ManchesterMAN From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2003, 1192 posts, RR: 1 Posted (9 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 6515 times:
I'm trying to book a flight to Toronto in February from the UK (LON or MAN) and was amazed at how expensive it is compared with flights to US cities.
Given that Feb is a slack time of year I was expecting some good deals but the best I could find was £320 with United, while direct Air Canada wanted £360 of my money. I could actually fly with AC to washington via Toronto for £330 so I'm a bit confused!
Anyway, my question is why is it so expensive to fly to Toronto when I can fly to the likes of Washington, New York, Chicago and Boston (all similar distances) for around £200? Is it something to do with higher airport charges in Canada or some other reason?
Airbus Lover From Malaysia, joined Apr 2000, 3248 posts, RR: 10 Reply 1, posted (9 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 6496 times:
I know for sure that flights out of Canada is always more expensive than the US and I think it has something to do with the crazy taxes, government imposed charges, facilities charged like NAVCAN etc.
Angelairways From United Kingdom, joined Nov 1999, 500 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (9 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 6440 times:
and also because on the US routes like JFK there are 4 competing carriers: BA, Virgin, United, and American. On the YYZ route there is just BA and AC, and therefore they can afford higher fares because they have agreed 50/50 capacity sharing and there is less scope for competition.
Olympus69 From Canada, joined Jun 2002, 1737 posts, RR: 8 Reply 4, posted (9 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day ago) and read 6337 times:
Just for fun I checked fares on Expedia.ca. I did it for a return flight from Toronto to London (LHR) arbitrarily using Feb 3 as my departure date, returning on Feb 24. The lowest fare I came up with was C$645 with BMI (code sharing with Air Canada). This included all fees and taxes. I think it works out to about £290. Air Canada's fare was $6 more on the same flights. Starting from London I couldn't even find any fares as low as those you quoted.
You'd get better deals with charter flights, but I don't think there are any in February.
Yyz717 From Canada, joined Sep 2001, 15989 posts, RR: 59 Reply 5, posted (9 years 6 months 2 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 6257 times:
Suggest you try a charter from LGW to YYZ. TS has winter charters (perhaps only 1 or 2 per week). They will be the cheapest.
If you can hold off your travel until May, the summer charter series will start along with alot of capacity and low fares.
AC & BA also offer seat sales in the slow winter season.....they often do not advertise them until the xmas period effective for travel from mid-Jan onward.
Panam, TWA, Ansett, Eastern.......AC next? Might be good for Canada.
ManchesterMAN From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2003, 1192 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (9 years 6 months 2 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 6132 times:
Thanks for the replies - I will hold fire before booking. Thought about the charter carriers then thought again . Are the likes of Air Transat as bad as their UK counterparts for long haul i.e. cramped?
Cessnapimp From Canada, joined Oct 2001, 1320 posts, RR: 23 Reply 8, posted (9 years 6 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 6065 times:
I don't think that TS is as cramped as Air2000. TS offers a very nice product which I find is on the "upper" scale of charters. Mind you, it's still a charter, so the "usual rules" still apply. And you stand a chance to fly on 1011-5. The product is good, interiors usually well groomed and the cabin staff very professional and willing, from my experience.
Captaink From Mexico, joined May 2001, 5093 posts, RR: 13 Reply 9, posted (9 years 6 months 2 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 5984 times:
We do the ground handling for TS here in Grenada.. I must say i am impressed with it as a charter airline. They are pretty organized. Their aircrafts are configured and looks quite like a typical airline config. THe upper/premium cabin isnt too bad either.
What I must say is most suprising is how well their old L1011 are kept. The interior is spanking..
I don't think you would be too dissappointed with TS.. Go for it.. As Cessnapimp said, it is still a charter.
SafeFlyer From Canada, joined Jan 2001, 621 posts, RR: 5 Reply 10, posted (9 years 6 months 2 weeks ago) and read 5865 times:
I can only second what Cessnapimp and Captaink said, Air Transat is a very professional charter airline with a product closer to a major scheduled carrier such as AC than many of their charter competitors. The L1011-500 are extremely well-preserved and the A/C are always sparkling clean. Great crews too. Definitely a good choice If you don't mind having a little less space though I don't think they're as bad as their UK counterparts like Cessnapimp said. But still, like everybody else said, it's a charter so you have to pay for seat selection for instance, something that would be free on AC, don't know for BA.
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From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2003, 1192 posts, 
From Malaysia, joined Apr 2000, 3248 posts, 
From Canada, joined Jun 2003, 2120 posts, 
. Are the likes of Air Transat as bad as their UK counterparts for long haul i.e. cramped?
From Mexico, joined May 2001, 5093 posts, 
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