Flying in Canada sucks

[hunterfisher]

I simply can't get over the ridiculous cost of flying within Canada. I mean for my family to travel across the country is over 5 G"s on a rebate wicked awesome good deal; normally 7-8000. Wtf. I also hate when the holiday season rolls around the give these so called deals but wait you can't travel between blackout days. The other ****ty thing is that the price climbs dramatically during the holidays. Talk about taking its customers to the cleaners just like the gas companies do---at least that's what I hear.

Just ****ed as I ain't spending that kind of money on that when I can do an ally clumsier some where else for less.

[Austin]

Gas prices have lowered so you'd think flight costs would have too.... NOT.

[Okotokian]

I flew from Barcelona to Venice in September on Ryan Air. A touch over $100. 936 km by air. Try booking a flight that distance within Canada and see what you pay.

[doetracks]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I flew from Barcelona to Venice in September on Ryan Air. A touch over $100. 936 km by air. Try booking a flight that distance within Canada and see what you pay.

Ahh yes. ULTRA low frills. How much per square for toilet paper?

[Macdrizzle]

CEO of Westjet airlines came out with a statement that even though there is a decline in kerosene prices, other airline commodities are continuing to inflate, keeping the price constant. So I would not be expecting cheaper plane tickets.

[The Elkster]

One doesn't see the Canadian airlines making a killing relative to other industries so logic says it has as much to do with high costs of infrastructure relative to # of users. To compare us to places with far higher population densities and ridership is not an apples to apples comparison. Sucks but that's the cost of living in a low population density country. Expensive flights is a small price to pay to not be living in Europe or Asia or the US for that matter.

[220swifty]

This is why I will be driving to Yellowknife in March. Yay!

[hunterfisher]

Originally Posted by The Elkster

One doesn't see the Canadian airlines making a killing relative to other industries so logic says it has as much to do with high costs of infrastructure relative to # of users. To compare us to places with far higher population densities and ridership is not an apples to apples comparison. Sucks but that's the cost of living in a low population density country. Expensive flights is a small price to pay to not be living in Europe or Asia or the US for that matter.

Yes I agree. 7-8000 is a lot of money for a holiday trip for 2 adults and 2 kids. That seems a tad bit high don't ya think? I love living in low Density populated country but that's out to lunch. I REALLY hate the fact that the prices get raised around Christmas every year and that there's nlack out days in some of there offers. That's my biggest ****off; keep the prices the same or at least close to the same all year

Ps. Just noticed the ally clumsier remark on my OP. Lol. I meant all inclusive and that's not Mexico that's actually somewhere nice.

[recce43]

go to montana and fly out of there prices are alot cheaper

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by The Elkster

To compare us to places with far higher population densities and ridership is not an apples to apples comparison. .

Same number of people on an overbooked 737 regardless of country, no?

[Junglefisher]

You are just booking now?
Calgary (your stated location) to say, Charlottetown is normally about $500 each one way. Family of four, $4000 return. Long way from $8000.
To get to Toronto would only cost you around $2000 return.
Most $100 flights and the like actually make a loss for the airline. They are designed to either drive competition out of business or get new customers who will fly at the normal price.
Flighst here are very comparable to flights in countries with similar population densities.

[Junglefisher]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Same number of people on an overbooked 737 regardless of country, no?

The more flights an airport services, the less they need to charge per plane. The more flights an airline flies, the less it need to make per passenger. Airlines will even (shock!) make a loss on one flight knowing that many people will stay with them for connecting or future flights.

[crunchiespg]

Originally Posted by 260 Rem

The bottom line on your ticket cost includes the airport fee at both ends, taxes, etc ... which in some cases, can be over a third of the price you are charged. Places like Edm and Toronto are expensive because of all the "improvements" undertaken at those facilities. Short hauls are not cheap because the airport fees at both ends still apply.

Originally Posted by The Elkster

One doesn't see the Canadian airlines making a killing relative to other industries so logic says it has as much to do with high costs of infrastructure relative to # of users. To compare us to places with far higher population densities and ridership is not an apples to apples comparison. Sucks but that's the cost of living in a low population density country. Expensive flights is a small price to pay to not be living in Europe or Asia or the US for that matter.

explain to me then why I can and have flown recently FROM Calgary to Europe for $599 return. WITH a Canadian airline.
thats using the same infrastructure, flying over the same country. but if i want to go half the distance the flight would be double or more.

in fact in over 13 years of flying fairly often from Canada to Europe I have never paid more than $600, sometimes as low as $400.

a plane flying over an empty country costs no more than flying over a densely populated one.

i get the cell phone argument was somewhat valid, as building a tower that only covers 50 homes costs more than building one that covers 50,000 homes. but i agree the new costs are a joke.

but a plane is either flying full, or flying empty. the population that supplies the passengers is somewhat irrelevant. if 500 people want to fill a plane and land in a tiny town that costs no more than landing a full plane in a big city.

i think okotokian is right, in canada they have a monopoly and can charge what they like. but flying international they have to compete with other airlines that charge reasonable prices.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by crunchiespg

explain to me then why I can and have flown recently FROM Calgary to Europe for $599 return. WITH a Canadian airline.

Because they have to compete on those routes.

[wasteland.soldier]

Originally Posted by crunchiespg

explain to me then why I can and have flown recently FROM Calgary to Europe for $599 return. WITH a Canadian airline.
thats using the same infrastructure, flying over the same country. but if i want to go half the distance the flight would be double or more.

in fact in over 13 years of flying fairly often from Canada to Europe I have never paid more than $600, sometimes as low as $400.

a plane flying over an empty country costs no more than flying over a densely populated one.

i get the cell phone argument was somewhat valid, as building a tower that only covers 50 homes costs more than building one that covers 50,000 homes. but i agree the new costs are a joke.

but a plane is either flying full, or flying empty. the population that supplies the passengers is somewhat irrelevant. if 500 people want to fill a plane and land in a tiny town that costs no more than landing a full plane in a big city.

i think okotokian is right, in canada they have a monopoly and can charge what they like. but flying international they have to compete with other airlines that charge reasonable prices.

I don't have the time to research this right now, but I'm fairly sure that Canada charges something like a carbon tax on internal flights. They don't do this on flights to Europe because they can't charge European carriers the same without a trade war. Again I'm not sure, just going off some news articles I read a couple years ago.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by doetracks

Ahh yes. ULTRA low frills. How much per square for toilet paper?

You are right. They didn' give me the can of coke I normlly get on my thousand dollar Canadian flight.

[Wild&Free]

Try last minute from a northern regional airport to a major center. $2600 round trip for two from Smithers to Vancouver. hour and 15 minute flight, 70% occupancy on the plane.

buddy never forgets concert tickets anymore.

when grandpa passed in the mid 90s it was $5-6k IIRC, 4 of us from Smithers to Soo Ont. 1 week notice.

You're not getting hosed imo. flying isn't cheap unless you're going to Vegas or Mexico.

[260 Rem]

The bottom line on your ticket cost includes the airport fee at both ends, taxes, etc ... which in some cases, can be over a third of the price you are charged. Places like Edm and Toronto are expensive because of all the "improvements" undertaken at those facilities. Short hauls are not cheap because the airport fees at both ends still apply.