Summer is just around the corner! If you're looking to see Canada but don't want to spend a lot, you may want to consider one of these domestic destinations that won't break the bank.
Ten Canadian cities have been found to have the cheapest average airfare for summer 2024, meaning you can see urban hubs, glacial lakes, mountains and more on a budget.
In its Travel Check In for summer 2024, travel search engine Kayak detailed the top spots to visit in Canada over the season, as well as the cities where you can get an affordable vacation.
This summer, some of the top places to visit in Canada are also the most affordable. Coming in as the city with the cheapest average airfare this summer is Toronto, with flights costing an average of $366 roundtrip, according to Kayak.
The bustling city provides plenty of things to do during summer, from festivals to parks and islands to explore.
The destination with the second cheapest airfare is Halifax, Nova Scotia, where an economy roundtrip flight will cost you $378 roundtrip, on average.
Located in Canada's "Ocean Playground," Halifax is a cultural hub that combines city life with seaside experiences.
Finally, the top third cheapest destination in Canada this summer is Calgary, Alberta, with an average cost of $389 for airfare.
Home to breathtaking mountain views, the city's proximity to several national parks and historic sites provides endless opportunities for adventure this summer.
Calgary was also found to be the most popular spot for Canadians for summer 2024, followed by Vancouver and Toronto.
Other top spots Canadians were looking to visit this summer include Halifax (4), St. John's (5), Montreal (6) and Edmonton (7).
Cheapest places to visit in Canada:
Here are the top 10 cheapest spots to visit in the country this summer, according to Kayak:
Toronto, Ontario - $366
Halifax, Nova Scotia - $378
Calgary, Alberta - $389
Winnipeg, Manitoba - $390
Edmonton, Alberta - $406
Abbotsford, British Columbia - $409
Vancouver, British Columbia - $417
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador - $453
Ottawa, Ontario - $486
Montreal, Quebec - $491
If you're trying to figure out the best time to take your trip for good weather, cheap airfare, and fewer crowds, you can also use Kayak's Best Time To Travel tool.
With the tool, you can input your departure city and destination to get information on the best time to visit and the optimal time to book your trip.
Happy travels!
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
This means Torontonians and Vancouverites alike will be able to explore the east and west coast without breaking the bank.
"Following the launch of a successful first route out of Toronto, we look forward to expanding our services into Vancouver ahead of the upcoming holiday travel season," said Duncan Bureau, CCO of Canada Jetlines.
"We seek to provide Canadian travellers with more convenient travel options and look forward to bringing the country’s newest leisure airline to YVR."
Although the flights don't start service for a couple of weeks, tickets are already available on their website so you can check out dates and get a jump on planning your holiday travels.
One-way flights from Toronto to Vancouver are currently as low as $135 and flights from Vancouver to Toronto start at $120.
Canada Jetlines is a new Canadian air carrier and on September 22 its inaugural flight from Toronto to Calgary marked the beginning of its biweekly service between both cities.
Come December 2022 the carrier will have service in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
So grab your passport and start planning your trip!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
How much did you spend on your groceries this week? $100? Well, these three flights from Toronto are less than $49 one-way. Yes, you read that right. So get your bags ready because it's time for an adventure.
Flair Airlines, a low-fare Canadian airline, is making travel within Canada cheaper for those who want to explore it, and it couldn't have come at a better time, mainly because winter is coming.
Where are you hoping to go? Calgary, Halifax or Montreal? Well, nothing is impossible. Check out these three cheap flights from Toronto that can let you explore a bunch of beautiful Canadian cities.
Why You Need To Go: Are you checking Via Rail constantly to try and find the cheapest deal for your next Montreal trip? I'll save you some time. This Flair Airline deal is cheaper and shorter on November 2, and that's a fact. A one-way ticket on the train starts at $51 compared to the airlines' $49 deal, and the flight is only an hour and 20 minutes. It sounds like a win-win.
Why You Need To Go: Arriving in Calgary unlocks a world full of adventure. Do you like the outdoors? Landing in this city makes it accessible to see the most beautiful natural colour palettes and breathe in all the fresh air. Calgary, known for being surrounded by Alberta's nature, can be your perfect spot this fall, especially when flights from Toronto are only $49 one way.
Why You Need To Go: Are you desperate to leave the city, like now? Well, then, this offer couldn't have come fast enough. Did you know Halifax has one of the longest downtown boardwalks in the world? The 4-kilometre walkway is perfect for those who enjoy Toronto's waterfront but want something much greater.
The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Canadian airlines should be quaking in their boots with the arrival of Canada Jetlines, a new "value-focused" airline that's flying between Toronto and Calgary starting from $99.
Canada Jetlines had its inaugural flight from Toronto to Calgary on September 22, where I got a first look at the plane — but before writing a full review, I wanted to experience a typical flight on the airline without the added fanfare.
