I have always wished for travel to be more affordable within Canada, and it finally is!
Canada is such a beautiful country, but it is vast, so unless you’re able to travel 14+ hours in car often – which we have done many times – travel can get quite expensive. In fact, for many years, it was more affordable to travel internationally than it was to fly from one province to another.
Not anymore! Travel has become so much more affordable with the new Canadian Airline Swoop, and so I wanted to share our experience.
Cost
We booked a round trip from Edmonton, Alberta to Abbostford, British Columbia, for 7 days. The overall concept of Swoop is that you only pay for your seat, and anything additional is extra; an a la carte system. Below a break down of what the cost of our flight included:
Round Trip for 3 paying travelers and 1 infant.
No carry on luggage (a personal item is allowed on the flight for free PER traveler; must fit underneath the seat.)
1 checked-in bag
3 seats next to each other (on the way there and back). Yes; you have to pay to guarantee you’re sitting next to your party, otherwise you could be spread out on the plane based on available seats.
Taxes & Fees
$468.03 CANADIAN – That’s pretty damn good!
The limitations with the airline currently is that destinations are limited so you can only travel to and from the cities they provide. The time of the flights are limited too.
Customer Experience
Before flying with Swoop, I read a few reviews that were not very positive, so I was a little worried. Most of the reviews were in regards the check-in line closing strictly 45 minutes before departure time -which Swoop clearly indicates in all it’s literature- so an easy solution to that is, arrive 90 minutes before.
The staff was very friendly, and were extra helpful seeing that we were travelling with two young children.
In Flight Service
The In Flight menu is VERY limited, and again, not included in your ticket price. If you want a snack or a drink – even water- you have to pay for it. We came prepared and packed lots of snacks before hand, and bought drinks before getting on the flight and it worked out just fine.
Overall Experience
Our overall experience flying with Swoop was very positive. I admit that I was worried that the price of the flight would be indicative of the experience the airline would offer, but I was pleasantly surprised. The staff was friendly, the flights were on time, and it got us from A to B safely, and more importantly, at a cost that will allows us, a family of four, to travel within Canada much more now.
Other tips to keep costs down when travelling.
- Find accommodation through Airbnb. Not only are you able to find accommodation that is much more affordable, you may end up in the most charming little places with wonderful hosts. Most Airbnbs also have kitchenettes which are great when travelling with children as it allows for easy meal making.
- Make/ Pack your own food. Regardless of whether the place you’re staying in while travelling has a kitchenette or not, make a quick stop to a local grocery store and get some simple foods that you can make in the hotel room to take out with you for lunch/snacks. Bread and peanut butter; easy and always a win! Canned foods and crackers, another easy one. It’s also good to have snacks on the go when travelling with little ones.
- Pack Light (especially in summer months). As much as you can, try and pack light. It reduces the amount of bags you have to lug around with you when travelling, and also, the less money you have to pay for checked bags when flying. Lastly, there is nothing worse than having to wash clothes you never wore on a trip haha.
I’m so happy that Swoop is making travel within Canada so much more affordable, and look forward to many more travel adventures as a family.
