Edmonton to Vancouver - Looking for Cheap Flights!
Sep 11th, 2005, 12:42 PM
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Edmonton to Vancouver - Looking for Cheap Flights!
Now that we've moved our daughter to the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and my husband and I are experiencing the first pangs of "empty-nest-syndrome", we are looking into flying her home for Thanksgiving.
My shock at the prices hasn't yet worn off - so before I book - is anyone aware of a website that has better prices than the Air Canada and Westjet sites? Or any suggestions on how to secure better prices would be most appreciated!
Best regards,
My shock at the prices hasn't yet worn off - so before I book - is anyone aware of a website that has better prices than the Air Canada and Westjet sites? Or any suggestions on how to secure better prices would be most appreciated!
Best regards,
Sep 11th, 2005, 03:11 PM
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Hello Bowen,
I have just checked the Westjet website and see that they have $99 fares, one way, Edmonton to Vancouver, early in the morning on Saturday, Thanksgiving weekend. This appears to be the best rate, and knowing from experience that it can cost a lot more to fly Edmonton to Calgary, a much shorter route, this fare seems quite low to me. I had assumed that they would increase the rates because of the holiday weekend, and I do see that on the Friday their rates range from $99 to $217 one way.
Perhaps the way to go is to choose one of the $99 flights??. . . . just a thought.
When my son did the same thing as your daughter (only in reverse, he was living in Vancouver and coming home to Edmonton), I bought tickets far in advance (so purchase tickets for Christmas now
!!), and that seemed to keep the price down. In addition, flights at "inconvenient" times (very early in the morning etc.) seemed to have better fares.
Hope I've helped a little?? I was expecting that the rates would be much higher given what's going on with gas prices etc.
I have just checked the Westjet website and see that they have $99 fares, one way, Edmonton to Vancouver, early in the morning on Saturday, Thanksgiving weekend. This appears to be the best rate, and knowing from experience that it can cost a lot more to fly Edmonton to Calgary, a much shorter route, this fare seems quite low to me. I had assumed that they would increase the rates because of the holiday weekend, and I do see that on the Friday their rates range from $99 to $217 one way.
Perhaps the way to go is to choose one of the $99 flights??. . . . just a thought.
When my son did the same thing as your daughter (only in reverse, he was living in Vancouver and coming home to Edmonton), I bought tickets far in advance (so purchase tickets for Christmas now
!!), and that seemed to keep the price down. In addition, flights at "inconvenient" times (very early in the morning etc.) seemed to have better fares.Hope I've helped a little?? I was expecting that the rates would be much higher given what's going on with gas prices etc.
Sep 11th, 2005, 07:16 PM
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Hello again Borealis!
Many thanks for your suggestions!Although we would love to bring her home on the Friday and send her back as late as possible on the Monday, the cost of airfare was just too onerous, so we took your advice and booked her on the $99 flight home on the Saturday morning and, as well, (with her permission!) we are sending her back on a $99 flight early Tuesday morning. With your advice, we saved almost $200!!. We were so amazed at the high prices around holidays, that we also booked her flights for Christmas today -no seat sales, but in the long run, I think we will have saved some $!
By the way, we stayed at the Metterra while in Edmonton (one of your recommendations) and absolutely loved it! We stayed for four nights, so it was our home away from home! Thank you again, Borealis!!
Best regards,
Bowen
Many thanks for your suggestions!Although we would love to bring her home on the Friday and send her back as late as possible on the Monday, the cost of airfare was just too onerous, so we took your advice and booked her on the $99 flight home on the Saturday morning and, as well, (with her permission!) we are sending her back on a $99 flight early Tuesday morning. With your advice, we saved almost $200!!. We were so amazed at the high prices around holidays, that we also booked her flights for Christmas today -no seat sales, but in the long run, I think we will have saved some $!
By the way, we stayed at the Metterra while in Edmonton (one of your recommendations) and absolutely loved it! We stayed for four nights, so it was our home away from home! Thank you again, Borealis!!
