Flying from Border Cities
Canadians can save money by flying out of nearby American cities.
Jan 25, 2008
Driving through the airports parking lot in a border city, such as Buffalo, New York, the majority of license plates are from cars belonging to Ontarians. Slowly, but surely, Canadians are catching on to a growing travel trend as rows upon rows of Canadian cars are lining the parking lots in American airports along the Canadian border.
For Canadians flying into the United States, it seems that the amount of money they are paying for their plane tickets are eating away at most of their budget. However, if you’re lucky enough to live near enough, or be willing to drive down to, the nearest American city along the U.S./Canada border, then you’re in luck. Chances are, you’ll be able to find a much cheaper flight in, say, Seattle, Washington than in Vancouver, British Columbia.
What Your Savings Will Look Like
By flying domestically within the United States, chances are you’ll pay as much as half of the price as flying from your home city. Here are a few examples, using Simcoe Day weekend as a sample:
Toronto to Las Vegas - $545 CAD
Buffalo to Las Vegas - $317 CAD
Savings: $228 CAD
Vancouver to Los Angeles - $486 CAD
Seattle to Los Angeles - $282 CAD
Savings: $202 CAD
*These are the lowest fares available according to Expedia.ca, using the dates August 1 – August 4, including taxes and fees
Taxes and Fees: What’s Not Included in the Base Fare
For Canadians looking for travel deals, they’re often made to believe that they’re getting a real deal on a flight. There are often sales with fares to sunny destinations, such as Florida, advertised for as little as $99 dollars each way. Underneath however, it often says in tiny writing, ‘plus taxes and fees of $200.’ Most of these seemingly excessive fees, however, do not apply to domestic flights within the U.S., allowing travelers to save huge amounts of money. Here’s an example:
Toronto to Miami - $616 CAD + $83.29 taxes/fees
Buffalo to Miami - $367 USD + $42.00 taxes/fees
*Prices are for Delta Airlines’ website, also for August 1 – August 4
Where is My Border City?
For those of you living near the border of the United States, here is a list of some cities in the northern U.S. with air service by major carriers to popular destinations, starting from the West Coast to the Eastern Seaboard. All American cities are four hours or less than the Canadian city they are listed with.
Victoria, BC – Seattle, WA and Bellingham, WA (limited destinations)
Vancouver, BC – Seattle, WA and Bellingham, WA (limited destinations)
Windsor, ON/Sarnia, ON – Detroit, MI and Toledo, OH
Toronto, ON (and the surrounding Golden Horseshoe) – Buffalo, NY, Rochester, NY and Detroit MI
Ottawa, ON/Kingston, ON – Syracuse, NY, Plattsburgh NY, and Burlington, VT
Montreal, PQ – Plattsburgh, NY and Burlington, VT
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