Amex GBT Tracks Flight Costs In Canada

According to new research from American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), overall, flying will be far more expensive this summer.

Amex GBT analyzed tens of thousands of client transactions on flights to and from Canadian destinations, revealing that a typical Toronto-to-Montreal flight in economy class cost 20% more this year compared to 2019. While an economy flight from Toronto to London, is a resounding 27% more expensive.

As peak travel season is getting underway, in most cases travellers will be paying more. Economy and business-class passengers on the most in-demand corporate routes are seeing higher prices this year, Amex GBT’s analysis showed.

Jeremy Quek, principal global air practice line lead for Amex GBT, said: “We expect air fares to continue to rise this summer, however there are opportunities out there.”

Quek continued: “Half of the domestic routes in the top 10 most travelled are experiencing moderate fare decreases ranging from 14% for flights from Edmonton to Toronto to 2% for flights from Toronto to Winnipeg.”

Other routes experiencing decreases are Calgary to Toronto (-10%), Toronto to Vancouver (-9%) and Edmonton to Vancouver (-11%).

This is in stark contrast to international travel where all routes in the top 10 are trending higher, with the exception of Montreal to New York which experienced a price decrease of 4%.

Said Quek: “The fact that the cost of travel to Western Canada is showing moderate decreases can probably be attributed to changes in the airline competitive landscape.”

He pointed out that: “With Westjet changing its business model post-COVID, scaling back operations in the Eastern part of Canada and re-focusing on the Western part where they are headquartered. This move has led to 35% fewer flights between Montreal and Toronto in 2023 compared to 2019 with prices in Coach rising 20% this year. On the other hand, there are 30% more flights between Calgary and Toronto. It’s a similar picture in Vancouver where there are 25% more flights than in 2019.”