Flying from Canada is sooo expensive!

[Sue M]

I've been following fares from Vancouver to NYC for months now. Yuck. They are so high. $650 RT incl tax was the lowest I could find that fits my schedule. Cathay pacific was $615, but only red eye, and meant I'd have to take an extra day off work.

Fares not going down, in fact, they're going up So broke down today and booked.

I'm so used to flying out of Seattle to Florida -never over $350 RT and usually less. But can't take the time to fly out of Seattle this time. I always over night going & returning. Too much to fly from the east, then make the 3 hr drive in one day.

Thank for listening to my sob story I'm in sticker shock

I don't understand why it's double the cost to fly out of Canada. It can't all be taxes.

 

[Disney_Mama]

Just for fun I was pricing flights to Florida... Family of 4 to fly from Fredericton New Brunswick to Orlando $6599.76! Drive 4.5 hours South to Portland ME and the price is $1503.20!

What a crazy difference.

 

[phabric]

Air Canada has now add $10 (not sure the exact amount) for fuel charge to the bill making it even higher.

 

[dis_guy]

I used to get decent deals on my favourite United flights to MCO through the Air Canada website. The price is now $942 pp EACH WAY for those flights.

This problem of Canadians flying from US airports was in the news a few weeks ago. It seems that some airport expenses are federally funded in the US whereas in Canada it is a total "user pays all costs" model.

The Canadian airports affected sure whined up a storm about how many millions the were losing to the States. Like try competing, maybe!

I know I won't be going anywhere soon at these prices.

 

[dvcdisney]

Definitely agree....the prices are too high!

Sometimes I read posts on the Transportation board where posters are waiting for a seat sale and hoping to get $69/person RETURN! I would love that problem.......I know they are much closer that I am to their destination but come on!....I had a panick attack when I thought I would be too late to purchase the $600/person return seat sale (half of which is taxes) to orlando.

 

[aristocat65]

I've been following fares from Vancouver to NYC for months now. Yuck. They are so high. $650 RT incl tax was the lowest I could find that fits my schedule. Cathay pacific was $615, but only red eye, and meant I'd have to take an extra day off work.

Fares not going down, in fact, they're going up So broke down today and booked.

I'm so used to flying out of Seattle to Florida -never over $350 RT and usually less. But can't take the time to fly out of Seattle this time. I always over night going & returning. Too much to fly from the east, then make the 3 hr drive in one day.

Thank for listening to my sob story I'm in sticker shock

I don't understand why it's double the cost to fly out of Canada. It can't all be taxes.

That's too bad. Fares from Canada are so high. I would guess it is the lack of competition on the route. Did you at least book the Cathay? I have heard it is actually a pleasant experience in coach with good food and great service as it's the continuation of an international flight. The Redeye makes it tough though.

Our last experience flying out of YVR was so unpleasant too. The security experience was horrible and we have Nexus so we didn't have to wait in the customs line, but it still seemed like such an ordeal. The security just seemed so chaotic. Bellingham was so much easier (even if you do have to wait for your flight in a double-wide)

 

[c&m]

That's too bad. Fares from Canada are so high. I would guess it is the lack of competition on the route. Did you at least book the Cathay? I have heard it is actually a pleasant experience in coach with good food and great service as it's the continuation of an international flight. The Redeye makes it tough though.

Actually, I hope the OP didn't book with Cathay. This airline was fabulous up until a year ago. Then they had to go and change their seat types. I think they have changed the seats on all their planes by now. They are these plastic shelled seats that DO NOT recline. You slide down to give you the illusion you are reclining but you aren't really reclining. It's a painful configuration to your lower back. Then they made the seats more narrow. I'm not a big girl (actually very skinny and on the short side), and even I felt the pain. Cathay did this to increase the number of seats and rows on their planes; and to alleviate passenger complaints when people reclined, they created these awful "fake" reclining seats.

To get reviews of these new shell seats, go to airlinequality.com. Cathay started out getting rave reviews on everything; but notice that in the past year or so, they are getting panned.

I did get my taste of these shell seats myself on a flight last summer from YVR to HKG. Just nasty. I wished I had flown Air Canada. No more Cathay for us in the future.

 

[aristocat65]

Actually, I hope the OP didn't book with Cathay. This airline was fabulous up until a year ago. Then they had to go and change their seat types. I think they have changed the seats on all their planes by now. They are these plastic shelled seats that DO NOT recline. You slide down to give you the illusion you are reclining but you aren't really reclining. It's a painful configuration to your lower back. Then they made the seats more narrow. I'm not a big girl (actually very skinny and on the short side), and even I felt the pain. Cathay did this to increase the number of seats and rows on their planes; and to alleviate passenger complaints when people reclined, they created these awful "fake" reclining seats.

To get reviews of these new shell seats, go to airlinequality.com. Cathay started out getting rave reviews on everything; but notice that in the past year or so, they are getting panned.

I did get my taste of these shell seats myself on a flight last summer from YVR to HKG. Just nasty. I wished I had flown Air Canada. No more Cathay for us in the future.

Wow! Thanks for the warning. I was actually thinking of booking on Cathay to New York this summer as we might be taking a Canada/New England cruise out of NYC. I was going to use my Alaska miles. I think I better just book on Alaska, or see if I can scrape up enough Aeroplan Miles for AC.

 

[ariel68]

Rediculously high airfares is what prompted the four of us to take the extra few days to drive. The amount we will spend on fuel, extra nights of hotel, meals, etc wouldnt even cover the price of airfare for one of us and car rental for the week, plus we are saving enough on our airfare to just about cover the cost of our cruise

 

[Sue M]

C&M, & Aristocat- No I didn't book Cathay, and now glad I didn't. The red-eye would mean taking the Monday off work, where non-red eye means I can be home Sunday night for work Monday.

If I were to take Monday off, I'd be flying from Seattle
The cheaper Cathay flight would still in the end be more expensive as I'd have to take an extra day off work. I'm taking non paid leave, I work in a high school, so can't book holidays while school is in session.

That's too bad about those Cathay seats. Sounds horrible. too long a flight to sit in agony. Yuck.

 

[DaniB]

Rediculously high airfares is what prompted the four of us to take the extra few days to drive. The amount we will spend on fuel, extra nights of hotel, meals, etc wouldnt even cover the price of airfare for one of us and car rental for the week, plus we are saving enough on our airfare to just about cover the cost of our cruise

This will be us in a year or two.

Last year, our family of 4 out of Toronto would have cost us $1,800 to $2,100 depending on the airline. Out of Buffalo, we paid less than $700!

In 2012/2013, we'd like to take our kids back and let them have a friend each. If we really do this, then heck - there's no way we'll be flying! Even out of Bufffalo. We'll take 4 extra days to drive there & back.

 

[Sue M]

Too bad it's way to far to drive from the West Coast to WDW! But if we were to go to DL, I'd think about driving, if it's summer. I have summers off. But if it meant less time in Disney I'd fly. Out of Seattle of course

 

[Ted in Halifax]

My regular pattern is to drive 9 to 11 hours and fly from there. (Portland Maine, or Manchester NH). Saves me big money .... taxes and fees from Halifax can be a killer ....