Tango - Canada's new lowcost airline:<BR>Edmonton to Montreal May 16-20 $750 w/taxes<BR>What is this garbage?<BR><BR>Air Canada - Canada's monopoly airline:<BR>Edmonton to New Orleans May 16-20 $900w/taxes<BR>A year ago I could have got this same flight for $700 w/taxes.<BR><BR>Can anybody afford to travel these days or am I just being cheap?<BR>Sorry, I'm just frustrated by the state of air travel in Canada today and wanted to get away for a few days for a brief semi-cheap vacation.<BR><BR><BR>

I'm w/ you Todd! But what to do? We have been trying to get flights to Ottawa from To. for Father's Day weekend & fares on AC and even Westjet are ridiculously high. We have also been trying to get to NS & encountered the same exorbitance. So I guess we will stay home.<BR>AC is trying to fool people w/ Jazz, Tango...silly names...and what was the other one???...but it isn't working. Lowcost? Ha! They shd. be charged under the Competition Act w/ false & misleading advertising!

I know what you mean! Everything is so expensive now. I planned on going to Hawaii next winter from Winnipeg. Not going due to the money exchange rate. Also the only airlines that fly from here are Air Canada and Northwest. Both are charging $1400 or more, plus all these new taxes. Crazy! My Mom booked with WestJet to Calgary for June, and luckily got a good deal. I sure think twice now, before plunking down my money.

What a relief that I'm not the only one feeling this way. I've spoken with 3 of my favourite local travel agents this week who are bemoaning the state of air travel and have warned me that's it's only going to get worse as the year goes on. They believe it's going to have a major impact on their businesses. I really want to go to New Orleans (the Alberta weather is some of the worst on record right now...not a bit of green anywhere and the forecast is for colder temperatures all week with the next 7 nights averaging minus 6C. I'm finding it very hard to take) but $900 is nothing short of ridiculous. It really is beginning to feel like we are trapped in this country, as if the Liberals want to keep us here and force us not to spend our hard earned dollars abroad. Is travel going to revert back to the 50's and 60's where only the really wealthy can afford to travel?<BR>(WHAA!)<BR>

Airfares really are crazy, not just in Canada. We tend to use our Aerogold Visa for all our purchases, for the points. Also seem to rack up a lot of Airmiles at Dominion, etc. so we usually end up with enough points to get our tickets that way. We had originally planned to fly to Halifax this summer and then rent a car. Now we've decided to drive from Toronto. I'm trying to save my aeroplan miles for a flight to Turkey next year - I dread what that would cost!

We have been flying out of Buffalo on Jet Blue to avoid paying higher prices out of T.O. Their fares are amazing and their staff are wonderful.

Living close to the US border, I have always tended to fly from Great Falls, Mt. rather than Calgary as it has been cheaper. But this year, I find to my surprise it is cheaper from Calgary to any destination that I have wanted to fly to (i.e., London, Eng., Kansas City). These are on American carriers granted. But it pays to shop around. To fly from Great Falls, Mt. to Kansas City was twice as much as from Calgary to Kansas City.

As an added note, you couldn't pay me to fly on Air Canada. The worst airline in terms of service that I have ever had the misfortune to fly on. God help you if you have a complaint. They just simply don't care.

We are flying to Halifax this summer and got a good deal on a flight through Canadian Affair, they are running charter flights from the UK to many canadian destinations this summer. Not much help for Todd I'm afraid but could be of help to others.

The Canadian government has practically made me a prisoner. Between the low dollar and the obscene taxes, I can't afford to go anywhere. I live in Toronro an can fly most places out of Buffalo for $200-240 less for my wife ans myself. The base fares are the same - the difference is tax.<BR><BR>As for Air Canada, I second the view that they are the worrst airline anywhere. Their employees are not only rude, but downright hostile most of the time. <BR><BR>This is what you get when you have a form of government that allows one party to be a totalitarian government for a long time. Unlike the US, public opinion has no effect on them. Americans don't know how fortunate they are to have a system where the person you elect to be your local representative has as his first obligation to look out for you ratherthan to tow the party lie, whatever it is.

