J fare significantly cheaper out of Canada than US for numerous int'l destinations
Aug 23, 2015, 9:29 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 280
J fare significantly cheaper out of Canada than US for numerous int'l destinations
I fly out of ORD, but recently found that YYZ (and other Canadian airports) are much cheaper for premium fares. See below for a table I started compiling.
All fares are cheapest all-in business class round trip fare found on google flights over the next 6 months, so specific dates could be higher.
For me, ORD-YYZ is $600 RT in business class and just a 1.5 hour direct flight. It seems like it's therefore a no brainer for some of the larger price discrepancies, such as the $3k savings for Johannesburg or $2.5k savings for Melbourne. Similar savings can be achieved out of YVR/YUL if you live on the east/west coast.
Anyway, this may be old news for some but thought I'd share. I do have a question for the veterans though--how easy (if it's even possible) to marry together two round trips if I go through with this? Say I book ORD-SYD on United and book a separate YYZ-ORD on United, would I be able to call reservations up and merge into a single ticke (so if YYZ-ORD segment gets delayed they'd accommodate me for the ORD-SYD one)? What about if it's two airlines but in the same alliance, so say United and Swiss?
All fares are cheapest all-in business class round trip fare found on google flights over the next 6 months, so specific dates could be higher.
For me, ORD-YYZ is $600 RT in business class and just a 1.5 hour direct flight. It seems like it's therefore a no brainer for some of the larger price discrepancies, such as the $3k savings for Johannesburg or $2.5k savings for Melbourne. Similar savings can be achieved out of YVR/YUL if you live on the east/west coast.
Anyway, this may be old news for some but thought I'd share. I do have a question for the veterans though--how easy (if it's even possible) to marry together two round trips if I go through with this? Say I book ORD-SYD on United and book a separate YYZ-ORD on United, would I be able to call reservations up and merge into a single ticke (so if YYZ-ORD segment gets delayed they'd accommodate me for the ORD-SYD one)? What about if it's two airlines but in the same alliance, so say United and Swiss?
Aug 23, 2015, 9:33 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SFO, BRU, ADB
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Aug 23, 2015, 10:15 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SFO, BRU, ADB
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Aug 24, 2015, 10:52 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2014
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This is a well-known fact. A friend of mine MR's from Seattle and he just drives up to YVR to save thousands.
YVR-CTU in UA-P is in the low $2k range.. always. Just be careful with two things:
1. Make sure you can actually book it at that price. UAbomb may reprice based on your location. Maybe a Canadian OTA might price it in CAD and you get a great rate as the USD stays where it's at.
2. Know your mileage accruals. Intra Canada flights, or AC, etc. earn variable rates.
YVR-CTU in UA-P is in the low $2k range.. always. Just be careful with two things:
1. Make sure you can actually book it at that price. UAbomb may reprice based on your location. Maybe a Canadian OTA might price it in CAD and you get a great rate as the USD stays where it's at.
2. Know your mileage accruals. Intra Canada flights, or AC, etc. earn variable rates.
Aug 24, 2015, 1:57 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,397
well there also IS a sale going on.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premi...900-rt-ai.html
and numerous other ex-CAN deal threads in the premium fare forum.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premi...900-rt-ai.html
and numerous other ex-CAN deal threads in the premium fare forum.
Aug 24, 2015, 6:26 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Tricoastal - London, New York, Silicon Valley
Programs: DL DM/2.5MM, 20 Years Top Tier on DL, UA 1K, AC E75k, MR/SPG Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,309
This is a well-known fact. A friend of mine MR's from Seattle and he just drives up to YVR to save thousands.
YVR-CTU in UA-P is in the low $2k range.. always. Just be careful with two things:
1. Make sure you can actually book it at that price. UAbomb may reprice based on your location. Maybe a Canadian OTA might price it in CAD and you get a great rate as the USD stays where it's at.
2. Know your mileage accruals. Intra Canada flights, or AC, etc. earn variable rates.
YVR-CTU in UA-P is in the low $2k range.. always. Just be careful with two things:
1. Make sure you can actually book it at that price. UAbomb may reprice based on your location. Maybe a Canadian OTA might price it in CAD and you get a great rate as the USD stays where it's at.
2. Know your mileage accruals. Intra Canada flights, or AC, etc. earn variable rates.
TFD
Aug 24, 2015, 6:54 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Since the BoSox and ChiSox won it, now it is the Cubs turn to take the Series. Go Cubs Go!
Posts: 3,685
All fares are cheapest all-in business class round trip fare found on google flights over the next 6 months, so specific dates could be higher.
For me, ORD-YYZ is $600 RT in business class and just a 1.5 hour direct flight. It seems like it's therefore a no brainer for some of the larger price discrepancies, such as the $3k savings for Johannesburg or $2.5k savings for Melbourne. Similar savings can be achieved out of YVR/YUL if you live on the east/west coast.
For me, ORD-YYZ is $600 RT in business class and just a 1.5 hour direct flight. It seems like it's therefore a no brainer for some of the larger price discrepancies, such as the $3k savings for Johannesburg or $2.5k savings for Melbourne. Similar savings can be achieved out of YVR/YUL if you live on the east/west coast.
Aug 24, 2015, 7:00 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 280
I just used google flights and manually searched the origin/destination one by one--if there is a better way to monitor J fares I'm all ears!
Aug 24, 2015, 7:35 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,397
ex-YVR
KLM J, 1878.- USD
AF J, 1878.- USD
ex-west coast USA
KLM J: 3306.- USD
DL J: 3306.- USD
*A
ex-YVR:
AC J, LX J, LH J, OS J, UA J: between 1900.- USD and 2000.- USD
ex-west coast USA:
LH J, UA J, LX J, OS J from the west coast USA: ~3270.- usd
so... yah. I picked Vienna as a random example, works for many other European cities.
Aug 24, 2015, 7:48 pm
#15
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Say I book ORD-SYD on United and book a separate YYZ-ORD on United, would I be able to call reservations up and merge into a single ticke (so if YYZ-ORD segment gets delayed they'd accommodate me for the ORD-SYD one)? What about if it's two airlines but in the same alliance, so say United and Swiss?