Canadian flight prices plummet as airlines use tactic to lure travellers back, expert says
Canadian airlines are offering flights at prices hardly ever seen before, but one expert says there's a strategy behind the deep discounts and that these rock-bottom deal won't stick around for long.
On WestJet, it currently costs $117 to fly one-way from Toronto to Calgary. A flight from Toronto to Vancouver only costs about $10 more.
Meanwhile, a non-stop flight from Toronto to Kelowna will only set you back about $134.
And these deals aren't just for dates during the lockdown. On Air Canada and WestJet's website, the deals appear to go until at least the end of 2021.
"It's time to buy your tickets if you want to get them cheap," says Frederic Dimanche, director of the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism at Ryerson University. "I don't think this is going to last very long."
He believes Canadian airlines, like Air Canada and WestJet, are lowering their prices for a variety of reasons.
"The Canadian government will be relaxing their constraints on travel soon … it's important for the airlines to take advantage of this," Dimanche said. "One way that they can do it is by lowering the prices to increase demand."
"It's called price elasticity. It’s a traditional strategy in marketing, you lower the price, you increase demand."
He believes another major factor behind the deep discounts is generating travel confidence in Canadians.
"We know Canadians are not confident about travelling yet," he said. "They need to be told it’s safe to travel again and that’s one objective of the pricing strategies."
He thinks when people tell family and friends they’ve booked a trip, it will help others slowly build confidence in travelling again.
But once demand starts to pick up, Dimanche said the cheap prices from Air Canada and WestJet will disappear because it is not sustainable financially.
"A ticket from Toronto to Vancouver for $140, the airline isn't going to be making a lot of money on this," Dimanche said.
Even WestJet admits that these deep discounts won’t be the new normal, saying in a statement to CTV News Toronto that as the demand to fly increases, so will fare prices.
Air Canada said in a statement that their fare prices fluctuate for many reasons, which includes demand.
It appears these airlines know immediate demand for travel will be within Canada. Both the WestJet and Air Canada websites are promoting their deals and destinations within Canada.
"With provinces setting timelines for reopening, we are promoting our services because Canadians are now planning future travel," Air Canada told CTV News Toronto. "There is pent-up demand, with people eager to visit family and friends, take deferred vacations or even fly for business reasons."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.