MY 1st Calgary question......airfare
 

We will be going to Calgary at the end of MAY. This will be my 1st trip there. Before I book a flight, I am wondering what a good airfare might be. Is there a big difference between flying WEST JET or Air Canada. What is the best way to get a good airfare?

You will increase the odds of obtaining useful advise if you let us know where you are starting from! Comparison shopping is the best way to getting a good deal.

OOOOOOOOOOOOPS ..... We can leave from either Toronto or London, Ontario. Thanks for reminding me of an essential point.

I know that there are people with strong feelings on the WestJet vs Air Canada question. I would ignore such issues and concentrate on schedule and price. The two airlines certainly have a different style. WestJet crews are much younger than AC's and they like to tell silly jokes which are sometimes amusing and sometimes not. AC will offer you a meal for purchase. WJ has no meal service but they do give you a drink (juice/coffee) and small snack. AC will give you some aeroplan points if you are signed up with their frequent flyer plan. WJ will give you Air Miles. Neither should be the deciding factor.

Back to my original question.......what would be considered a "GOOD PRICE" for airfare to Calgary from either Toronto or London, Ontario? Thanks for your help with this.

Anyone........anyone at all....jump in!

I'm no guru at this, but you can go to websites like www.searstravel.ca and www.westjet.com and plug in different parameters. For example, you can enter a week day departure date and then a weekend departure date. Then you can try morning, afternoon and evening departure times. And so on. You can note if these changes make any difference to the fare.

I just did hypothetical enquiries at SEARSTravel.ca and WestJet for a May 4, 2004 Ontario departure and a May 14, 2004 return from Calgary. SEARS' cheapest offering was an Air Canada combination, out of Pearson, at C$480.52 (return fare, including taxes).

WestJet offered C$390.64 for the same route (also return fare, including taxes).

When it came to a London-Calgary flight, SEARS offered Air Canada flights for C$692.38 (same conditions as above).

WestJet offered C$491.22 for London-Calgary (same conditions).

From the above, it seems that WestJet out of Pearson might be your best bet. C$390.64 sounds like a pretty good fare to me, unless you're lucky and come across an amazing seat sale.

Go to the AIr Canada web site and the WestJet one. Based on your choices, you probably could also leave from Hamilton airport to Calgary, which is a direct (I think) Westjet flight.

Go to the web sites and see. You can book a trip up to the point where it asks for a credit card, and this will tell you the full price (the "list" price does not include taxes in Canada, eh?)

For example, Air Canada's "Tango" fare is $159 each way if you take very early (i.e. 7am) flights (and book early), but the full price round trip with taxes is $422. If you want to leave later, or book too late, the price could climb to $227, 273, 303, etc.

Another consideration--www.jetsgo.com. My husband and I got a great deal. For the two of us and taxes inclusive, we're going from Toronto to Calgary and back for just under $400. That's at the end of this month. May will probably be more as I believe the sale ends at the end of March but it's still worth checking out.

With those savings, you could easily arrange transportation from London to Toronto to make things that much easier.

Good luck.

I am NOT familiar with JetsGo. Is that the name of the airline carrier? Sounds like a deal.

Can anyone tell me about JETSGO??????

WhyNot - Have you looked at their website? It's just another new low-cost airline in Canada, modelled after Westjet, but is more concentrated on Eastern Canada (with flights to Western Canada and Florida).

I don't think there's really much else you need to know. :D