Can anyone explain to me how Air Canada prices flights

[Flames9_RN 359]

Best to book now then!! or is it?? One just never knows when its the best tiem to purchase tickets!! 1 website I read said the best time was late on a Tuesday night??

here is a site never used it: http://www.farecast.com/ supposedly it tells u to buy or wait!

couple other good search engines--they search most of the major airlines and other search engines all at once:

http://www.mobissimo.com/search_airfare.php

http://www.mobissimo.com/search_airfare.php

[rae_and_scott 1]

I actually agree with you, I personally like Air Canada. I fly frequently between Toronto and NYC and the service on Air Canada is hands down the best. All of my flights are sold out and we have still left resonably on time and were kept updated at all times. The flight attendants are very very nice. I also like American Airlines, but the quality is just not the same. If we left late, we were not kept updated, the places are much older/dirtier and the flight attendants are just okay.

Air Canada actually has seat sales all the time and I have never paid over $290 for a flight to NYC, which is amazing. You just have to do your research. American Airlines has been around $310 for the same weekends now for awhile. I've been dating my bf for almost 5 years now and when I first started flying years ago the cheap flights were $275, so they've only raised their prices to $15. You can't beat that.

I also really respect them as an employer. They don't underpay their flight attendants like most airlines do. All the flight attendants I know who started working for a NON Air Canada airlines make under 30,000/year, which is atrocious!! Air Canada pays over that to start.

Wow... I think I must be doing something wrong then. I too have been doing the back and forth Toronto - NYC for over 5 years, and I'd say for the past 2 I've found it impossible to get a ticket for under $300. And I thought I was really good at finding the right fare... I check the sites constantly, all of them, and compare. Maybe it's because we are restricted to certain times with our work schedules. Well, I take that back, we also get Continental's special last minute fare pretty often which is only $160RT (do you know about that? I would guess you must...), but for any visits we've wanted to plan more than 4 days in advance we always end up paying so much.

Prices were so much better when SARS was around! I know that's a messed up thing to say but it was great!

I have also flown American a lot b/c they often have the best price, but I agree AC is much nicer than most if not all of the US carriers.

I do have to b!tch about AC's Montreal-NYC fares though. They are around $400! Montreal is not that far from NY!

Edited April 7, 2008 by rae_and_scott

[Krikit 1,165]

Where are you flying from? 9 times out of 10 it is far cheaper to fly out of and into a regional airport than a major airport. It is also cheaper to fly out of an American border airport if you are close enough to one.

[SapphireDreams 71]

I actually agree with you, I personally like Air Canada. I fly frequently between Toronto and NYC and the service on Air Canada is hands down the best. All of my flights are sold out and we have still left resonably on time and were kept updated at all times. The flight attendants are very very nice. I also like American Airlines, but the quality is just not the same. If we left late, we were not kept updated, the places are much older/dirtier and the flight attendants are just okay.

Air Canada actually has seat sales all the time and I have never paid over $290 for a flight to NYC, which is amazing. You just have to do your research. American Airlines has been around $310 for the same weekends now for awhile. I've been dating my bf for almost 5 years now and when I first started flying years ago the cheap flights were $275, so they've only raised their prices to $15. You can't beat that.

I also really respect them as an employer. They don't underpay their flight attendants like most airlines do. All the flight attendants I know who started working for a NON Air Canada airlines make under 30,000/year, which is atrocious!! Air Canada pays over that to start.

Wow... I think I must be doing something wrong then. I too have been doing the back and forth Toronto - NYC for over 5 years, and I'd say for the past 2 I've found it impossible to get a ticket for under $300. And I thought I was really good at finding the right fare... I check the sites constantly, all of them, and compare. Maybe it's because we are restricted to certain times with our work schedules. Well, I take that back, we also get Continental's special last minute fare pretty often which is only $160RT (do you know about that? I would guess you must...), but for any visits we've wanted to plan more than 4 days in advance we always end up paying so much.

Prices were so much better when SARS was around! I know that's a messed up thing to say but it was great!

I have also flown American a lot b/c they often have the best price, but I agree AC is much nicer than most if not all of the US carriers.

I do have to b!tch about AC's Montreal-NYC fares though. They are around $400! Montreal is not that far from NY!