I always try to support our Canadian Airlines, but this will give you an idea of why I am not this time.<BR><BR>Air Canada(partnered with Lufthansa) offers an economy ticket from Toronto to St. Petersburg, Russia for $1858.<BR><BR>British Airways offers the same economy ticket for $1238.<BR><BR>Enough said.

I'm adding my voice to the chorus. I flew to NYC on Air Canada from Toronto last month; there was no way to find a flight for less than about $600!! I ended up using some Air Miles points, which paid for everything but the taxes. Know how much the taxes were? $150! I used to pay that for the whole flight. Unbelievable.

<BR>I sure didn't expect this thread to pick up the way it did as I was initially just ranting my frustrations but this is great. I'm looking at the front page of yesterday's Globe and mail and see an Air Canada ad at the bottom annoncing <BR>'our new great introductory fare' <BR>for an Edmonton/Calgary to Amsterdam flight for what looked like a 'too-good-to-be-true' price of $549. Well, egads, it's a one way price so that makes it ONLY $1100 return plus, oh, at least $100 taxes. What a deal. Martinair is usually advertised for $800 plus taxes (a charter, I know, but a good reputation). This one-way price advertising is a scam and only verifies Air Canada as a two-bit company that will try any trick to entice customers.<BR><BR>Ark, I agree with you about felling like a prisoner. I live in Edmonton, a city that is pretty remote to start with, but with Air Canada continually pulling flights away from here AND raising prices and fuel surcharges along with the Liberals latest ludicrous security surcharge (why is it so much less in the USA - where the actual attacks occured?) Edmonton feels more remote than ever. I simply cannot afford to travel anymore unless I really break the bank. And I don't have a family or partner which would really make it difficult to leave at all.<BR>I really, really want to go to New Orleans just to get away. Today's the deadline for the ticket. But it is so hard to stomach the $900 price tag. It's obscene.<BR>And it's snowing today.<BR>Again.

I'm with all of you on this one. That "security" surcharge is the worst in my mind. Are they telling us that there was no security before we started paying for it? And are they going to be able to tell us what this money was spent on?<BR><BR>We live in Alberta but home is the east coast. We go home every year and the cost of the trip is unbelievable. We're seriously considering moving closer to home just so we don't have to spend a fortune getting there to see our families. <BR><BR>And the new Air Canada method of advertising their fares as one way is SO annoying. Who only goes one way on a trip? I don't know why they don't let the American carriers into Canada. Only competition is going to make this situation any better.<BR>

Todd, why not try Priceline? I booked a New Orleans-Vancouver roundtrip for this summer for less than USD200. The flights are on United.

<BR>JR,<BR>Unfortunatley the best cheap flight websites don't allow Canadian departures. I don't include Expedia as a 'cheap' flight site as it's really no different than a local travel agent and has more hassles. I've even looked into flying into Seattle and getting a separate flight from there but it's very expensive to fly there right now and will actually cost more. Oh well, complaining won't do anything so I've got to either shut up and pay for an expensive fare or just stay home and take a drive in the country. I appreciate your help anyway.<BR>Adios!

I just booked my flight to Toronto with Air Canada for $425 (inc. tax, etc.). The same dates with Tango would have cost me $445. ?????<BR><BR>By the way, the WestJet line at the airport was really long today!

Oh, don't forget to check the web fares on Air Canada's site. My same flight was $354 total which isn't too bad. You have to pay online though and I had a voucher to redeem so I couldn't book on the web.

I couldn't agree more! We live in s.w. Ontario so also can fly out of Buffalo or Detroit but that doesn't help when I want to visit my family in Calgary or Saskatoon. It is so frustrating! And although I would prefer to fly Westjet over Air Canada (or Tango), they too are becoming just as pricey!

Air Canada is a insult to this country. I hope you all fly Westjet whenever possible. I would love to see them continue to do well.