# Airfare shopping for Canadians?



## jesuis1837 (May 30, 2006)

Need help from my fellow Canadians mate!   

Our friends from USA have tons of discount when it is time to fly by plane but what about us?  When i wanna fly to US soil or to the caraibbean all i find, as Canadian, is discount with expedia.ca but that's it!    What are you guys using as website to get the best price on airfare to US? It is fun to drive but sometimes i wish i could use the plane... 

If there is other Canadians who have an answer for me...


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## BarCol (May 30, 2006)

Well since you're from Nunavit, that's may be your greatest chellenge - to get to one of the major hubs to fly out of at a decent price... And you're correct - we get nailed on airfare (that and right now airfares and really high anywhere) or more specifically the taxes..(don't get me started..) 

So assuming that you can get to Toronto (my most familiar since I live nearby) Winnipeg (maybe, but I haven't checked) Calgary (which has US carriers) or Vancouver...I'd try:

www.cheapticketscanada.com  scroll down the page to the Charter flights - which is handsdown the cheapest way to get to a sun destination, IMO - then you can either buy from them or go to your firendly local travel agent and tell them what flights you have found and want (my personal favourite way of doing most flights) 

then try Alaska Air - they have some pretty decent deals and fly into Calgary and Vancouver
America West a USAirways company, but I find better deals on their site than US Air
WestJet - even though Canadian, I think they're pretty good
Signature vacations for air only - but their carrier - mostly SkyService (byt some WestJet on charter service - depends on destination) will show up under www.cheapticketscanada.com

Then from US airports like Seattle, Buffalo etc - you can try
www.flysouthwest.com
Airtran http://www.airtran.com/Home.aspx
Jet Blue http://www.jetblue.com/
SunWing (??)

Must be a few more - but they escape me right now - try Googling "Low Cost Air carriers and US"  and see what pops up and where..


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## jesuis1837 (May 30, 2006)

I'm in Nunavik only for work as my homebase is Montreal....  

I got a tip at Timeshare forum for www.mobissimo.com  and it looks great!  

Will take a look at your link!


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## discodan (May 31, 2006)

I live in Montreal. I either drive to Burlington, VT (BTV) and fly JETBLUE (www.jetblue.com) or drive to Albany, NY (ALB) and fly SOUTHWEST (www.southwest.com). Flying out from Canada is way too expensive with all the taxes! I can't wait for PLATTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT to open (www.montrealairport-us.com). DAN


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## jesuis1837 (May 31, 2006)

discodan, i didnt know about Plattsburgh int airport!  That is so great!!!!


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## Detailor (May 31, 2006)

Try www.itravel2000.com. This is a Canadian travel site that's similar to Travelocity or Orbitz that you can compare cost and schedule for flights from Canadian cities.

Dick Taylor


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## jesuis1837 (May 31, 2006)

Thank you all for your help! TUG ROCK!  :whoopie: 

Now i am having lots of great sites to look for when shopping for plane tickets!


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## discodan (May 31, 2006)

*Travel Newsletters for Canadians*

You can also sign up for these 2 newsletters with canadian specials: www.travelzoo.ca and www.traveloffers.ca . DAN


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## Paula (May 31, 2006)

jesuis1837 said:
			
		

> Need help from my fellow Canadians mate!
> 
> Our friends from USA have tons of discount when it is time to fly by plane but what about us?  When i wanna fly to US soil or to the caraibbean all i find, as Canadian, is discount with expedia.ca but that's it!    What are you guys using as website to get the best price on airfare to US? It is fun to drive but sometimes i wish i could use the plane...
> 
> If there is other Canadians who have an answer for me...



Hi, we live in Vancouver and have just paid $895.00 return Can. for next Feb. mind you we go for 2 months, so the cost is a little more if going over 30 days. We use a companion ticket which amounts to $171.00 Can. so you add those to up and divide by 2 comes to approximately 533.00 each ticket. Those companion tickets are wonderful, wouldn't be without them and travel to PV twice a year and use them and save lots of money. Tickets have gone up from Vancouver at least $200.00 from last year. Last year we paid $675.00Can, now this year $895.00 Can. Prices and deals are much better in the States, but this May we didn't even bother to drive to Palm Desert as the gas and the overnight stops were so expensive. Good luck, hope you find a really good price.


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## Elli (May 31, 2006)

Paula, is the companion ticket with Alaska Airlines?  About a month ago I booked Puerto Vallarta with itravel2000, on Alaska Airlines, and got a really good deal, even Alaska couldn't match the fare.  Now, of course, it has gone up again.


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## BarCol (May 31, 2006)

Jesuis: My apologies on your location...I could say I'm geographically challenged - but as an urban planner that clearly doesn't cut it. Or I could just put it down as yet another eample of why I should sped more time READING and less time typing


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## jesuis1837 (May 31, 2006)

No need to apologize Barcol    To help you out, Nunavik is just besides Nunavut of the eastern side. It is the Northest part of Quebec, i am besides the Ungava bay. In few years, it will become officially NUNAVIK territory as Inuit people here wants to be independant and wants to have their own government and politics as their Inuits relatives from Nunavut currently have. I'm teaching here for 3 years now (next year fourth and last!) and it is a very good experience!   About how far up north i am, let's say we are still in the snow and the river is still frozen....


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## BarCol (May 31, 2006)

Yikes...snow and ice still, but then it's only the end of May...meanwhile we in the south have reluctantly put on the AC units because of a heat wave.....aren't Canadians great..we never seem to be happy about the weather :whoopie:


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## Paula (May 31, 2006)

Elli said:
			
		

> Paula, is the companion ticket with Alaska Airlines?  About a month ago I booked Puerto Vallarta with itravel2000, on Alaska Airlines, and got a really good deal, even Alaska couldn't match the fare.  Now, of course, it has gone up again.



Hi Elli: Yes, our two companion tickets are with Alaska Plat. Canada. Thank goodness we have them as they certainly help us now the fares are so high. I will give that site to my friends I didn't know about it and will research it for next Feb. for family.


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## Paula (May 31, 2006)

Elli said:
			
		

> Paula, is the companion ticket with Alaska Airlines?  About a month ago I booked Puerto Vallarta with itravel2000, on Alaska Airlines, and got a really good deal, even Alaska couldn't match the fare.  Now, of course, it has gone up again.



Hi again Elli: This is the message from itravel2000

 We’re sorry!

But there are no flights available for the dates you specified. We invite you to please try again by selecting alternative dates.

OH WELL I TRIED, I guess that is a very busy time Feb-March each year. Will keep checking, thanks for the info. Would like to have seen the cost though and how they compare to Alaska.


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## Strong1 (May 31, 2006)

Hi,

I also drive to a US city to fly most of the time.  It just ends up being much cheaper.  If it was only $50-$100 I would probably fly "Canadian" but it's such a huge difference it's hard to justify.

For US flights I always check SideStep first http://www.sidestep.com/air/
I find SideStep and Orbitz usually return the cheapest fares

For Canadian flights try Flight Centre http://www.flightcentre.ca/
Ticketpilot is another option http://www.ticketpilot.ca/tp2006/servlet/home

Don't forget to check the charter airlines like Sunquest, Nolitours, and Sunwing - whichever operate out of your city.


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