I do not know about the Continental last minute fare, that is a sweet deal!! Is it direct? Does it go to LGA/JFK/Newark?? Tell me more!!

Yeah I've found the last 2 years pretty brutal in terms of Toronto-NYC flights, but lately we've just been soooo lucky!! Although I think our luck is changing because I can't find any good flights for May or June right now!

There have been a few flights in the past I've bought that were around $325-$350, but we only bought those because we wanted a specific weekend. The other day I checked Air Canada and a flight was $255 and I'm kicking myself for not getting it because now its like $500. it was for the Victoria Day long weekend too!! I haven't seen a flight that low ever I don't think.

JetsGo really ruined it for us Toronto-NYC people, before they went out of business you could get a return for like $200 so I heard.

I wish I could try Porter, but getting picked up at Newark is such a pain because my bf lives in Queens. I guess I could always just take a car service if the price was right.

Anyways, I'll let you know if I see any cheap flights!!

[SapphireDreams 71]

Where are you flying from? 9 times out of 10 it is far cheaper to fly out of and into a regional airport than a major airport. It is also cheaper to fly out of an American border airport if you are close enough to one.

Yeah flying from Buffalo is very cheap, but I work in downtown Toronto and don't have a car, so its impossible for weekend visits. I do use it when I can get a ride there. I can usually get 1 way tickets for like $80.

I will be SO happy when I'm not spending hundreds of dollars on plane tickets every month. Considering we haven't filed yet I guess I should be patient

[Krikit 1,165]

Check this link for Southwest fares in May. Buffalo to NY Long Island. $65 each way. The cost savings may offset any expenses you incur from a little extra travel to and from the airports.

Edited April 7, 2008 by Krikit

[Krikit 1,165]

Yeah flying from Buffalo is very cheap, but I work in downtown Toronto and don't have a car, so its impossible for weekend visits. I do use it when I can get a ride there. I can usually get 1 way tickets for like $80.

I will be SO happy when I'm not spending hundreds of dollars on plane tickets every month. Considering we haven't filed yet I guess I should be patient

Oops. Looks like I was writing while you were posting. Yeah, if you don't have transportation it really impacts your options.

[rae_and_scott 1]

Anyways, I'll let you know if I see any cheap flights!!

Please do! I'll try to return the favor.

The Continental special come out every Tuesday on Continental's site and sometimes you can find them on Travelocity as early as Monday afternoon. There isn't always a NY-TO one, but very often there is. I've seen them post it weekend after weekend at times. Right now I haven't seen one in a few weeks though.

It is unfortunately out of Newark, but yes it's direct. But you know for $160RT it's worth it. Though I don't recommend using a car service; I live in Brooklyn and the one time I did that it cost me like $80. So we used to never ever fly Newark but we've gotten used to it; taking the train into Penn Station from EWR is an extra $15 each way, but again, worth it for such a cheap fare if you can fit it into your schedule. We always meet up at Penn so only one of us has to deal with that train fare.

It is also only for the NYer to go to TO, not both ways, for some retarded reason. It's for a Saturday departure (that Sat. after the fares are published on Tues), returning on Monday or Tuesday.

JetsGo really does suck. At the time they went out of business, I was living in TO with my bf, and we had a trip to NY planned, and they screwed us. We ended up driving, but the driving time really cut into our visit. I was so mad about that! And yeah, we may try Porter, or we may not if we get our interview date soon! haha

I will be SO happy when I'm not spending hundreds of dollars on plane tickets every month. Considering we haven't filed yet I guess I should be patient

Oh my gosh me too!!! I can't wait for the day my SO and I get on a plane together. In all these years, we never have.

[rae_and_scott 1]

Oh and also, just to be specific:

go to www.continental.com

hover over "deals & offers" in the top blue tab

and click on "continental.com Specials"

then you pick Newark and see what they have for that weekend.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Yeah flying from Buffalo is very cheap, but I work in downtown Toronto and don't have a car, so its impossible for weekend visits. I do use it when I can get a ride there. I can usually get 1 way tickets for like $80.

I will be SO happy when I'm not spending hundreds of dollars on plane tickets every month. Considering we haven't filed yet I guess I should be patient

Oops. Looks like I was writing while you were posting. Yeah, if you don't have transportation it really impacts your options.

