Canadian airlines sell tickets at record low prices
Is it worth using?
While there are still restrictions in several provinces, major Canadian airlines are advertising domestic flights, and at prices never seen before. Air Canada and WestJet are offering a 20% discount on base fares through the end of December, while low-cost carrier Flair Airlines has expanded destinations across Canada and added several cities.
You can fly from Toronto to Vancouver for $117 CAD, from Calgary to Toronto for $105 CAD, from Montreal to Halifax for $80 CAD and from Winnipeg to Calgary for less than $90 CAD.
"The provinces are setting opening dates and we're promoting our services because Canadians are already planning future travel," says Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick.
But experts warn that this generosity will not last long. According to Frederick Dimanche, director of Ryerson University's School of Hospitality and Tourism, prices are dropping for two reasons: to make a quick buck after the pandemic and to get Canadians to believe in renewed travel.
"The Canadian government is about to loosen travel restrictions ... it's important for airlines to take advantage of that," Dimanche says. — One way is to lower prices to increase demand."
He noted that so-called "price elasticity" is a traditional marketing strategy. According to Dimanche, as soon as demand starts to grow, prices will go up again. WestJet representatives confirmed to reporters that such discounts will not become the norm.
There are also risks in buying cheap tickets. For example, there is no guarantee that Canadians can travel freely. The Atlantic provinces still prohibit entry to most people from other regions, and those who are allowed to enter usually have to be on self-imposed isolation for 2 weeks.
If the restrictions have not yet been lifted for the date booked, you will have to reschedule or cancel your flight. Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat allow one-time free changes to flights booked before July 1. And Flair Airlines customers will have to pay a $25 CAD surcharge.