Best regards,
Bowen
Sep 11th, 2005, 09:59 PM
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I'm so glad that my information was useful, and that you enjoyed your stay at Metterra. Too bad that the weather here in Edmonton hasn't been at its best this summer - usually late August and early September are a really lovely and pleasant (sunny and warm) time of the year.
By the way, I thought I'd share this story with you too (as a "it pays to check ahead" hint) -
When my son was coming home for Christmas, he called us to let us know he was on the way to the airport in Vancouver. We were surprised at how eager he was to "come home"; he called at 5 am to tell us he was ready to go to the airport for his 9 am flight (more about that later
).
He had planned to take a taxi downtown, and then to transfer to a shuttle bus near one of the hotels. But the taxi driver - must have been in a Christmas mood - not only arrived early, but convinced my son that he could drive him all the way to the airport for the same price as the shuttle bus. So my son agreed.
When he arrived at the airport two hours before his scheduled flight time, he was told that he had to hurry because his flight was leaving in five minutes!! So he ran, made his flight, and arrived in Edmonton an hour and a half early. It turned out that Air Canada had changed some of its flights.
My son was very lucky - the taxi driver was in a generous mood, and so got my son to the airport faster than the a bus would have. It would have been a real problem, at that late stage, two days before Christmas, to get him home had he missed his flight.
So it pays to check ahead, especially if tickets have been purchased several months before the travel date.
Oh - and the reason he was so eager to get home - it had nothing to do with us or "home", it turned out that he was in love
- and since then he married that beautiful young lady and we now have a wonderful daughter-in-law 
!!
By the way, I thought I'd share this story with you too (as a "it pays to check ahead" hint) -
When my son was coming home for Christmas, he called us to let us know he was on the way to the airport in Vancouver. We were surprised at how eager he was to "come home"; he called at 5 am to tell us he was ready to go to the airport for his 9 am flight (more about that later
). He had planned to take a taxi downtown, and then to transfer to a shuttle bus near one of the hotels. But the taxi driver - must have been in a Christmas mood - not only arrived early, but convinced my son that he could drive him all the way to the airport for the same price as the shuttle bus. So my son agreed.
When he arrived at the airport two hours before his scheduled flight time, he was told that he had to hurry because his flight was leaving in five minutes!! So he ran, made his flight, and arrived in Edmonton an hour and a half early. It turned out that Air Canada had changed some of its flights.
My son was very lucky - the taxi driver was in a generous mood, and so got my son to the airport faster than the a bus would have. It would have been a real problem, at that late stage, two days before Christmas, to get him home had he missed his flight.
So it pays to check ahead, especially if tickets have been purchased several months before the travel date.
Oh - and the reason he was so eager to get home - it had nothing to do with us or "home", it turned out that he was in love
- and since then he married that beautiful young lady and we now have a wonderful daughter-in-law !!
Sep 12th, 2005, 10:41 AM
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What a lovely story - I really believe that for all those elements to work in your son's favour (seems that his efforts to get home actually turned out better than his original plan), it wasn't luck - it was "karma" (for want of a better word)! Thanks for sharing.
We will, indeed, check the Westjet schedule prior to our daughter's departure ... maybe we can have her home sooner rather than later!!
Best regards,
Bowen
We will, indeed, check the Westjet schedule prior to our daughter's departure ... maybe we can have her home sooner rather than later!!
Best regards,
Bowen
Sep 12th, 2005, 03:43 PM
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Thank you for the information. It's very relevant to me, because my younger son left for Vancouver last night to start an internship for nearly a year.
It's just the job he hoped he would find, with a company that sounds great. And that's quite aside from the fact that he loves Vancouver anyway.
BUT he has left a serious girlfriend behind in Calgary, and her studies tie her to the University of Calgary for the time being.
So they're doing everything they can to find cheap airfares for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. Apparently they'll take it in turns to fly.