Maybe not as much as you might think. TTC to Greyhound/Coach Canada terminal on Bay St (~$3). Greyhound to Buffalo (~$25), take the Genesee 24 to the airport (~$2) and then you fly out of Cheektowaga (Buffalo International). It is a bit of a pain but if you leave a bit early on Friday afternoon, you could get a late flight out of Buffalo. Obviously a ride to Buffalo is easier but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

[SapphireDreams 71]

^^ I used to take the Greyhound to visit my bf upstate when he went to school in Binghamton and I wouldn't do it ever again. I had some horrible experiences AND the wait at the border is outrageous. I HATE having to sit there for like an hour waiting to get out and then go through customs. I'd rather pay an extra $100 and fly from Pearson. Back in my University days, when I was poor and had more time I didn't mind, but now time is money. I still leave work at 3:30 p.m. to catch a 6:15 p.m. flight to La Guardia and I get there at around 9-10 usually with delays. If I went to Buffalo, I would probably have to leave at noon and take another 1/2 day off.

Don't get me wrong, I love being with my SO, but when you are in a long distance relationship for over 5 years, it becomes exhausting to travel to the airport. I don't even check my bag anymore because I can't stand waiting in line for an extra 10 minutes to check in OR wait at the belt for like 20 minutes after the flight.

Another trick is that he picks me up in the departures area at La Guardia so he can bypass all the traffic and people loading in arrivals!!

My last flight I got to La Guardia at about 5:30 a.m. and was in my office in downtown Toronto at 8:45 a.m. It always impresses my co-workers

Which is why I'm OBSESSED with checking flights, haha.

The new weekender pass for Air Canada is not horrible, $549 for 2 round trips, but there are a lot of restrictions that don't seem worth it.

Rae - Thanks so much for that info!! I will pass it along to my bf, it might work for a weekend here and there if he can get to Newark on a Saturday morning. The train to Penn station sounds promising because he lives 10 minutes away from Penn by LIRR. I was thinking a car service would be like $60, so even that might also be worth it.

And yes, being on a plane together rocks!! We try to vacation together at least once if not twice a year and waiting at the airport and being on the plane is so much more pleasant and so much less lonely! Soon you will also enjoy it! I'm so excited for you

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

We use the pick up at departures trick at LaGuardia every time

Man, I can't wait be able to see Nick by just walking into the same room of our house instead of getting on a plane!

[Krikit 1,165]

We use the pick up at departures trick at LaGuardia every time

Man, I can't wait be able to see Nick by just walking into the same room of our house instead of getting on a plane!

That'll wear off. Now I long for the days when I used to get on a plane and NOT have to see him in the same room of my house.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

We use the pick up at departures trick at LaGuardia every time

Man, I can't wait be able to see Nick by just walking into the same room of our house instead of getting on a plane!

That'll wear off. Now I long for the days when I used to get on a plane and NOT have to see him in the same room of my house.

Don't worry with the power outages, you won't see a thing.

[rae_and_scott 1]

Back in my University days, when I was poor and had more time I didn't mind, but now time is money. I still leave work at 3:30 p.m. to catch a 6:15 p.m. flight to La Guardia and I get there at around 9-10 usually with delays. If I went to Buffalo, I would probably have to leave at noon and take another 1/2 day off.

I hear you on that! It's always a mix of finding the cheapest flight that I won't miss any work for.

Don't get me wrong, I love being with my SO, but when you are in a long distance relationship for over 5 years, it becomes exhausting to travel to the airport. I don't even check my bag anymore because I can't stand waiting in line for an extra 10 minutes to check in OR wait at the belt for like 20 minutes after the flight.

Totally hear you again. Especially travelling to the airports in NYC. It can take so long sometimes. I am the same; I never, ever check baggage b/c I hate waiting for it.

Which is why I'm OBSESSED with checking flights, haha.

Me too!

And yes, being on a plane together rocks!! We try to vacation together at least once if not twice a year and waiting at the airport and being on the plane is so much more pleasant and so much less lonely! Soon you will also enjoy it! I'm so excited for you

Aww, thanks, that's so sweet. We plan to get on a plane together finally this summer, provided that interview happens quickly.

Good luck to the two of you as well!