If you’ve noticed air fares are more reasonable these days, you’re definitely onto something.
The latest StatsCan report states that consumers paid less for air transportation (21.1%) in September on a year-over-year basis. That coincides with a gradual increase in flights offered by airlines over the previous 12 months, the agency said.
Robert Kokonis, president and managing director at AirTrav Inc., told me that the StatsCan figures estimate the average change of airfares within Canada and between Canadian cities and international destinations.
“I am not surprised given the growth of seat capacity recovery over the past 12 months, particularly in domestic and international markets, though less so in the Canada-US transborder market,” he said. “In the domestic arena, the growth of seat capacity by most carriers, including the discount players along with the introduction of domestic jet service across Canada by Porter Airlines, had a significant impact.
“On international routes, owing to sharp passenger demand, carriers raced to build back existing routes and to add new routes. Despite this robust demand environment, in most markets, growth in seat capacity outpaced growth in demand,” Kokonis said.
“Looking ahead, I have some concern for weakening demand in many markets in November, though I am unsure if this weakness will carry forward into the key January to March sun market period. Quite likely it will be the state of consumer wallets that will dictate fare direction.”
William G. Morrison, professor of economics at Wilfred Laurier University in Ontario, told BNN Bloomberg that the steep decline is, indeed, due to a major increase in supply, as airlines “move closer toward pre-COVID passenger levels.”
The growth of low-cost airlines such as Flair and Lynx also have helped increase competition and keep a lid on prices, he said.
Travel + Leisure recently reported that fall fares into Oslo were down 40% compared to the peak summer months, while air ticket prices to Madrid were down 30% and tickets to Dublin down 25%. Other destinations that had seen price drops of 20% of more included Ibiza, Florence, Stockholm and Edinburgh.
I went online this morning (Oct. 18) and found Air Canada was selling one-way seats from YYZ to YVR for as little as $155 as part of a seat sale. WestJet was showing one-way seats between YYZ and MBJ from $243 mid-week in November.
ELEVEN OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE U.S. HOTELS
Got a free $1,900 CAD for a hotel room? How about $6,500? Yahoo this week put out a story listing what it said were the 10 most expensive U.S. hotels shown at hotels.com for the most popular destinations in the U.S. (I wouldn’t have narrowed it down that way, but there you go.)
Their report found that the most expensive hotel in the States right now is the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in southern California, with a nightly rate of $1,396 USD. That’s roughly $1,900 CAD.
I had the good fortune of staying a night there a year or so ago. It’s a stunning resort, and we had a beautiful room, but wowza, that’s a lot of money for one night.
Also high on the price-o-meter were Mandarin Oriental Boston ($1.077 USD per night), the Four Seasons New York City ($1,275) and the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel ($1,325).
The swimming pool at the Hotel Beverly Hills in California.
Just for fun, I went online today and looked for hotels at Expedia.com, and looked for some high-end properties.
Amangiri, a resort in the desert in Utah, has been hailed as one of the finest places to stay in the U.S. I went online today and found a room for tonight for two adults for, wait for it, $3,900 USD. That’s more than $5,300 CAD.
The website for the resort says it offers “panoramic views of the surrounding mesas which are particularly breathtaking at dusk.” It also says the Mesa View suite is 93m2 (1,000 sq.ft) and features private terraces and courtyards.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, but taxes and fees are extra. When I pretended to book a room, it showed the total is actually $4,790.64 USD, or about $6,550 CAD. But you do get free meals, and I bet they have one of those Belgian waffle makers at breakfast, and maybe those tiny packets of peanut butter.
Expedia was showing a room at the Ritz-Carlton New York City for the night of October 25 as going for $1,455 USD. A relative bargain.
CANADIANS WANT COOLER TRIPS, AND THEY INCREASINGLY TRUST A.I.
Canadian travellers are increasingly looking for cooler vacation spots to battle climate change. They also increasingly trust artificial intelligence to help make their holiday choices.
Perhaps the most unusual part of the report from Booking.com is that nearly three in ten Canadians (28%) make up stories about themselves when they travel.
To explore how travel will transport people out of autopilot and into unleashing their best life, Booking.com commissioned research among more than 27,000 travellers across 33 countries and territories, combining it with its insights as a leading digital travel platform to reveal seven predictions for travel in 2024.
The study found that 33% of Canadian travellers would trust A.I. to plan a trip for them, which I find interesting. As well, almost half (44%) of Canadian travellers will want insights and tips from A.I. when on vacation to upgrade experiences with suggested ancillaries and deals.
With climate change such a major topic last summer and heat all over Europe, 40% of Canadians said climate change will impact the way they plan their vacation in 2024.
Maybe the strangest part of the study to me is that 28% of Canadians say they make up stories about their real life when they meet people on vacation. Exaggerate, I can see. But making things up? Really? Who does that?
“Oh, yes, I’m actually a marine biologist. I consulted on the George Costanza/whale episode on Seinfeld.”
NEW GERMAIN HOTELS FOR CALGARY and OTTAWA
The Germain Alt Hotel in Ottawa.
Canadian hotelier Germain Hotels is pleased to announce the official opening of its 19th property in Canada: Alt Hotel Calgary University District.
This is the group’s third establishment in Calgary, following the opening of Le Germain Hotel Calgary in 2010 and Alt Hotel Calgary East Village in 2018, marking the hotelier group’s first property inauguration in Canada since 2019.
Further, Germain Hotels has announced the Alt Hotel Ottawa Airport will start construction in a few weeks. First announced in 2019, the project was halted due to the pandemic.
The new scaled-down version of the hotel will consist of 178 guest rooms, meeting rooms, and gym as well as a full-service restaurant. A pedway will connect the hotel directly to the airport terminal.
The hotel will be Germain Hotels’ third establishment in Ottawa and the third airport property for the chain, having terminal hotels at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
I’ve stayed at five or six Germain properties across Canada, and they’re all terrific; very stylish and comfortable.
