WestJet’s chief executive says Canadians should find plenty of good travel deals this winter and on into summer. Speaking to Yahoo Finance Canada, CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said travel demand is resilient and that he expects a strong winter season. But he also said capacity is up and that there are more options for travellers. “There are markets that have seen strong pent-up demand that drove pricing, because there was an imbalance between supply and demand, the most prominent being on (transatlantic routes) over the summer,” von Hoensbroech said. Demand is now more in line with capacity, which has helped Read more
airline prices
It’s National Cheap Flight Day on Wednesday, Aug. 23, and a new study says airline prices are dropping in the U.S. and Canada. An analysis of CheapOair bookings data over the last two months shows that the average cost of a U.S. domestic airline ticket has dropped 25% since June 1st of this year, while U.S. international flight fares have decreased 24% for the same period. The numbers reveal similar trends for Canada, where average fares for domestic flights are down 17% since June 1, and international flight fares are down 21 percent. “And there is more to get excited Read more
Get ready for higher airline prices in Canada. Airline and travel industry experts say WestJet’s decision to wind down Sunwing Airlines over the next two years will mean more inflation for consumers. “It’s going to mean higher prices and worse service,” Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights, a Halifax-based advocacy organization, told the Globe and Mail. While WestJet’s decision to wind down Sunwing Airlines operations will almost certainly lead to higher prices, McGill University aviation expert John Gradek told that the Globe that that’s just one of several issues that Ottawa needs to address in the airline industry. “The Read more
Inflation worries are causing Canadians to cut back on travel, but Gen Z remains eager to get out there and explore. An Ipsos Reid poll conducted in mid-March for Global News found that 62% of Canadians say they’re scaling back their vacation plans this year. Sixty one per cent of respondents blamed “inflation and the economy” for their travel trimming. A full 24% of those surveyed said they can’t afford a summer vacation, and only 13% said they’ll spend more this year. “Canadians are going to be looking for cheaper alternatives,” said Ipsos VP Sean Simpson. One person interviewed said Read more
A report from Christopher Reynolds of Canadian Press lays out some startling information on the reduction of flight options for Canadians, and the increased cost. In a story that appeared in the Toronto Star, Reynolds wrote that prices on flights between Halifax and Montreal rose 69% after WestJet cancelled the route. He also noted that fares between Winnipeg and Regina umped 39% after Air Canada left the route for WestJet. Quoting the airline website Hopper, Reynolds said that, since 2019, roundtrip air fares for Canadians for trips to Europe have risen 32%, while those to the U.S. have gone Read more
