Across the Pacific, Air Canada continues to build its Vancouver hub as the gateway to the Pacific. The carrier recently started year-round service to Singapore from Vancouver and will increase capacity to Hong Kong, Osaka and Seoul. On the East Coast, the airline is excited to begin seasonal service from Toronto to Osaka and increase capacity to Tokyo. At the same time, Air Canada will begin seasonal service to Seoul from Montreal, complementing Tokyo’s enhanced capacity.

Flight options are increasing across Europe and Asia this summer, along with a choice of 120 destinations in North America (CNW Group/Air Canada)

“We continue to see strong demand for southern European destinations and have increased capacity for countries such as Italy, Greece, and especially Spain for this summer,” said Air Canada Executive Vice President, Revenue and Network Planning Mark Galardo.

Air Canada is” also focused on strategically expanding its Pacific hub in Vancouver. We are thrilled to have launched service in Singapore earlier this month and increased service to Hong Kong and Japan.” 

Within North America, Air Canada’s domestic and trans-border network will expand to 120 destinations this summer, with the addition of Tulum, Mexico, and Charleston, South Carolina.

Air Canada’s Atlantic schedule will provide the most nonstop service between Canada and Europe of any carrier. Air Canada is launching new direct routes from Montreal and Toronto to Stockholm and will increase frequencies to Rome and Athens. From Montreal, the airline will also launch year-round service to Madrid, increase flights to Paris to up to three times daily during the summer peak, and restore service to Lyon. From Toronto, service will increase to Copenhagen and commence in Edinburgh and Brussels earlier in the season.

In North America, new routes will be offered from Toronto and Montreal to Tulum, from Toronto to Charleston, and from Montreal to St. Louis, Austin and New Orleans. Within Canada, Ottawa-Calgary and Halifax-Vancouver flights will resume, and there will be frequency or capacity increases, including between Toronto and Saskatoon, Regina, Victoria, Sydney and Gander, as well as between Montreal and Regina, Saskatoon, Victoria, Edmonton, Moncton, Fredericton and Deer Lake. 

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Focusing on North American travellers, the Expedia Summer Travel Outlook shows that searches for summer trips for flights and lodging are up year-over-year, and the window is open now to save on summer airfare. Top destinations that lure US travellers include major cities like New York and London and beach destinations like Cancun and Honolulu.

France is also a summer hotspot as Paris and surrounding areas prepare to host a major global sports event in late July. Expedia’s data reveals a massive surge in searches for accommodations during these dates in cities including Yvelines (+520%), Lyon (+310%) and Marseille (+200%).(2)

To help travellers plan for what’s shaping up to be a busy summer travel season, Expedia’s Summer Travel Outlook identifies the best times to book flights to secure a bargain fare.   

Book summer flights 21 to 60 days out. Last year, travellers booking during this window saved around 15% for domestic and international travel.(3) 

North American travellers departing on a Monday (international flights) or Tuesday (domestic flights) save around 15% compared to those that departed on Thursday and Friday.(3)

Fly during mid-to-late August 

It’s less busy and can yield savings of up to USD265 on roundtrip tickets compared to the last week of June when average fares peak.(3)

The Fourth of July holiday falls on Thursday, and the week leading up to the holiday is expected to be the busiest time to fly this summer. (3)

“The cheat sheet is easy this year — book one to two months out and save around 15%, whether you’re taking the family to the beach in Florida or summering in Paris,” says Expedia Head of Group Brands Public Relations Melanie Fish.

Read the full Expedia Summer Travel Outlook here, which includes top destinations and tips for saving on airfare and hotels.

Data Sources: 

(1) Based on Expedia.com flight or lodging searches for travel from 20 May to 6 September 2024, as of 4 March 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.  

(2) Based on Expedia.com lodging searches for travel during July 26 – 11 August, 2024, compared to same dates in 2023. 

(3) Based on Expedia flight demand for travel during May, June, July, August and September 2023 compared to the same time frame in 2022.  

(SOURCE: Expedia)

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