A new, ultra-low-cost airline has officially opened bookings for flights across Canada — but the base fares won’t give you all the bells and whistles you may see with other companies.
Lynx Air opened its site Wednesday to those looking to save some money on trips from Toronto all the way to Vancouver.
Canadians can book flights to Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Toronto for as low as $39 up to around $80. But as low as the fares can cost, travellers will have to pay additional fees for things like baggage.
YYZ, YVR, YWG, YYC and YLW – starting from $39 one-way! We are excited to announce that tickets are on sale for a number of our routes taking off in April 2022. Flying Lynx is the easy decision. Where to go first is the hard one. To purchase, go to https://t.co/j8nYFQcSNN! pic.twitter.com/FwcsXElXyQ
— Lynx Air (@Lynx_Air) January 19, 2022
For shorter flights (under 1,000km), any carry-on baggage will cost you somewhere between $30 and $50 depending on if you choose to check-in online or at the airport.
As flight lengths increase, so will the cost of your bag.
While Lynx has unveiled some surprisingly low prices for cross-country travel — something many people have been calling for repeatedly — it’s unclear how long these deals will be around for.
Air passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs says the arrival of a new competitor will likely force other airlines to lower prices on these routes, which is good news.
Lukacs does caution that Lynx could overcommit themselves and once they see insufficient demand, they will cancel routes.
“They are trying to mimic WestJet’s success in quite different times, and without the careful planning that went into WestJet when it was launched,” he said.
“In practical terms, if Lynx cancels your flight, they will rebook you only on their own next available flight, which may be several days later. I anticipate this to cause passengers significant problems and to think twice whether they book on Lynx, although I fear that some unsuspecting victims may be enticed by the low price — and will be in for an unpleasant surprise.”
