vernonc

+1.
I have used BUF around 3 times in the last couple of years for family flights to Florida and even the Carribbean. Savings for 4 people ranged from $600-$1000. Since we all have Nexus, border is not a big deal. However, i do notice that BUF fares are creeping up as are hotel rates. What is interesting in Sunwing running charters from Buf.

dorif

We have been doing the drive from Toronto to Buffalo for the past 14 years. We have always found flying out of BUF to be cheaper, and less hassle-free. We usually do a hotel park and fly package, which works out to be half the price of parking off-airport at YYZ or taking a taxi to the airport.

By staying near BUF the night before when possible, we have no worries that we will be delayed at the border.

We have done the Megabus route a few times, when we wanted to leave our car down south, and it worked out fine.

gglave

Not into AE / AC you can't. Most of the cheaper United fares map at 50% now. Gonna earn AC E50 on segments this year - On miles its very difficult.

celticanvil

Have flown exclusively from BUF and DTW since 2005 when we took our kids to MCO for the 1st time. we've taken 9 vacations since 2005 to FLL, PBI, CZM, CUN and my own biz trips to DFW and CLT and no one in my family has set foot inside a cdn airport in 9 years. Hell, my kids have never seen the inside of a Cdn airport.
The sick part of Cdn culture is not just the gouging that is tolerated by quasi-monopoly regulation but the willingess of dulled down pax to accept the kick in the head over and over.
What we saved on 4 airfares flying from BUF to MCO PAID FOR OUR HOTEL FOR THE WEEK vs flying from YYZ. It is such a no brainer!
3 years ago, March Break DTW to FLL for a key largo vaction, airfares for all 3 were C$1600. You couldn't fly 2 people from YYZ for that.\
2 years ago, March Break DTW to CZM on a Delta Vacation package all inclusive Iberostar was $5300 all in for 4. Dream on from YYZ.
2014, March Break BUF to CUN $4600 all inclusive. Again, dream on from YYZ.
I would rather cut off my own hands with a butter knife than fly AC or any other Cdn airline...oh wait...there's only one...
I live 2 hrs from yyz....4 hrs from BUF....5 hrs from DTW. And yes, I am happy to drive 3 hours to save $1000 or more.
Plus i loooooove the DTW Westin (my kids fave hotel).

TravellingSalesman

and yet you list "YYZ" as your location...

GreenEnvy

I always fly out of Buffalo for US flights. I'm only 15 minutes from the border, and Buffalo is closer for me than Toronto. It's also massively cheaper to park, easier to navigate, and less busy.
Top that off with no customs to deal with, as in the car it's so much easier, and you've got a winner.

Mr. Vker

I was just talking to one of our techs out of Vancouver yesterday. He hates connecting to the US through Toronto. He said customs/immigration is a pain there. (I have no first hand knowledge.) Heading to Buffalo might be an advantage just for this.

With WN flying out of Buffalo to BWI-and other points, it really opens the US for some inexpensive flying vs. coming from Toronto. Interesting to see what will happen.

tentseller

Toronto was bad due to the need to process many non-Canadian aliens which involves finger-printing and photo.

If you did not have GE or Nexus and now US or Canadian passport (passport kiosk) the line can be very long and slow especially during the cross border consultant rush hours.

astroflyer

I'm a Toronto based UA flyer that flies out of BUF on occasion. I only use it for personal travel and only when the fare difference is $200+.

It's definitely a hassle for those of us without cars. Megabus/Greyhound are cheap enough, but infrequent. It can often involve arriving 3 hours before your flight or leaving 3 hours after your arrival. Sometimes, even with a generous timing, you barely make it, as I've had the buses be up to 2 hours late with the border crossing.

Despite this hassle, it's still worth it, as I've saved over $400 to LA, and I can always score an upgrade when it happens.

mkt

Going the other way... the tickets I have booked to visit my girlfriend in Toronto for the coming months, IME are usually cheaper or the same flying SJU-XXX-YYZ rather than SJU-XXX-BUF.

tentseller

Standard answer: it depends on the date and airline.

You need to factor in the cost of getting from BUF to Toronto if you are not driving or being picked up / dropped off. It can be quite an adventure using public transport.

tentseller

Latest data point:

Air Canada 6 tickets to MIA out of YYZ - none available on our preferred date, alternate date is two days before only 2 tickets available on two different flights.
Paid RT tickets on preferred date is $768Cdn ea + bag fees/

BUF to FLL on our preferred date: 4 awards ticket on one intineary and 2 on another OR 6 paid tickets at $261US ea. Even flying into MIA was $394US ea.
I placed everyone on my PNR and we all get my baggage allowance.

No hard feelings, it is a business decision!

iceblueshoes

+1
I can agree with this, although since I rarely to the US, it's not a big deal to me.
For $200, I'm not adding on another 4-6 hours of travel time to a trip since I'd also have to rely on megabus/greyhound since I don't have a car (insurance is killer here!). At $400 price dif you have me seriously having a second look, but as others have mentioned, flying elsewhere has little to no savings.

This was also discussed on RFD and the conclusion was basically that if you're flying to the US, BUF is a good option, but if you're flying elsewhere, it usually isn't.

Having said that, I can see how the savings would add up for a family, but if you're flexible you can often find decent deals out of YYZ. I'd rather do a connection than non-stop (with my final destination being YYZ) than to drive to BUF before and after a trip.

YYZ for me and YTZ (when Porter has a good sale) I'd rather be delayed in Toronto than BUF, especially if a flight is cancelled or delayed for the night.

astroflyer

That's also been my experience. Basically transcon domestic US flights, especially to the west coast are significantly cheaper our of BUF. Same goes for US flights to obscure destinations. Generally international flights out of BUF are within $100 in savings or even more expensive than Toronto.

One thing I always keep in mind is IrrOps. YYZ is bad enough in IrrOps for carriers like UA, but a place like BUF with so many fewer flights is really a mess.