I booked a flight back to Toronto on Sunday, September 25 — and I was not disappointed with the experience.
I travel back and forth from Toronto to Calgary about three times a year to visit my family, so I'm pretty familiar with the short flight, and I almost exclusively fly it on Air Canada.
I'd never actually flown on a value airline like Flair Airlines, Swoop Airlines or Lynx Air because I'd always been scared the price wouldn't be worth the impact on comfort.
However, despite being a new airline, my Canada Jetlines flight ran just as smoothly as a more established and expensive airline at a fraction of the cost — and it's totally changed my view on budget airlines.
Here's what the experience was like.
Booking experience: 5/5
I booked my return flight pretty last minute on September 23, so prices were a little higher at $157 for the cheapest flight.
Compared to prices at WestJet or Air Canada, though, this was still pretty dang cheap for domestic travel.
Prices start at $99 and go up depending on which level of comfort you choose, with options ranging from JetLite, JetPlus, JetFlex, and JetLines.
I went with the cheapest option, JetLite, which is pretty bare-bones. If you have a checked bag or want to select your seat, you'll have to pay extra, and you aren't able to cancel or make changes to your reservation.
Since I was just travelling with a carry-on and don't ever preselect my seat, it wasn't really an issue for me and was worth saving the money.
I booked my ticket online, and the website was super easy to navigate and took a total of maybe five minutes.
All in all, I'd give it a solid 5/5.
Check-in & boarding: 5/5
Not to be dramatic, but this was the easiest check-in and boarding experience I've ever had in my life.
I got to the airport two hours before my flight, but I could have arrived an hour later and still had time to pick up a caramel macchiato from Starbucks.
There was no line at the check-in desk and the employee helping me was so warm and friendly.
She even gave me the choice of a window or aisle seat, which I thought was pretty cool.
(I chose the window, FYI.)
After breezing through security, I had over an hour to kill at my gate, so I grabbed a coffee and relaxed.
Boarding took place on time, and I was comfortably seated on the plane within five to ten minutes.
With minimal lines and great service, check-in and boarding get a 5/5 from me.
Seats: 4.5/5
I'm a seat snob — just thought we should get this out of the way.
My back and knees always hurt during flights, and whoever I'm visiting is usually forced to give me a deep tissue massage afterwards.
I was expecting a more affordable airline would mean less comfortable seats, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Despite not having a lot of cushion, the firmer padding on the seats was super comfortable, and I had a good amount of leg room to stretch out without even having to recline my seat.
The seats also went up fairly high, and instead of having a bulky headrest, that inevitability causes a knot in your neck. They were just slightly more padded near the top, which I found much more comfortable.
The only issue I could see people having with these seats is if you really prefer a more pillowy cushion as opposed to a firmer seat.
I also got pretty lucky because I'd been given an aisle seat despite requesting a window at check-in, but a flight attendant swapped me to an empty row when I asked if I could switch.
After the flight, my knees and back were totally fine, which is pretty unheard of for me.
Food & drink: 4/5
Canada Jetlines did not come to play on this flight.
Free coffee, tea, and juices were offered twice during the journey, and water was offered in between services. This was pretty special considering, in my experience, most airlines I've flown on only offer water twice unless you buzz and ask for it.
Booze was also available on the flight for anyone looking for a mile-high happy hour, and there was a good selection of meals and snacks on the menu, from pizza to pringles, at a pretty reasonable price.
Considering how cheap the tickets are, I would say the food and drink selection was impressive.
A small complimentary snack would have been a nice perk, but still wouldn't have been expected for the price.
Entertainment & service: 4/5
Is there anything more daunting than sitting alone with your thoughts for hours on a plane?
Thankfully I didn't have to find out because although the flight didn't have a TV console, it did have a QR code and WiFi to connect to stream movies, play games, and more on your device.
I scrolled through the movie selection, which had a decent catalogue of popular films, shows and documentaries and landed on watching My Salinger Year.
The selection of entertainment wasn't bad for an affordable airline, but if your phone was dead or you didn't have a device you could stream on, you would be out of luck on this flight.
But there is a USB charging port in every seat, so you'll just need to keep your charger handy.
When it came to service, every interaction I had with a staff member was lovely, from offering drinks to just consistently checking in on everyone during the flight.
Overall score: 4.5/5 OR 22.5/25
Canada Jetlines gets the seal of approval from me.
The next time I book a flight out west to visit my family, you can bet I'll be using a low-cost carrier instead of Air Canada.
The value you get for such an affordable flight is definitely worth it, especially if you're flying out for a weekend and don't need to check a bag.
Despite being "value-focused," this flight had pretty much everything a larger, more established airline would have, just on a smaller scale, and I found it to be just as comfortable as a pricier flight.
