We all remember the headlines from last summer: “Canadian airport chaos,” “A sea of lost bags,” and “Toronto Pearson ranked worst airport in world.”
I did a series of CBC radio interviews last Friday to talk about whether we’ll see a repeat of the 2022 Summer of Travel Chaos. Here’s what I had to say.
What do thing look like for the summer of 2023?
A crowded street in Bordeaux, France from 2017. JIM BYERS PHOTO
There appears to be tons of demand. Air Canada last Friday reported operating revenues for the first quarter of this year were nearly double 2022 numbers. A Mastercard report issued last Thursday found that leisure flight bookings in Canada were up 45.1% in the first three months of 2023 compared to the same time period in 2022. That’s a lot.
Most Canadian airports tell me expect this coming summer to be about same as last year in terms of passenger traffic. Internationally, Europe was VERY crowded last year. and Allianz travel insurance says visits to Europe could be up 55% this summer. Most travel restrictions in Asia have been lifted, so places like Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and mainland China are picking up a great deal.
We saw some long lines at airports last year, and over the holidays. What have airports learned and done to improve infrastructure?
Terminal One baggage claim, Toronto Pearson Airport. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Nobody wants to be labelled the worst airport in the world, which was a lot of people said about Pearson last year. They say they’ve heard customers very loud and very clear.
Over the past year, Pearson has hired 10,000 new employees; an increase of almost 22 per cent. Pearson also says it’s made technical advances in baggage handling and other areas.
Montreal Trudeau Airport officials say they’ll complete improvements to its baggage-handling systems and connecting passenger facilities in June.
Vancouver International says it’s worked with airlines to optimize schedules. They’re also reviewing each area of operations, including check in, baggage and passenger processing
I spoke with the head of the Canadian Airports Council last week, Monette Pasher, and she was pretty adamant that we won’t see the challenges we saw last summer. Pasher pointed out there are more Canadian security screeners and more airport workers in general this summer. Many of them were new hires last year and faced a steep learning curve. Now they have experience and are better able to handle potential issues, she said.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra’s office sent me a note to remind me that they aside $1.8 billion in the last federal budget to hire more airport security workers to improve wait times and boost security measures. They also imposed new data sharing rules for airports and airlines. And they said they’re bringing in new passenger protection laws in case things do go sideways.
Inflation has a lot of people watching their budgets, and low-cost travel is seeing a bit of a boom. What’s the latest in that space?
The new Clockwork Bar at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO
I see studies that Canadians worry a lot about inflation and that they plan to cut back on travel. But it may just be talk. Air Canada and WestJet both told me they expect a busy summer. Flair says 90% of their seats were occupied by paying customers in April. They’re launching flights to Dominican Republic this fall from Toronto, Ottawa and Kitchener-Waterloo Airport. Lynx, another ultra-low-cost airline, is growing. Canada Jetlines is adding more planes. Air prices are generally high. I looked last week and I think Canadian hotel prices also are increasing. Rooms in downtown Toronto in June were upwards of $400 when I checked the other day, and the Omni King Edward was showing a price of more than $1,100 for June 27 if you include taxes and fees. The Fairmont Royal York that day was listing rooms for $1,388 with fees and taxes. Air BnB and Vrbo are often a good deal cheaper than a hotel, and both are going strong. It’s partly due to increased rates, but the value of Air BnB bookings in 2022 was 66% higher than it was in 2019.
What do customers need to be thinking about when considering low-cost options?
Flair Airlines.
There are great deals out there. Flair Airlines last week was showing one-way tickets from Toronto to Vancouver $59 one-way Wednesday June 7. But it was $159 on Friday June 9.
Prices are often amazing, but with Flair you have to pay for any bag that doesn’t fit under the seat in front of you. An added carry-on bag costs $29 to $59. Your first checked bag costs $44 to $69. An overweight bag costs $99. Just phoning their call centre adds $15 to your bill.
If you’re taking a short trip you can probably get away with a bag that fits under the seat in front o you. It’s a little tricky for a longer trip unless you want to wash your socks and underwear in your hotel sink.
Bottom line: If you don’t need to buy too many add-on services such as extra bags, an ultra-low-cost airline like Flair can be a good deal. If you want to bring a larger carry-on bag on board and want to check a bag, you should compare the low-cost airlines with a mainstream carrier’s price.
Any other summer travel advice?
A local businessman brings in palm trees for the beach at Port Dover, Ontario every summer. JIM BYERS PHOTO
I’d suggest trying smaller cities or towns. In B.C., maybe try Port Renfrew or Sooke versus Tofino. In Ontario, check out areas along Lake Erie (such as the town of Port Dover) versus Muskoka. In Nova Scotia, try the Eastern Shore versus Lunenburg. Banff is lovely but a Best Western hotel room for a late June weekend was recently listed at $616 a night. Alberta’s stunning Waterton Lakes National Park, on the other hand, had rooms from $350 to $450. If you do want to visit a big Canadian city this summer, I’d try avoiding big festivals or major sporting events like a car race, as you’ll likely pay a big premium for a room.
