Denver to Regina (or why is it so expensive to fly to Canada?)
I would like to fly from Denver, CO to Regina SK in March (specifically to Regina on March 24 and returning to Denver on March 26).
I've tried the normal travel search engines (Kayak, Expedia, etc) and all the fares are over $500. In general, I have found traveling to Canada to be well over $500 even on relatively direct flights between Denver and Calgary/Vancouver/Edmonton.
Is there something about landing fees or international flfight that drives up the cost of these routes?
Any hints on better ways to make this more economical? Driving is quite long and there are no easy interim way points where I could fly then drive.
Best Answer
The prices I see for Denver to Regina on your dates (526 USD on Air Canada, via Calgary) are similar to what I find for flights of similar profiles in Europe and Japan, so this is not a Canadian thing. For example for Bordeaux to Copenhagen (Air France, via Paris) I find 565 EUR (611 USD), and for Aomori to Fukuoka (ANA, via Osaka) I find 59100 JPY (482 USD).
In all three cases, one factor which significantly drives prices up is that the return flight is on a Saturday. Flying on the following Sunday or Monday always results in fares about 20% lower.
Also, as mentioned by jpatokal in the comments, the fact that Air Canada has a monopoly on Regina airport probably also increases prices. I do not know enough about Canadian airports to find an airport with more competition to compare, but in the second case above, one can find lower fares by flying from Toulouse instead of Bordeaux because more airlines serve it (e.g., 279 EUR with British Airways).
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Why flight tickets to Canada are so expensive?
Canadian airlines have higher cost structures: higher labor costs, higher fuel costs (taxes, again), and higher administrative costs than in the US for example. Canada is a very large country and the population centers are quite spread out, another factor that makes airlines' costs higher.What is the cheapest time of year to fly to Canada?
January is, on average, the cheapest month to fly with fares that can be almost 20 per cent less expensive. 3. If travelling in the summer, June and July usually have better deals available than in August.Why are flights to Montreal so expensive?
Quebec has among the highest airport taxes in the country. To many consumers, airfare for domestic flights in Canada can seem unreasonably expensive.What airlines currently fly to Canada?
Given its close proximity, passengers coming from the U.S. can fly directly into Canada via United, Air Canada, Delta, American Airlines, US Airways, WestJet, Air Transat, and Cathay Pacific. International tourists are free to choose from British Airways, ANA, Copa, KLM, Avianca, Icelandair, Lufthansa, and Condor.Why are flights in Canada so expensive?
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