The newness of the brand also plays to the customer's advantage with shorter lines and plenty of opportunity to snag an entire row of seats to yourself, which is basically the budget version of first class.
My only advice would be to plan ahead and to try and get the cheapest flight out possible at $99 to avoid paying more than you need to.
If you're headed for a longer vacation and need to check multiple bags, you'll have to upgrade and pay more to avoid getting hit with expensive add-on fees.
A new affordable airline has officially landed in Canada, and if you're anything like me, you're probably wondering how cheap the flights are and what the legroom is like. Fortunately, your girl got the scoop.
The new "value-focused" airline took off at around 7:55 a.m. and officially joined the growing group of cost-effective airlines that have entered the Canadian market, alongside Swoop, Lynx Air and Flair Airlines.
Starting this week, Canadians can fly back and forth from Toronto and Calgary biweekly on Thursdays and Sundays with Canada Jetlines.
The flights are set to depart from Toronto at 7:55 a.m. and land in Calgary at 10:10 a.m. On the western side, flights from Calgary will depart at 11:40 a.m. and land in Toronto at 5:20 p.m.
Although more frequent flights between Thursday to Sunday will become available starting October 13.
More destinations will be announced in the coming weeks, according to Canada Jetlines CEO Eddy Doyle, who shared that they will be adding a second airplane by the end of the year.
Doyle highlighted that destinations in the USA, Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and more Canadian stops are of interest.
I was travelling with a carry-on, so I didn't have to pay an extra fee at the counter, but depending on what ticket you bought and how many bags you're checking, you may need to keep your credit card handy.
After going through security, I had plenty of time to grab a coffee before heading to my gate and waiting to board.
Boarding took place on time, and I was able to get to my seat in less than 10 minutes.
Inside the plane
Canada Jetlines uses the Airbus A320 as its "fleet standard," which, according to their website, "has set the standard as the world's most comfortable short-to-medium-haul aircraft."
The A320 can fit 180 passengers, and its economy seats are roomy at 18-inches-wide.
The plane had 29 rows of seating, and the legroom varied, depending on which area you sat in. The seat pitch, which is the distance between two rows of seats, ranged from 29 inches to 36 inches.
The front row had extra legroom with a 34-inch pitch, but rows 12 to 13 were the most spacious, with a pitch of 36 inches. Although most seats just had a 29-inch pitch.
Regular seats were grey, and rows with extra leg room were marked with an orange banner on top.
Service & Food
The flight attendants were very attentive, and unlike some other value airlines, passengers are offered complimentary beverages, and food is available for purchase.
The attendants came around twice with free beverages, including coffee, tea, water and more. Alcoholic drinks and food were also available for purchase.
Booze on board is pretty affordable, with beers, spirits and wines ranging from $7.99 to $9.99.
Entertainment
You won't find a built-in entertainment centre on this flight, but you can use your personal device to access Jetlines' entertainment offerings.
All you have to do is connect your phone to Jetlines Entertainment wifi (although be warned, it doesn't actually connect you to the internet), here you can watch movies and tv shows, play games, check out the flight map and explore the kids' section.
The video selection isn't massive, but it is well curated with classics like Legally Blonde and Friends to new releases like Dune.
Depending on your taste, you can browse through new releases, classics, Canadian movies, documentaries, TV series, and animated movies.
Cost
Flights can start at $99 and go up to $254, so it really depends on what level of comfort you'd like and how many bags you plan to check.
JetLite offers the lowest fare, but you'll have to pay to check a bag, and you won't be refunded if you have to cancel your flight. It'll also cost you $45 to preselect your seat, and you won't be able to make any changes to your reservation.
The next level up is JetPlus around $119 which will allow you to preselect your seat for $25, and you can make changes to your reservation for $50. Checked luggage is still an extra cost, and cancellations are not allowed.
JetFlex does offer more perks at around $179 with included seat selection, one free checked bag, and changes and cancellations coming in at an extra fee of $50 each.
JetLines at the top of the line can fall around $254. You can preselect your seat, check two free bags, and make changes to your reservation for free, but cancellations will still cost you $50.
Checked bags generally cost $50 for the first and $75 for the second, according to Canada Jetlines.
So if you're travelling with bags, it may actually be cheaper to upgrade.
All in all, Canada Jetlines is a great new option for anyone travelling between Toronto and Calgary — with more destinations to come.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Booking my ticket online.
Jetlines check-in at the Calgary airport.
A row of seats on the plane.
Brooke Houghton with a glass of water.
Canada Jetlines menu.
Entertainment page.
Canada Jetlines check-in counter.
Inside the plane.
Plane seats.
Coffee and water served on Canada Jetlines.
Canada Jetlines menu.
Canada Jetlines entertainement menu.