Airline Tips

[Whitey]

I am flying to Phoenix over the March Break with my wife and son. I have booked a flight online with Air Canada once, but they want a crazy amount of money. I am thinking of going to either Buffalo or Detroit to get a cheaper flight. Does anyone have any tips on a good website? Should I use a travel agent? Any help would be appreciated?

[phishtaper]

buffalo is a VERY easy airport to fly in and out of. inexpensive parking, easy to get around, spacious. NOTHING like pearson. if you can get a good flight out of there, do it.

try kayak.com. it searches all airline databases. good place to start, at least.

[Patchoulia]

Basher will be back later..I think he's at the dentist..he's got a bunch of tips..they don't call him pricebasher for nothin'..

Well, I guess he calls himself that...But there's good reason!

[Whitey]

Thanks, that would be great.

[Blane]

American Airlines has return flights from Toronto for about 600 including taxes and fees. Don't know what price range you were looking for but they tend to be cheaper than AC in my experience.

Edited January 9, 2008 by Guest

[c-towns]

Airtran(s) check it out.

[afro poppa]

try airninja.com or kayak.com

[Patchoulia]

Basher says:

It'll be much cheaper from Buffalo or Detroit (which is closer for you)..go to:

farechase.yahoo.com and do a search

Independently also check:

Southwest.com for flights from Buffalo

and

airtran.com for flights from both Detroit and Buffalo.

[hamilton]

Westjet!

(BEFORE TAKEOFF)

Hello and welcome to WestJet Flight 438 to Vancouver. If you're going to Vancouver, you're in the right place. If you're not going to Vancouver, you're about to have a really long evening. We'd like to tell you now about some important safety features of this aircraft. The most important safety feature we have aboard this plane is The Flight Attendants. Please look at one now.

There are 5 exits aboard this plane: 2 at the front, 2 over the wings, and one out the plane's rear end. If you're seated in one of the exit rows, please do not store your bags by your feet. That would be a really bad idea. Please take a moment and look around and find the nearest exit. Count the rows of seats between you and the exit. In the event that the need arises to find one, trust me, you'll be glad you did. We have pretty blinking lights on the floor that will blink in the direction of the exits. White ones along the normal rows, and pretty red ones at the exit rows.

In the event of a loss of cabin pressure these baggy things will drop down over your head. You stick it over your nose and mouth like the flight attendant is doing now. The bag won't inflate, but there's oxygen there, I promise. If you are sitting next to a small child, or someone who is acting like a small child, please do us all a favor and put on your mask first. If you are traveling with two or more children, please take a moment now to decide which one is your favorite. Help that one first and then work your way down.

In the seat pocket in front of you is a pamphlet about the safety features of this plane. I usually use it as a fan when I'm having my own personal summer. It makes a very good fan. It also has pretty pictures. Please take it out and play with it now.

Please take a moment now to make sure your seat belts are fastened low and tight about your hips. To fasten the belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle. To release, it's a pulley thing -- not a pushy thing like your car, because you're in an airplane -- HELLO!

There is no smoking in the cabin on this flight. There is also no smoking in the lavatories. If we see smoke coming from the lavatories, we will assume you are on fire and put you out. This is a free service we provide. There are two smoking sections on this flight, one outside each wing exit. We do have a movie in the smoking sections tonight ... hold on, let me check what it is ,Oh here it is ... the movie tonight is "Gone With the Wind."

In a moment we will be turning off the cabin lights, and it's going to get really dark, really fast. If you're afraid of the dark, now would be a good time to reach up and press the yellow button. The yellow button turns on your reading light. Please don't press the orange button unless you absolutely have to. The orange button is your seat ejection button.

We're glad to have you with us on board this flight. Thank you for choosing WestJet, and giving us your business and your money. If there's anything we can do to make you more comfortable, please don't hesitate to ask. If you all weren't strapped down you would have given me a standing ovation, wouldn't you?

(AFTER LANDING)

Welcome to the Vancouver International Airport. Sorry about the bumpy landing. It's not the Captain's fault. It's not the Copilot's fault. It's the Asphalt.

Please remain seated until the plane is parked at the gate. At no time in history has a passenger beat a plane to the gate. So please, don't even try. Also, please be careful opening the overhead bins because "shift happens."

[Whitey]

Thanks for the help folks!

[bokonon]

My aunt flies at least once a week, going all over North America. She says Buffalo is one of her favourite airports. Even when she's coming to Brantford (or leaving from Brantford) she will use the Buffalo airport because it's a better facility and flights are cheaper.

I've only flown about ten times and used maybe four different airlines, but Westjet has been my favourite because they are cheaper, the seats are more comfortable on my back (I have good posture, I find Air Canada is built for hunchbacks) but they are narrower. If you have a big butt you might not like Westjet. On Westjet flights you have to pay for food but I kinda like their sandwiches, nothing special, but I'd rather have a fresh-ish sandwich than processed mystery meat. And the flight attendants have always been funny, some of them even sing!

[Basher]

The problem with flights from Canada are the taxes, airport fees, and other government charges.

Case in point, the flight I booked to Ottawa for nero had a base fare of $47, but the ticket came to $120. The same flight, were it within the USA, with a base fare of $47, would cost about $60.

[Kanada Kev]

Last month I flew out of Buffalo to go to Orlando. It was a breeze! Trust me, I'll be doing it again for sure. From Oakville it only takes just over an hour to get there. On some days it could take that long to drive to Pearson in traffic, etc.

Once you're at the Buffalo airport you only deal with security for national flights ... no customs!!! That saves a lot of airport hassle too.

[AD]

i've flown out of buffalo a few times and agree, it's a total breeze. big fan here.

[phishtaper]

AND there's the added bonus of the Anchor Bar being within 20 minutes when you get back

[Basher]

Another bonus - the Buffalo Airport is very small, compared to YYZ, which means far less time spent taxiing on runways.

[Chewie]

yeah i flew bufalo for nye for the first time...awesome airport b/c of the aforementioned reasons. the only shitty part was the 2 hour drive home afterwards.

[Kanada Kev]

you can always get a room at a Buffalo Airport hotel super cheap on Priceline and just chill for the night when your flight gets in (i might do this the next time)

[phishtaper]

you can always get a room at a Buffalo Airport hotel super cheap on Priceline and just chill for the night when your flight gets in (i might do this the next time)

and by "chill", you mean "order in a hooker and do coke off the room key"?

[Kanada Kev]

you can always get a room at a Buffalo Airport hotel super cheap on Priceline and just chill for the night when your flight gets in (i might do this the next time)

and by "chill"' date=' you mean "order in a hooker and do coke off the room key"? [/quote']

Could it mean anything else??? We're talkin' Buffalo, man

[Birdy]

I fly out of Detroit pretty regularly and think it's probably the most organized and thorough airports of all the larger airports I've ever been to. The new terminal, McNamara, is my favourite terminal flown out of to date, and it's a Northwest hub, so it pretty much flies everywhere, direct. The old terminals are pretty shitty, but thats ok cuz it gives them that small time airport charm. Parking is abundant and cheap too.

I'd say check out travelocity, orbitz, expedia to find out which airlines are offering the cheapest flights... then go straight to the airline's website to actually book it, as they normally charge a fee to use these search sites or whatever you call them. Northwest though has regular direct flights to Phoenix throughout the day and they're not too bad. In the off season, not that anyone wants to subject themselves to 120 degree farenheit heat, you can fly for $99 (no Canadian bullshit fees, that's it) roundtrip.

Have fun though. I'm heading there on Tuesday!

[Birdy]

ooh..

Southwest.com flies from Detroit too... cheap!