zinneken

On purpose controversially worded title to highlight a point, not to hurt anyone's feelings...

In europe airline competition connects major airports, return, for probably an average €120 onwards (taxes & fees inclusive). That's not taking into account the likes of Ryanair who can drop that pricepoint substantially.

If one is lucky, connecting through major airports in Canada will set one back minimum $350 return (taxes & fees inclusive) or roughly double the amount paid in Europe.

Yet, the distances are not that different, and while the weather in Canada can sometimes be unforgiving in season, it can do so too in Europe.

Compare the price of flights of roughly 800 miles
YYC-YWG
YYZ-YHZ
LHR-VIE
BRU-MAD
AMS-FCO
etc.

At any given point in time Canadian flights will be at least roughly double the price of European counterparts (in distance) for equivalent booking class/service.

So, is the air thinner above Canada? Do they use old soviet planes that need constant maintenance and are fuel hungry? If not, why do Canadians put up with at least double the prices for similar distance between airports? Do Canadians like to pay double what others in the civilized world pay?

747FC

Supply. Demand.

paul4040

It is simply because there is a lack of real alternative in Canada. Rail travel is much less developed than it is in Europe. Cities of 60,000 people can be without any rail connection, but in Europe a city that size will have at least one and possibly several railway stations.

geirfugl

Look at ticket prices in Africa,where the alternative is something like a 3 day,virtually offroad drive,dont think that the users of air travel like the crazy prices,they just prefeer them to a possibly deadly 3 day drive.Realy quite simple.

UAPremExecflyer

You started an identical rant of a thread two years ago where supply and demand was explained to you and now you're back again with the same question?

zinneken

Then obviously more airlines would be competing for the lucrative margins/inefficiencies and prices would go down? Many low cost airlines have failed just because Canadians keep booking the mostly full and high priced AC and WS flights instead of booking in a cost conscious way. Even WS is still depicted as a low cost airline; blinds me why, but WS is low cost attitude for full cost prices in my book.

I don't think rail has anything to do with it. Most if not all night trains covering long distances have been stopped, and the fast trains are only a real alternative for shorter distances and the longer distances cost much more then flights most of the time.

Comparing Canada to Africa is a start
Probably the best comparison possible is Africa, as India or China or Asia have low cost options in places, often covering for bad roads and train systems.

Totally forgotten about that one, still, an update 2 years later is hopefully not out of order? It probably shows how concerned Canadians are to have more efficient and lower cost options available to them?

747FC

Z: You forget that the supply/demand equation is not just about Canada. Investors/Airlines can make more money placing their assets in other markets where they might have monopoly powers, earning higher ROI than being in a price war with Canadian carriers.

Wpgjetse

Plus we don't secondary airports. These are the airports LCC usually fly out of.

747FC

Secondary airports create excess capacity/supply.

Adam1222

Flight prices have very little to do with distance.
New York to Los Angeles is frequently cheaper than New York to Grand Rapids.

Doc Savage

And Competition.


Europe has it, Canada largely does not.

ricski64

Oh how I agree. ����
My wife and I have tickets from yyc-yvr-ogg-yyc this week. The yyc-yvr alone cost us both slightly over $1000. And the yvr-ogg-yyc segment is $500.
So for $1500, 2/3 of the cost is for a measly 600 flying km in Canada. Taxes of course make up a good chunk.
Even so, we're going to sit on the beach in Maui after two weeks touring the Christmas markets of Germany. ��

CKA1

Perhaps part of it is that in Canada, one cannot drive from Calgary to Vancouver in a day. In Europe, I suspect one could drive from London to Dover in the same day. Even if the distances are similar, you have so many more options in Europe.

As mentioned, Canada does not have an efficient and affordable rail system. The buses are also inefficient.

CK.

geirfugl

Donow,maybe bcs your not very poor,but Im Norwegian,although I dont live in Norway,and in Norway,which is infinetely richer,there are LCCs, donow??

And,BTW,the efectiveness of the road system,do not get into the equation,you can generally fly from Oslo to the northh of Norwaw for a hundred bucks,and there are abouth 5 flights a day evrywhere,-AND,I do not think they do it profitless!!!

EmailKid

Don't see why not. My brother does it regularly.