Air fare to Montreal from US....

[MrMojo]

I just checked airfare to Montreal from my US home for a Nov. trip..

Even 1 month ahead prices are $600-$700!!! WTF???
I know the exchange rate sucks, but are the flights really that booked?

I might as well go to Amsterdam or Bangkok to hobby...airfare is about the same...

Whats going on??? Is anyone else having problems finding a decent airfare?

 

[eastender]

From Where?

I just checked airfare to Montreal from my US home for a Nov. trip..

Even 1 month ahead prices are $600-$700!!! WTF???
I know the exchange rate sucks, but are the flights really that booked?

I might as well go to Amsterdam or Bangkok to hobby...airfare is about the same...

Whats going on??? Is anyone else having problems finding a decent airfare?

Depending from where you are flying in the USA it is often much cheaper to fly to Burlington VT, Newburgh, NY (Stewart Airport) or Hartford,CT (Bradley)
and driving.

 

[ck_nj]

Eastender is right. There are a couple of threads on this, but I can't seem to find them right now. It seems that it's cheap to fly within the USA or within Canada, but when you go from 1 country to another, the fares jump up. From what I have read, the Burlington VT idea is the best idea. Only about a 90 minute ride to Montreal, if that,

 

[eastender]

Service

Eastender is right. There are a couple of threads on this, but I can't seem to find them right now. It seems that it's cheap to fly within the USA or within Canada, but when you go from 1 country to another, the fares jump up. From what I have read, the Burlington VT idea is the best idea. Only about a 90 minute ride to Montreal, if that,

Few airlines fly to and from Burlington. Depends on your point of origin.

BTW if you have the time, Buffalo,NY is a great option for Canadians flying to the USA.

 

[bond_james_bond]

There has been an overall reduction in number of flights. This lowers supply, increasing prices. The airlines are simply being more strategic, by reducing empty seats on planes, a total waste for them.

In addition, there is simply inflation. Airfares have been pretty constant since de-regulation. You think this is bad; the airfares were ridiculous back in the 60s and 70s. At least, they had hot stewardesses back then to make up for it.

I'm also a flyer, not a driver, but I have not seen fares rise to $600-$700, more like $400-500.

Some tips:

a) Avoid weekends and holidays (both US & Canadian). Tuesdays & Wednesdays will usually give you best airfares.

b) itasoftware.com

c) Drive to an airport further away, and fly to YUL from there. Depending on demand, the airlines will have sales on fares from certain airports. For example, Continental out of EWR.

As for Europe, the Euro is even worse on the dollar than the CAD. And the Dutch girls in the RLD will often rip you off. There are agencies in Amsterdam, but not as abundant as Montreal, and you still have the problem with the Euro.

 

[bond_james_bond]

Eastender is right. There are a couple of threads on this, but I can't seem to find them right now. It seems that it's cheap to fly within the USA or within Canada, but when you go from 1 country to another, the fares jump up. From what I have read, the Burlington VT idea is the best idea. Only about a 90 minute ride to Montreal, if that,

Domestic flights within Canada are rarely cheap compared to the US, especially for transcontinental flights.

For example, a flight from Toronto to Vancouver will cost around $700+, at best. A flight from NY to LA will cost around $300+.

This is due to the fact that Canada only has 2-3 airlines, while the US has 3 times more, increasing competition.

One reason why international fares are more expensive is because you have to pay the airport and immigration fees of both nations.

 

[eastender]

Paying a Premium

For example, a flight from Toronto to Vancouver will cost around $700+, at best. A flight from NY to LA will cost around $300+.

People are happy to pay a premium to leave Toronto.

 

[Just-ass-weet]

If you are flying roundtrip and need a hotel as well... get a package deal. I have found that much less expensive than booking a flight alone, or a hotel by itself. The only thing is that it is really hard to get a direct flight, however, if you have the time to spare and don't mind the layovers, you can get a great deal.

for example, last month I flew from Montreal to Washington, DC, got 5 nights hotel for 1000$ - the hotel alone would have cost me at least that - so for me, that was ideal... got it on cheaptickets.com

Good luck.

xoxox
Anik

 

[hefner]

Check out Redtag.ca. Some of the cheapest airfares and leaving from yul. I used it a few times already. Worst scenario, drive a bit and fly JetBlue out of Burlington, VT or direct flights from Boston, Syracuse, Buffalo.

 

[chowhound]

If you are checking now for a trip next month, I suspect you may be running into Thanksgiving holiday peak period. If the seats are already filled, you will not get a good fare, but they still offer you a ticket at a high price, so they can afford to bump passengers if necessary. If possible, try adjusting the dates.

Also, I have found that the airlines frequently offer airfare plus hotel at rates which ease the pain of a high airfare.

 

[bond_james_bond]

JetBlue Applies for Canadian Routes

JetBlue Applies for Canadian Routes

JetBlue has applied with the Canadian government for chartered and scheduled flights. The idea is to bring their low fares to the transborder market. This may be difficult due to the high airport fees at Pearson. However, there may not be a similar problem at Trudeau, so maybe someday, we'll see JetBlue at Dorval.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071031.RJETBLUE31/TPStory/Business

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Few airlines fly to and from Burlington. Depends on your point of origin.

Only United: Chicago, DC (Dulles)
US Airways: NYC (Laguardia), Philadelphia, DC (National)
Continental: Boston, Newark, Cleveland
Jet Blue: NY (JFK)
Northwest: Detroit
Delta: Atlanta, Cincinnati

 

[eastender]

Milk Run

Only United: Chicago, DC (Dulles)
US Airways: NYC (Laguardia), Philadelphia, DC (National)
Continental: Boston, Newark, Cleveland
Jet Blue: NY (JFK)
Northwest: Detroit
Delta: Atlanta, Cincinnati

Rumples,

I also posted about Stewart and Bradley.

None of the points listed by you are west of the Mississippi.None are from Florida.Important eastern cities like Pittsburgh,Nashville,Charlotte,are omitted.

Only you and select others would consider it practical to fly from Boston,Newark,JFK or LaGuardia to Burlington,VT then drive to Montreal. Most would find it more practical to drive from those points to Montreal.

 

[chowhound]

If you are still looking, you may want to try again. I have noticed a drop in prices the last few days. I'm not sure if it is the same for your point of departure.

 

[IamNY]

I flew to Montreal for $160 round trip 2 weeks ago. Check out this thread it may be of use:

https://merb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22991&page=4

 

[bond_james_bond]

Buying airfare is a bit like gambling.

Sometimes, while surfing, I'll find non-stop airfare to Montreal for < $300, pretty rare for what I usually see. I was looking to buy, but I figured that either that bargain rate would stay, or it might even go lower. I should have taken it right away, because the next day, when I searched again, that fare jacked up to almost $500!

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason, but buying within a week of the flight will usually result in astronomical fares.

Also, I've noticed, it seems that it doesn't make much difference where you are in the US. I've seen fares from San Diego cost the same as fares from New York.