Flying to Canada - anybody got a favourite airline/route

On Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:06:52 GMT, (Király) wrote:
Bitstreams wrote:
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.

Try ZOOM. From Calgary they fly nonstop to Glasgow, Manchester, and
Gatwick. From Vancouver they fly nonstop to those places and also to
Belfast. They don't service Edmonton.

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?

Usually the airlines charge considerably MORE for suckers in Canada.

"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

"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.

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.

On Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:06:52 GMT, (Király) wrote:
Bitstreams wrote:
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.

Try ZOOM. From Calgary they fly nonstop to Glasgow, Manchester, and
Gatwick. From Vancouver they fly nonstop to those places and also to
Belfast. They don't service Edmonton.

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?

Usually the airlines charge considerably MORE for suckers in Canada.

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.

In message ntD3j.10298$Ji6.5599@edtnps89 (Király)
wrote:

HakenKreuz wrote:
Usually the airlines charge considerably MORE for suckers in Canada.

Often claimed, rarely verified.

FWIW, other way around for my last flight... I was quoted 435CAD for a
flight from YYC to DFW, AA's website bumped up to 495USD when I put in
my American credit card (country, not an AA card)

Switched back to my Canadian credit card, booked at 436CAD. Not bad
given that we're more or less at par these days.

I've seen the reverse, although never so staggering an amount.

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.