My husband and I have been looking forward to the phone not ringing all the time, opening the fridge door and finding -- surprise -- that there's food in it, and so on. Our siblings, who've been through this before us, have told us how much they looked forward to peace and order in their homes only to feel miserable (at least in the early stages) when the phone didn't ring, they opened the fridge door and found lots of food, etc.
Empty Nest Syndrome seems to be paradoxical. From everything I've heard, you feel sad about the things you thought you'd be glad about.
It's early days yet for my husband and me. All I can say is that it does give me a lump in my throat when I walk past my son's empty bedroom.
But at the end of the day I'm really happy for my son that he found a job he was enthusiastic about.
Well, that was a long way of saying I appreciate the flight booking strategies.
It's just the job he hoped he would find, with a company that sounds great. And that's quite aside from the fact that he loves Vancouver anyway.
BUT he has left a serious girlfriend behind in Calgary, and her studies tie her to the University of Calgary for the time being.
So they're doing everything they can to find cheap airfares for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. Apparently they'll take it in turns to fly.
My husband and I have been looking forward to the phone not ringing all the time, opening the fridge door and finding -- surprise -- that there's food in it, and so on. Our siblings, who've been through this before us, have told us how much they looked forward to peace and order in their homes only to feel miserable (at least in the early stages) when the phone didn't ring, they opened the fridge door and found lots of food, etc.
Empty Nest Syndrome seems to be paradoxical. From everything I've heard, you feel sad about the things you thought you'd be glad about.
It's early days yet for my husband and me. All I can say is that it does give me a lump in my throat when I walk past my son's empty bedroom.
But at the end of the day I'm really happy for my son that he found a job he was enthusiastic about.
Well, that was a long way of saying I appreciate the flight booking strategies.
Sep 12th, 2005, 09:16 PM
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Hi Judy - Oh!! that "empty nest syndrome" - it takes a while but then it's actually fun to have an adult son who is independent. Visits then become much more special. And the house stays cleaner longer !!
When my son started school in Vancouver, he packed all his personal stuff into his very small car (the smallest Chevy that there was), and drove from Edmonton. I can still see that little car packed to the top with all his worldly possessions, driving away from the house, and turning west as he left the crescent that we lived on.
I started crying and couldn't stop for two days. It wasn't that it was such a sad occasion, but once the tears started I couldn't "turn the tap off"!!
But it passed, especially once the phone calls started!! He called home all the time. When he left home he was confident that he could handle anything, but once in Vancouver he was constantly asking for our practical everyday-living advice. Plus he expected that we would call him every Sunday evening. Once, when we were out and got home late, we found a message from him complaining that "it hasn't been that long since I left home but you have aready forgotten about your only son"
!!!
It's been a few years since those days, and he is back in Edmonton now, but it was fun getting his weekly reports of "life on the we(s)t coast".
Chin up Judy - it just a new phase in your lives (and a much smaller grocery bill!!) - but your son will always be your son.
!!When my son started school in Vancouver, he packed all his personal stuff into his very small car (the smallest Chevy that there was), and drove from Edmonton. I can still see that little car packed to the top with all his worldly possessions, driving away from the house, and turning west as he left the crescent that we lived on.
I started crying and couldn't stop for two days. It wasn't that it was such a sad occasion, but once the tears started I couldn't "turn the tap off"!!
But it passed, especially once the phone calls started!! He called home all the time. When he left home he was confident that he could handle anything, but once in Vancouver he was constantly asking for our practical everyday-living advice. Plus he expected that we would call him every Sunday evening. Once, when we were out and got home late, we found a message from him complaining that "it hasn't been that long since I left home but you have aready forgotten about your only son"
!!!It's been a few years since those days, and he is back in Edmonton now, but it was fun getting his weekly reports of "life on the we(s)t coast".
Chin up Judy - it just a new phase in your lives (and a much smaller grocery bill!!) - but your son will always be your son.
