Here's when you could get a "heck of a deal" on airline tickets in Canada

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If you’re looking to purchase airline tickets — especially for destinations within Canada — over the next few months you’re in luck thanks to increased competition within the country’s airline industry.

John Gradek, aviation management faculty lecturer McGill University, says that if the best time to book is within the next 60 days for cheaper airline tickets

“You’ll get a heck of a deal through, I think, the end of April and the beginning of May,” he told Daily Hive.

But after that period Gradek notes that prices will get “significantly higher” due to the demand for summer travel season.

“There are basically two seasons in Canada: there’s a peak season in the summer and then there’s the rest of the year with minor exceptions of Christmas and spring break,” explained Gradek.

“However what makes this year a little more interesting from a passenger perspective is the number of carriers that we have and how aggressive these carriers are attracting traffic.”

Newer low-cost carriers such as Lynx Air, Porter, and Flair have created more competition among Canada’s airlines.

“So that’s why I’m thinking that we have showing up on the domestic services from the… carriers that are out there, we should be able to see some interesting pricing from those carriers that are traditional off-peak periods.”

Budget airlines do come with their own set of caveats and when you’re paying less to fly you’ll likely be paying more when it comes to baggage or meal service.

When it comes to the budget airline that gives the best bang for your buck, Gradek says really depends on whether you’re focusing on price or experience.

“In terms of price leadership, Flair and Lynx are probably the guys who are the most aggressive in terms of pricing.”

Porter is what Gradek refers to as a “middle of the road” airline because initially, its pricing wasn’t as competitive as other budget carriers.

“I think they’ve learned the lesson of the ways of Canadian air travel, that in the off-peak you probably have to roll with the Flairs and Lynx of this world otherwise your planes are gonna go empty,” stated Gradek.

“So we now see a much more aggressive pricing strategy from Porter.”

Gradek added that the lower pricing Canadians will see within the next few months will mainly be for domestic flights because there is less competition on the international level.

Whether booking a flight to a Canadian city or internationally, Gradek says consumers should be aware of dynamic pricing on booking sites.

“Dynamic pricing means that you may want to have a look at a flight… and you’ll get a price quote, come back in about 15 minutes and you’ll get a different price,” he explained.

“The carriers are watching you,” he warned, adding that upon your initial search, you might get a higher fare upfront, but prices may change when you keep searching those specific flight details.

So if you’re planning on travelling soon, keep in mind that the first price that comes up for airline tickets may not be the final price you end up with because “airlines do play that game of adjusting their price dynamically,” said Gradek.

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