a cruise next March break. Tomorrow March 9th will open up for flights out of YYZ ... I'm trying to decide if I should jump on it and book a one way now and the one way back ... wait until the return is available to book everything at once.. OR go to Buffalo and fly Southwest ... I'm not sure what BUF prices normally are for March Break and with the exchange, will it be worth it??

Any insight .. advice .. recomendations would be super helpful!!

 

[SaraMc]

Southwest often has great prices out of BUF, We find that the early flight down and the last flight up are the least expensive every time we booked. We just booked our flights for this summer and got it for $73 each way however while a direct flight to BUf, we get back at midnight.
For us even with the exchange its far less and far less hassle to fly out of Buf. Ive found Pearson always overpriced. We make a adventure out of it, we usually park and fly and stay over at a hotel the night before.

 

[Disneylover99]

While I love SW and have found some excellent prices over the years, I have never had luck finding cheap flights over the March break.

 

[DawnCh]

I'm so worried flights will kill us! I'm assuming flights frOM Toronto will cost roughly $2000 for 4 ppl--- wondering if southwest will be much cheaper with exchange ... toronto is way more convenient lol

 

[dancin Disney style]

I almost always fly from BUF and have been for about 12 or so years. We have travelled for March break the last 3 years in a row. We have also done MB a few other years as well. We do not have to travel right on the weekends of the break so that helps a lot with airfare. We usually go from Wed and return on the Thurs or Fri. The most I have paid is $275 US and that was last year. That was actually a high fare because we added a day at the end and travelled home on the Friday. This past March I paid $79 for my flight south and $120 for my return flight. We always leave take the last flight of the night. Going south this allows us to leave home when school lets out in the afternoon and gives us a full day on the day we fly home.

This year with the exchange rate we paid $522 CAD for two flights. If I had booked a month earlier both our flights would have been $79 each. We were not planning to go this year so it was booked very late....as in early February. Other years I booked in August when the dates were released.

 

[DawnCh]

So what can I expect roughly for Southwest for a Friday to Friday flight ... morning there and afternoon back? You think about 300 or so USD?

 

[DawnCh]

I am checking March 9th out for 4 people and I'm looking at $1520 ONE WAY ... ouch

 

[mkmommy]

I always track XMAS rates to get an idea of what the March Break fares to get a feel for March. I would think $800-$1,000 per person is going to be the range from Toronto.

 

[DawnCh]

looks like it's going to be about $3000++ for 4 people .. boo ..well I guess I will now have to be patient for Southwest flights hah

 

[pigletto]

Like others mentioned, Southwest out of Buffalo will be cheaper on the off days, but if you want the peak days of the break, it will be high. They know we all flock to Florida and when our break is and it's priced accordingly.

 

[DawnCh]

I'm pretty much relegated to the peak times because my husband is a teacher ... I knew going in I would likely pay way more ... If southwest works out to less than 3000$ with exchange I'll take it as a win I guess!

 

[kuhltiffany]

We used to fly Southwest all the time when we lived within driving distance of Buffalo. To get the best rates though, you have to book the day they are released, I think I always had to do March Break the August before...

I'm in the process of booking our March Break next year, Westjet releases a day or two at a time. I just last night did our flight there ($1112 CAD for 4 of us, March 7, direct Ottawa to Orlando) and will book our flight back separately. March 9 should be available on Westjet very soon, keep checking daily.

We're cruising too, Fantasy leaving March 10.

 

[dancin Disney style]

So what can I expect roughly for Southwest for a Friday to Friday flight ... morning there and afternoon back? You think about 300 or so USD?

Expect it to be around $250 each way. It could also be higher, you just never know. Your best bet is to book as soon as the fares are released. For MB that will be sometime late August and usually in the 6-7am time frame but it could be a little later in the morning.

