If you're wondering whether you should fly with Lynx Air, Canada Jetlines or the country's newest budget airline, here's a breakdown of what you can get with Canada's cheap airlines that you might want to consider before your next trip.
Flair Airlines
Flair Airlines is one of Canada's major budget airlines, and it launched in the country in 2017.
Where They Fly: The airline travels to quite a few more destinations than other low-cost airlines in Canada, with services to 37 locations in total.
Flair offers trips to sun destinations like Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico and also flies to several U.S. spots, including Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York.
In Canada, Flair services major airports like YVR, Montreal-Trudeau, Calgary International Airport and Winnipeg Airport.
Ticket Costs: In terms of pricing, you can find tickets for as low as $13 with Flair -- the lowest price of any of the major low-cost carriers in Canada.
Baggage: As for what you get on a trip with Flair, the airline allows for one free personal item (like a purse, tote bag or laptop bag, for instance) which can be stored at your feet.
Carry-on baggage and checked luggage, however, are not included. Online, it'll cost you $29-$59 + tax per flight, per passenger for carry-ons and $44-$69 + tax for your first checked bag, with prices higher at the airport.
However, Flair does have bundles with checked and carry-on bags that you can purchase for a bit less.
Pets: If you want to bring a furry friend on board, you absolutely can -- although you'll have to pay a minimum of $79.
Food: If you're hungry during your flight, Flair does have an in-flight menu, although there are no complimentary drinks or snacks.
Some of the things you can get include bottled water, tea, coffee, snacks like Kit Kat, Pringles and energy bars, and hot meals like carbonara pasta and a deep dish cheese pizza, with prices ranging from $3-10.
The menu doesn't, however, have alcohol.
Swoop
Swoop, another major low-cost carrier in Canada, offers many of the same features that Flair does, with some notable differences.
Where They Fly: Swoop flies to a lesser 25 destinations, although the airline offers more services to the Caribbean and Mexico than any other low-cost carrier.
The airline flies to Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, like Flair, but also services the Mexican city of Mazatlan, Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Varadero Cuba.
Swoop also flies to a handful of U.S. sun destinations like Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Phoenix, Arizona.
While the airline offers more routes to overseas locations, it falls a bit short in the number of major airports it services. While Flair flies from Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary and Montreal, the major airports Swoop flies to include Toronto, Edmonton and Winnipeg.
Ticket Costs: Swoop has super low rates, with prices as low as $19 available for some routes.
Baggage: Like Flair, Swoop allows passengers to bring one free personal item on board. But the freebies end there, with carry-on bags, checked luggage and just about everything else costing extra.
With Swoop, you can bring carry-on and checked luggage with you for $42 on short-distance flights, with the amount increasing according to the length of the trip.
Pets: Unfortunately, Swoop doesn't allow pets on its flights -- sorry Fido!
Food: While the airline doesn't offer complimentary food or drinks, travellers are able to order snacks from the in-flight menu for a fee.
The menu is more snack-oriented rather than meal-oriented, with things like cheese and crackers, hummus snacks, Mr. Noodles, gummy candy and chips for $3.99-10.99.
Unlike Flair, Swoop's menu offers cocktails, szelters, beer, wine and other spirits for around $8-12.
Lynx
Where They Fly: One of Canada's newer discount airlines, Lynx Air currently only flies to 14 destinations, most of which are in Canada.
Lynx did, however, recently launch new flights to the U.S. for 2023, with service to Los Angeles, Orlando and Phoenix available now, and service to Las Vegas set to begin later this month.
What may be a plus among travellers is that the airline services quite a few main airports in Canada, including Toronto Pearson Airport, YVR, Calgary and Winnipeg.
Ticket Costs: While Lynx can't quite compete with Flair's $13 flights, you can find Lynx Air flights for just $45, and flights from Toronto to Vancouver could cost as little as $75 one-way.
Baggage: With Lynx, you can fly with carry-on baggage for $39.99+ (depending on whether you book online or at the airport) for short-distance flights, and checked baggage for $49.99+ for the first bag.
Pets: While Lynx does allow pets in its cabins, some conditions must be met. Travellers also have to pay a fee of $59 per direction.
Food: Lynx doesn't offer any food or drinks on board (with the exception of free water), but does offer passengers a 10% discount at certain airport vendors.
Canada Jetlines
Canada Jetlines is another newer airline in Canada and had its inaugural flight in September 2022.
Where They Fly: Canada Jetlines currently only flies to 14 destinations but offers an impressive lineup of North American locations.
The airline is the only major low-cost carrier in Canada to offer flights to Melbourne, Florida and the Space Coast, where you'll find the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, a launch point for tons of U.S. spacecraft.
It also flies to popular Canadian tourist cities like Banff, Jasper Whistler and Niagara Falls, and flies to main airports like Toronto Pearson and Vancouver International Airport.
Ticket Costs: Canada Jetlines' prices are a bit more than that of some other low-cost carriers -- however, you can find flights from Toronto to Vancouver for just $155, and flights to Florida for $200.
Baggage: Unlike other cheap airlines, Canada Jetlines allows passengers a free carry-on item in addition to a personal item, like a laptop, purse or briefcase.
With checked baggage, the airline says that some fare types allow for up to two checked bags, but in general, the first checked bag is $50.
Pets: Canada Jetlines allows pets on board, provided that they're older than eight weeks, and that they remain in their kennel and are stored under the plane seat in front of their owner at all times.
Food: In terms of food, the airline offers an in-flight menu with snacks like chips, ramen and chocolate, and hot meals like pizza and breakfast along with beer, coolers, wine and spirits.
Passengers can also get complimentary drinks including tea, coffee, pop and juice.
Play
Canada's newest budget airline, Play, operates flights between Iceland and Europe, and recently announced a new service to Canada.
Where They Fly: With Play, Canadians can get cheap tickets to tons of European cities, including Athens, Venice, Lisbon, Paris, Reykjavik, London and Barcelona.
Ticket Costs: Since Play Airlines only offers international flights, prices are a bit higher than other discount airlines. However, as an example, a June flight from Toronto to Venice, Italy, with Play will cost you as low as $570 one-way.
Baggage: Baggage fees with Play are slightly higher than other airlines. Passengers are allowed one free personal item but must pay $76 for a carry-on bag (which also gets you priority booking) and $89 for checked luggage.
Pets: Unfortunately, Play doesn't allow pets on board, with the exception of service dogs.
Food: Play offers an extensive in-flight menu complete with cold drinks like pop and juice, sweets like Icelandic chocolate and coffee, tea and hot chocolate.
Passengers can also purchase small bites, snacks like chips and pretzels and choose from a selection of sandwiches, with prices ranging from 3 to 7 euros and 9 to 10 euros for wine and beer.
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.
Full flat seats on Zipair. 