As airlines raise prices, Canadians choosing different destinations
· Toronto Sun
Amid the rising cost of oil, three Canadian airlines are raising the cost of flights with the introduction of fuel charges.
Air Canada, WestJet and Porter are adding fuel surcharges because of rising oil prices due to the conflict in the Middle East. Air Canada is adding a $50 charge per passenger, according to Now . WestJet is charging an extra $60 on some trips starting Wednesday. Porter introduced a $40 temporary fuel surcharge in flight redemptions in late March. Air Transat also raised fares to Europe due to higher operating costs.
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Experts have cautioned that it wouldn’t be too long before Canadians started feeling the ripple effects of the U.S.-Iran war. Just like Canadians are seeing at the gas pumps, airlines are passing on operating costs to travellers as they try to recover costs associated with the global fallout from the conflict.
Flight Centre Canada’s Amra Durakovic told CTV that flight paths are being diverted or dropped entirely from conflict areas, which also puts pressure on air fares. For a long international flight from Canada to the Philippines, for example, hundreds of dollars could be added to the price of a ticket.
Cheaper destinations being sought
Due to rising costs and political tensions, Canadians increasingly view vacations as a major financial decision, choosing vacation destinations other than the U.S., recent data shows, as they favour places where they feel more welcome and will get more value out of their Canadian dollar.
In report released in February, Flight Centre said Europe was one of the most desirable travel spots for the spring and summer, while Mexico and the Caribbean are the go-to spots for the winter months.
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But the travel destination most favoured by Canadians? Our home and native land.
About 37% of Canadians put domestic trips at the top of their wish list for the year, according to the report, saying that we’re much more conscious about supporting the local economies of our fellow Canadians and some of the most scenic destinations in the world that would often go overlooked at other times.
Canadians particularly like to hit the coast with Atlantic Canada being the top Canadian vacation destination followed by B.C. Banff, Alta., and nearby Lake Louise are always among the most popular with free national park access and VIA Rail discounts. Even the Far North is becoming more popular as Canadians are heading to Whitehorse and Yellowknife instead of Alaska to get a glimpse of the Northern Lights.
“We’re seeing more Canadians commit to immersive trips at home — especially multi-stop journeys through Atlantic Canada. Clients are treating Canada the way they once treated Europe, building longer, more thoughtful itineraries and taking the time to really explore our own backyard,” Jaime Murcheson of Flight Centre Direct West said in the report.