7

Are there any low cost airlines that operate within Canada and fly out of Vancouver? As a European I have very limited knowledge of flying within the US and Canada.

I am struggling to find any, unless I am looking in the wrong places.

EDIT: Have checked Skycanner and the cheapest options between Vancouver and Toronto are all national carriers (or seem to be) and certainly not I would class as budget. Where are the £29.99 flights? (sarcasm) Is budget a thing in North America? Or does the vast distances involved stop any budget airline from operating like in Europe?

medina
  • 8,139
  • 5
  • 36
  • 67

2 Answers2

14

As far as I'm aware there are not currently any really low cost airlines in Canada. But there seem to be a few in the pipeline:

  • NewLeaf: It looks like Abbotsford near Vancouver is one of their anticipated destinations, but they are running into a bit of bureaucracy.
  • JetLines: "Canada’s Ultra-Low Fare Airline" currently completed planning and development. Based in Vancouver.
  • Jet Naked: Not sure if they plan to fly out of Vancouver.

WestJet and Air Canada Rouge are I think currently generally the lowest cost airlines in Canada but they are not really budget airlines.

Harry Vervet
  • 1,780
  • 14
  • 21
8

There are several lower cost airlines already operating in Canada, but no ULCCs on par with Ryanair. In eastern Canada, where distances are shorter there tends to be more competition, here are the airlines on these routes:

  • Toronto-Montreal: Air Canada, Porter, WestJet, Transat from ca$99
  • Vancouver-Toronto: Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing (in summer) from ca$249

Elsewhere in North America you'll find your $29 flights. As you say, "is budget not a thing North America?" Canada isn't all of North America. Budget / ULCC airlines are a thing in the US and Mexico (Spirit, Frontier, Volaris, Vivaaerobus, Interjet, Vivacolombia to Florida, Norwegian from the US to the EU parts of the Caribbean...). Spirit and Allegiant specifically serve airports close to major Canadian cities (for instance Niagra Falls New York for Toronto, Plattsburgh New York for Montreal, Bellingham Washington for Vancouver) but mostly for flights to further south in the US and not east-west connections.

Carl
  • 12,515
  • 8
  • 41
  • 75