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Flying to Canada - anybody got a favourite airline/route
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#12
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Flying to Canada - anybody got a favourite airline/route
"Bitstreams" wrote in message
... My girlfriend and I are planning to fly out to Calgary in early May and fly back from Vancouver a couple of weeks later. we can get to Birmingham or the London airports easily. We could go to Vancouver first and come back from Calgary - or even fly to or from Edmonton. Price is a factor, but so is a decnet service, planes that don't have bits falling off etc. Does anyone have a favourite airline at a reasonable price that they've used on any of these routes. I would prefer not to use an American carrier and would want a direct flight. Air Transat, while cheap, isn't the most comfortable way to fly. I've heard people complain about everything from the legroom and the food to their boarding process at the gate. I haven't heard anything positive about their trans-Atlantics routes or those going from Montreal/Toronto to the Caribbean. Ignoring them and ignoring the American carriers, you're limiting yourself to Air Canada and perhaps British Airways, if they fly one of the routes you mentioned. On the way from the UK to Canada, a direct flight west would definitely be preferable. I don't know whether you're aware of it but all passengers must clear Canadian customs and immigration at the first Canadian airport on their itinerary - and that involves collecting your luggage. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you wind up with an itinerary that has you flying from the UK to Toronto and from Toronto to Vancouver. This means that when you land in Toronto, you'll have to clear Canadian customs, collect your baggage from the carousel (along with all the passengers whose journeys end in Toronto), clear immigration, then return your baggage to the airline so they can load it onto a plane bound for Vancouver. This can make a two-hour layover seem ridiculously short. On the way back, a layover wouldn't be as much of an issue since the first leg would be considered domestic and, as such, your luggage would be checked straight through to your final destination since you wouldn't be clearing customs/immigration until you left Canada anyway. Long story short, fly with whichever airline can give you a direct flight to your preferred Canadian destination. If that means you can choose between Air Canada and British Airways, then take this to rec.travel.air and see what advice they have for you. Richard |
#13
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Flying to Canada - anybody got a favourite airline/route
"Bitstreams" wrote in message ... My girlfriend and I are planning to fly out to Calgary in early May and fly back from Vancouver a couple of weeks later. we can get to Birmingham or the London airports easily. We could go to Vancouver first and come back from Calgary - or even fly to or from Edmonton. Price is a factor, but so is a decnet service, planes that don't have bits falling off etc. Does anyone have a favourite airline at a reasonable price that they've used on any of these routes. I would prefer not to use an American carrier and would want a direct flight. Simon I can't find *any* flights from Birmingham to West Coast Canada in May. From London (LHR) BA fly to Calgary and Vancouver AC fly to Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton From Gatwick Transat go to Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver Zoom only operate Gatwick/Vancouver. Zoom and Transat air likely to be cheapest but Zoom doesn't fit your requirements and anyway has very low frequency to Vancouver. Transat has more frequency but still not wonderful. I've never flown either but have heard (3rd hand) not very good reports about Transat. My personal preference would be BA but then again I haven't flown AC for *many* years. I would choose BA partly because, for all their faults, I know the product and it works for me and also because they offer a 4 class product. They have World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (economy with a wider seat with more legroom), Club and First while AC only offer economy and business. My own preference is WTP. One word of warning about BA at LHR. Terminal 5 opens end of March. Many BA flights will start using it immediately *but not all*. It looks like Calgary will move to T5 from T4 on 30 April. Just make very sure you know which terminal to go to. |
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Flying to Canada - anybody got a favourite airline/route
Richard wrote:
On the way from the UK to Canada, a direct flight west would definitely be preferable. I don't know whether you're aware of it but all passengers must clear Canadian customs and immigration at the first Canadian airport on their itinerary - and that involves collecting your luggage. Is this a new rule? certainly was not the case three years ago. I was on a flight to Vancouver via Calgary. Didn't clear immigration until Vancouver. A few more years before I flew to Vancouver with a stop in Edmonton. Same thing, cleared immigration and collected baggage in Vancouver. |
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Flying to Canada - anybody got a favourite airline/route
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Flying to Canada - anybody got a favourite airline/route
HakenKreuz wrote:
Their web page today lists a CAD$199 one way fare from the UK to either Vancouver or Calgary between Jan 15th and April 30th. What is the fare FROM Canada to the UK? Same. Usually the airlines charge considerably MORE for suckers in Canada. Often claimed, rarely verified. -- K. Lang may your lum reek. |
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Flying to Canada - anybody got a favourite airline/route
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#18
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Flying to Canada - anybody got a favourite airline/route
In article
, Bitstreams wrote: My girlfriend and I are planning to fly out to Calgary in early May and fly back from Vancouver a couple of weeks later. we can get to Birmingham or the London airports easily. We could go to Vancouver first and come back from Calgary - or even fly to or from Edmonton. Price is a factor, but so is a decnet service, planes that don't have bits falling off etc. Does anyone have a favourite airline at a reasonable price that they've used on any of these routes. I would prefer not to use an American carrier and would want a direct flight. Simon Air Canada: Excellent safe major airline, spacious seating, but more costly if you don't buy on a deal. For May travel they often have deal prices in January. Last time we went to the UK in May our total cost was just under C$800, the ad was $299 one way. Taxes and fees add a lot, particularly UK landing fees. Air Transat: Good safe airline, but limited leg and width room, plus extra cost for more than one checked bag over 20kg. I just flew with them to Mexico. Zoom: Good safe smaller airline, I've not taken them, but friends have. Canadian Affair: UK friends have told me it's well priced. You will notice they use a variety of air lines, it's a booking service. I see Air Transat Gatwick to/from Calgary or Vancouver. Has Air Transat's 20kb checked bag limit. www.canadianaffair.com WestJet: Very good safe airline, doesn't go to the UK, but lots of flights within Canada. Expedia.co.uk may find you a deal. Because it often costs significantly more for unequal legs, it may be better to book Calgary return and buy a local seat for Calgary / Vancouver return. Another option is driving the Calgary / Vancouver leg return. The scenery is simply lovely and you can take two different routes. |
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