 

[darwinsrule]

Reading the posts to my DW (who is a teacher here in TO). The $2000 for 4 had us both laughing on the floor. We have done MB twice ('13 and '15). Have a cruise out of Fort Lauderdale booked for '18. For '13 we had RT for 4 on SW booked for $1600 USD. We ended up paying more for the return since we were at sea between Bermuda and Boston and couldn't get a decent internet connection. In '15 we had RT for all 4 for $1500. For MB there are no 'cheap' fares. Compared to YYZ in both cases the fares ended up getting close to 4k, and at that price there is no MB vacation (refuse to pay those fares). There is a reason we do the 2 hour drive to BUF.

By way of comparison, end of August '14, '15 and '16 we had RT for 4 to FLL and MCO (FLL in '14 and '15 and MCO in '16) for between $800 and $900 all in. Hell we are flying BUF to SEA for a cruise this August. RT for 4 BUF to SEA is $1500 USD. YYZ to SEA (or Vancouver for that matter) was going to be just under 4K.

 

[grantclaire]

Air Canada has had March Break flights out for a few weeks now. There were some flights out of Toronto for around 575.00 return, now jumped to around 650.00. WestJet has not released flights for mid March as yet. If you can book early with WJ you might grab some cheaper fares. The problem is they do not tell you they are releasing new dates! So you have to check every AM and be ready to book.

 

[grantclaire]

WestJet has released flights now up to March10 /18. The cheaper economy flights are sold out already. A one way fare on Sat Mar 10 is now over 700.00$ crazy prices!

 

[mkmommy]

American has some reasonable fares from Toronto to Florida for next March Break.

We are doing a combination Universal and then cruise from Miami, so I booked 2 one way flights. Toronto to Orlando (connection through Miami, which is good in case plans change and we just stay in Miami) for the Thursday afternoon $234 CAD taxes in and then the return is a direct flight from Miami on the Sunday for $250.

I was hoping to use my Westjet companion voucher, but I had a budget of $500 per person for flights and looking at what Westjet was coming in at I figured that was not going to happen.

I probably could have gotten less than $500 from Buffalo, but I don't think there are any direct flights from Miami to Buffalo. I have no problems with connections on the way down, but coming home a direct flight is so much nicer. Also AA lets you pick seats with no fee so that is a bonus, and for some reason the last 3 times I have flown AA I have only had to pay the baggage fee on the way back.

 

[grantclaire]

That is a good price, good work!

 

[darwinsrule]

American has some reasonable fares from Toronto to Florida for next March Break.
I probably could have gotten less than $500 from Buffalo, but I don't think there are any direct flights from Miami to Buffalo. I have no problems with connections on the way down, but coming home a direct flight is so much nicer. Also AA lets you pick seats with no fee so that is a bonus, and for some reason the last 3 times I have flown AA I have only had to pay the baggage fee on the way back.

You won't get direct to Miami. Fort Lauderdale yes. The transfer from Port of Miami to FLL isn't bad (30 - 40 min), but it is one more thing to deal with. Hell it would take us that long to get to YYZ from our house in Toronto. It is still a longer transfer than to Miami International. Both Jetblue and Southwest run direct flights down and back to FLL, the timing doesn't always work out however, and neither goes in to Miami. Our MB cruise is out of Fort Lauderdale (Independence OTS) so FLL works out perfectly.

After 2015 we will avoid a connection on the way down like the plague. Almost didn't make it down to Miami for our Wonder cruise during March Break. Did get to spend a wonderful (not) 8 hours at JFK however after our JFK to FLL flight was cancelled as we were boarding in BUF.

 

[DawnCh]

We used to fly Southwest all the time when we lived within driving distance of Buffalo. To get the best rates though, you have to book the day they are released, I think I always had to do March Break the August before...

I'm in the process of booking our March Break next year, Westjet releases a day or two at a time. I just last night did our flight there ($1112 CAD for 4 of us, March 7, direct Ottawa to Orlando) and will book our flight back separately. March 9 should be available on Westjet very soon, keep checking daily.

We're cruising too, Fantasy leaving March 10.

Are you talking March 2018? You booked flights already??