Canada Flight Advice?

[Pharoh]

Greetings,

I'm planning on visiting my spouse in Canada for Christmas. I haven't booked my flight yet, and they're currently in the $800 RT range (with layover, direct is $900+). I've never traveled during the Christmas time before. I know flight prices change daily, sometimes multiple times per day. Those of you who have traveled during this season, at this point, should I bite the bullet and buy whatever I can get, or is there any chance the airlines will lower prices closer to Christmas? They probably realize people will feel like they have no choice, so there's really no need for them to try and lower ticket prices to be competitive, but that's just my hunch. The fares I'm looking at cost the exact same (even to the dollar) through Orbitz, Expedia, Cheapoair, etc.

Please advise.

Thanks!

 

[RobsLuv]

I haven't flown in a long time but, when I was coming back and forth a lot, it seemed that prices hit their lowest point just about 3 weeks prior to your fly date. Also, Christmas Day seems always to be the cheapest day to fly over the Holidays because, by then, people normally want to already be where they're going.

Also, if you're flying in from the States, look for fares to US destinations close to the border and then drive into Canada, rather than flying directly into Canada . . . for example, if you're going to visit Ontario, fly into Buffalo and then drive over the border. We always found it was substantially more expensive to fly from the States directly to a Canadian destination.

Hope that helps, and Happy Holidays with your loved ones.

 

[HoneyBird]

my hubby has travelled twice to visit me for christmas and the prices kept going up and up and up. the good flights got booked up and he could not get direct, he could not get the time he wanted to come for and so on.so he bought the ticket. but here is what we did! he had enough miles to cover his trip to me and all he paid was his trip back. so it came up to 550 one way CAD instead of 900-1000 CAD two way. i dont think there is anyway you can escape it. the same happened when we went to europe. we barely had enough mney and we had to wait and wait to the last moment (last 3 days before intended flight) and we looked at the ticket prices for 2 months before and we saw how it rised but we did not have enough money until the very last! so i estimate by waiting we paid i think for three people instead of two! now you are probably wondering why not credit card, but it was maxed out from our wedding in May. and we had to go to his sisters wedding in june.

 

[Pharoh]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm visiting my spouse in Edmonton, Alberta, so I'm not sure where I could fly to domestically, to then drive up? My options would probably be Seattle, Spokane, or Billings, Montana. I believe from any of those places, it'd be at least another 10+ hour drive, and I already know the border people are going to give me a rough time. If they see me crossing the border in a rental car, that won't look shady at all. /sarcasm.

I don't have enough miles for a flight, and wish I could use what miles I have, to lower the cost. I don't think you can mix points with money, however, when it comes to rewards programs (specifically Aeroplan).

 

[chelley]

It'd be rare for pre-christmas flight prices to drop at this stage in the game... Flying on Xmas day will likely be your best bet to reduce costs... If that's not an option, I'd personally bite the bullet and take what I could get now because flights can sell out and leave one with even less (pricier) options...

Good luck!

 

[adzees]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm visiting my spouse in Edmonton, Alberta, so I'm not sure where I could fly to domestically, to then drive up? My options would probably be Seattle, Spokane, or Billings, Montana. I believe from any of those places, it'd be at least another 10+ hour drive, and I already know the border people are going to give me a rough time. If they see me crossing the border in a rental car, that won't look shady at all. /sarcasm.

I don't have enough miles for a flight, and wish I could use what miles I have, to lower the cost. I don't think you can mix points with money, however, when it comes to rewards programs (specifically Aeroplan).

Where are you flying from? and what dates are you looking for?

 

[Pharoh]

Where are you flying from? and what dates are you looking for?

Chicago - Dec 22 - Jan 4.

 

[heatherusa]

Chicago - Dec 22 - Jan 4.

I would try changing the dates you leave and come back to see if you can get a better price, but it is doubtful. I was looking for a flight from Edmonton to Grand Rapids Mi return and everything was showing 900-1200+. I changed my leaving date and found one for 585. Of course this is not over Christmas but leaving and returning before Christmas but it is worth looking in to.

 

[heatherusa]

Fly in to calgary... you can get a flight in to YYC for just over 500 through expedia

 

[robrod]

Those are premium travel dates.. same thing for me as I'm flying to Mexico City from Toronto, but mine was lower since I booked it 2 weeks ago... I'd say bite the bullet if you can afford it and take what they have now. Then again, price could drop but then again, price could go up or worse, sold-out flights as it seems to be the norm now that the airlines downsized planes and capacity to avoid losing more money...

 

[adzees]

http://i54.tinypic.com/mw9w9e.jpg

 

[Pharoh]

Hi all,

Thanks for your suggestions.

It's amazing, I found flights for $600 leaving at 6AM on December 23. They have one layover in Denver, but other than that, by switching from 8PM on 10/22 to 6AM on 10/23, I save $250... it makes no sense, but whatever.

 

[robrod]

Must be for the inconvenience of making people head to the airport around 3 am... good savings though, it always pays off to play with the dates and hours... I had a red-eye flight originally via Montreal but decided to bite the bullet and fly direct instead and on business class, astronomical fare it ended up being, so much for my original "savings"... I have our baby flying with me, so I'm sure she'd appreciate the extra-comfort...
Bon Voyage!.

 

[mmhughes]

As you probably know Christmas time is one of the most expensive times to travel. However, I don't know how important it is for you to be here by the 25th, but I have noticed that if you travel either on the 25th or the 26th of December the prices drop. They then rise again the beginning of January, but by mid-Jan they go back down again. I would check out Air Transat as they are the cheapest airline around for flight to and from Canada. http://www.airtransat.ca/en/Home.aspx

Bonne Chance!