Discounts on Cross-Border Flights

Air Canada (www.aircanada.com) has recently announced reductions on many of its cross-border flights this winter. The rules vary depending on the destination, but most discounts are in effect during November, December and January. Fares are generally lowest for mid-week flights.

Flights must be booked by November 13, but may sell out earlier. Advance purchase of up to 30 days may be required. The sale applies to one-way flights, so there is no need to book a round trip.

I checked into a sample routing for a specific date using Cheap Air (www.cheapair.com,) and discovered that even with the discounts, Air Canada and West Jet (www.westjet.com) were about $25 more expensive than their U.S.-based competitors. In this case, a flight with a U.S. line could be $150, but it was at least $175 with the Canadian carriers.

However, if you are flying during the depth of winter, it may be more advantageous to pay a little more to fly through Toronto, where they are very much accxustomed to dealing with snow, rather than someplace like Washington DC or Charlotte NC, I am referring to people like me, who usually have to make connections on cross-border flights.

Keep in mind that the cheapest fares ofter require you to fly early in the morning or late at night.