Cheap Plane Tickets to Canada?

I don't fly all that often anymore, and maybe I'm just freaking out because I've added 2 family members in the past 4 years so I am forced to purchase more tickets, BUT I'm having difficulty rationalizing paying upwards of $650 per person to fly to Toronto from Houston.

Anyone have any advice to share? I'm possibly planning a long weekend in October to renew my TN-1.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Eves on August 19, 2009 at 4:01pm

Fly to Buffalo or Detroit - it's probably $300 round trip per person. You can check a wide variety of airlines on www.kayak.com. Hope this helps!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth S. on August 20, 2009 at 8:32pm

I just booked my Trip back home to Ont. I am flying to Detroit. $238 round trip and that is a direct flight. I always thought flying into Toronto was WAY too much

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Erin Dozal on August 26, 2009 at 11:37am

You guys are so lucky!! It costs $800-900 to fly to Saskatoon, and there's not option of driving from somewhere in the US! I can't believe how much the price of a ticket jumps just for crossing the border!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Cory Hirsch on September 16, 2009 at 9:32am

We booked tickets back to saskatoon for christmas this year and got them for about $600 pp including taxes. I think I paid around $1000 pp last year.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carolyn Jardine on August 26, 2009 at 12:12pm

I can relate, our recent trip to Halifax cost $750 pp. I guess I just figured Toronto would be much cheaper since it's closer? Flying to Detroit is not really an option since then I'll have to rent a car, and if I fly to Toronto, my friends can pick us up. I'll probably have to go back to Laredo to renew again. Ugh, not looking forward to that!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike Swyd on September 2, 2009 at 12:44pm

If the trip is entirely for renewing the TN visa, you might look at doing a renewal by mail. It takes longer and costs more than the standard $50 if you go through a port of entry. ($390 I think nowadays). Of course now that you have saved $$, you don't have a long weekend in the good ol' homeland!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brenda & Joe Treige on September 7, 2009 at 2:52pm

Maybe, it's timing. We just booked Continental to Toronto for Xmas for $404 each.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Hannah Cheung on September 9, 2009 at 8:32pm

I just renewed my TN in January and it only cost me $50.
I agree with the timing of booking tix to Canada. I will be going to Vancouver for Christmas and am actually flying to Seattle and then taking the Greyhound ($20 one way) to cross the border. That's the cheapest way. It might be the same for other parts of the country (flying and then bussing).

Also try: cheapoair.com

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carolyn Jardine on September 10, 2009 at 10:28am

I just saw that Air Canada has a sale going on right now.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Quynh on September 17, 2009 at 1:29pm

Great!! I hope it works out for u! Airfare to Canada IS overpriced, but also alot of that is the extra taxes added on. I used to just drive to Laredo (I don't even cross the bridge, just park on American side) and get my TN renewed, as u mentioned, b/c i was a student then and had no dough. It was such a drag to do it for 5yrs but it helped when a new Cdn co-resident arrived to our program so I had some company for that long stretch of mindless highway. Lol. I'm outta the loop now, since i have my GC already, but I think i heard that TN's last for 3yrs now instead of 1? That should help u, although now U'll have less excuses to visit Canada.
BTW, are u from Halifax or TO? I"m from Halifax, but also studied in TO for 4yrs. I love how canada is so small and there's usu 3degrees of separation btw everyone. 8-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carolyn Jardine on September 17, 2009 at 1:46pm

I'm still undecided on what to do. Planning to pursue GC but I still need to do something about TN in the meantime. And yes, TN is good for 3 years now. I've made the drive to Laredo many times over the past 9 years, dislike it even more now with a toddler.

I'm from Halifax, but have friends in TO and a sister in London, ON, so TO makes sense for me for a long weekend trip.

Thanks everyone for the input!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tobias J.W. McFaul on September 22, 2009 at 9:48am

Continental just released last minute fares for this weekend in the $200's for Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Generally a leave Friday, return Monday deal. Check their website out.