You Can Now Buy Very Cheap Airline Tickets to Some Canadian Cities

Published February 2, 2018 at 10:44 pm

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If you love to travel but you’re on a budget, you might have already discovered the beauty of ultra-low-cost airlines (ULCCs). Now, WestJet has announced the schedule and tickets are now on sale for its new ULCC, and you can fly to some spots in Canada for very cheap this summer!

ULCCs are awesome because of their low fares. Whether or not you’ve taken one, basically, they stay so affordable by starting at a base price of just a seat, and you can choose your own add-ons like a snack, checked baggage or in-flight entertainment at an additional cost. WestJet’s new airline is called Swoop, and it has officially swooped into the ULCC market!

The flights that kick off this summer are between Hamilton, Abbotsford, Halifax, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, so keep in mind you’ll have to get to Hamilton to catch a flight.

According to Swoop, starting June 20, 2018, the airline will launch six weekly flights between Abbotsford and Hamilton and six weekly flights between Hamilton and Halifax. On June 25, 2018, Swoop will start six weekly flights between Hamilton and Edmonton and between Hamilton and Winnipeg.

Swoop’s service between Abbotsford and Edmonton will start July 25, 2018 and will operate three-times daily. Overall, the airline will have 45 weekly flights: 24 weekly flights from Hamilton and 27 from Abbotsford.

Here’s a breakdown of the recently released schedule and when flights start:

Here’s a look at the standard, low-cost pricing that you can snag tickets at:

“Swoop is travel without the flair,” said Bob Cummings, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Strategy and the executive member responsible for the launch of Swoop. “Buy the seat and customize the features you want.”

These airlines are quite new to North America, but they’ve been available around the world for some years now.

ULCCs typically keep their fares so low by maintaining standardized plane sizes, seating configurations and flight patterns. They keep the “bells and whistles” at airports to a minimum.

That being said, lower fares can mean less comforts – ULCCs typically add seats to their planes, which reduces legroom, and charge extra for additional features like snacks. 

As for features you can purchase, those include a bag, movies and Wi-Fi, more legroom or less, and buy-on-board snacks and beverages. Bringing a small personal item on board is free.

“It’s not going to replace other airlines – just complement the options available,” says Swoop’s website.

Swoop is WestJet’s take on ULCCs to “get more Canadians travelling.” According to WestJet, it’s the only ULCC in Canada with a “strong balance sheet.”

What exactly does that entail?

A modern fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 189 seats each for one, and, according to WestJet, a solid management team with strong knowledge of the market.

Click here to book a flight.

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