Lower airfares? Increased competition could mean cheap seats in Canada this fall: expert

After the pandemic there was a huge demand for air travel which led to big increases in ticket prices.

But as summer comes to an end, at least one airline analyst believes there will be some great airfare deals to be had.

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“It will be a buyers delight this fall,” said John Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill University.

Lynx Air announced Thursday it will begin flying from Toronto to Los Angeles and cut the ribbon on its inaugural flight today by offering a 25 per cent off seat sale.

CEO of Lynx Air Merren McArthur said that gave passengers the chance to fly to Los Angeles from Toronto for just $129, taxes included.

“Fares have been too high for too long and Lynx hopes to change that by bringing affordable airfares to Toronto,” said McArthur.

Lynx Air took to the Canadian skies last year and has experienced growth of 260 per cent since then.

McArthur said the airline is putting an emphasis on low fares and customer service and said it was one of the top airlines when it came to having the fewest cancelled flights.

“We think there is a lot of pent up demand for a good value airlines and we are an airline that provides good customer service as well," said McArthur.

Canadians now have their choice of several ultra low cost carriers including Lynx, Flair, Swoop and Porter.

Discount airlines are good for competition and ticket prices are lower, but often you’ll have to pay extra for checked and carry-on luggage and to pick your seat. There may also be fees if you use a call centre or need to change your flight.

"That's how we are able to afford our ultra affordable fares. We allow people to purchase what they want and not what they don't want,” said McArthur.

Gradek said that as these smaller airlines grow they hope to steal market share away from Canada’s largest carriers, Air Canada and WestJet.

Gradek said the traditional summer travel season in Canada is from May to September, but he feels many low-cost carriers will be offering deep discounts to fill their seats this fall and winter.

“There are lots of choices and lots of competition and Canadian travelers’ prayers have been answered," said Gradek.

Lynx Air said it also plans to add flights to Phoenix, Fort Myers and Tampa to its schedule this fall.

Those cheap seats don't last long and many tickets have already been snapped up, but if you're planning a trip over the next six months it might be worth checking out what the discount carriers have to offer.