Airline ticket prices have skyrocketed in the last year, but not so much as to discourage travelers from packing their bags, many of whom are fleeing long vacations.
• Also read: It’s a holiday, Air Canada is piling up bugs
The phenomenon even has a name in English: “Revenge Travel”.
“People have been so locked out of travel during the pandemic that a surge won’t stop them from making the trip and checking off the destinations that are on their dream list,” said Andrée-Ann Déry, spokeswoman for the CAA-Quebec.
The hotel, plane tickets, restaurants, everything costs more. The CAA estimates that the increases will fluctuate around 20%.
A non-stop round-trip airline ticket from Quebec to Paris in July costs $1,640.67 on Air Transat in economy class, excluding checked baggage. And it’s not the most expensive (see table).
Travelers have a thirst for discovery, but their return to reality is likely to be quite brutal.
“It’s a strange phenomenon because this increase in demand, just on an economic level, shouldn’t be felt, with the various announcements related to the American economy, the job losses, the recession that is becoming more evident and the phenomenal increase in.” Household debt,” explains Jacques Nantel, Professor Emeritus at HEC Montréal.
The desire to travel could therefore be explained by a need to catch up.
“We stretch the rubber band. Everyone wants to travel. We want to make up for lost time: “The hell with the costs,” emphasizes Mr. Nantel.
Travel on credit
The latter expects a backlash in 2024-2025.
“Most Canadians travel on credit. 70% of trips are made on credit. Travel now and pay later”, picture M. Nantel.
According to Ms. Déry, travelers will have no choice but to leave. On the other hand, they are more inclined to compromise on activities and types of accommodation. According to CAA-Quebec, the average budget per vacationer has actually increased this year. It went from $848 in 2022 to $1043 in 2023.
“The industry is also recovering. Supply does not necessarily match demand. This implies that there may also be price increases,” Ms. Déry continues.
In fact, for Jacques Nantel, the travel industry is “doing very well,” at least on the demand side, which has returned to 2019 levels. As for supply, that’s a different story.
“Anywhere in the world it is difficult to meet this need. There are problems with logistics, labor and obviously increased operating costs, so companies are struggling to meet demand, leading to great dissatisfaction,” he said.
Unbelievable to go to Paris
Prices for last minute flights to Paris are exorbitant this year.
“Prices have reached levels I haven’t seen since I got into the industry,” says Luc Laflamme, sales manager at Voyage Vasco Spatial in Quebec, who has 40 years of experience behind the tie.
For last-minute flights to a destination like Paris, expect an average cost of $1,600 in the summer.
“What’s different is that people who booked at the last minute used to have better prices. Now the opposite is the case,” adds Mr. Laflamme.
“When tour operators put their departure dates on sale, they offer a lower price to stimulate demand, and algorithms gradually increase prices when demand is high.”
Despite the rise in the price of airline tickets, the travel industry is not in trouble.
“Let’s say people are recovering from the time they lost during the pandemic. There is a demand that is, not to say, unusual, greater than usual.
Mr Laflamme points out that the pandemic is no longer having an impact on travel.
“People are like, ‘Hey my God, the prices have gone up!’
“They say, ‘We’re going to tighten our belts and save elsewhere, but we’re doing the same thing.'”
Typically, travelers planning to travel to Europe in July and August plan their vacation several months in advance, he says.
“The more the plane is filled, the more the prices rise,” adds the specialist from Vasco.
Regarding pricing, Mr. Laflamme believes the situation would be much worse if Transat had been sold to Air Canada.
According to the CAA, 69% of Quebecers plan to take a vacation in the coming months despite current inflation. About 22% plan to fly and 9% want to travel to Europe to enjoy their vacation.
price examples
$1687 from July 23 to August 4 direct Quebec-Paris flight
$1708.55 from July 23 to August 4 direct flight Montreal-Paris
$1794.55 from July 22 to August 5 flight Montreal-Paris including bus from Quebec to PE.T.
$1633.67 from July 23 to August 4 flight Quebec-Paris (with stopover in Montreal)
$1640.67 from July 24 to August 5 direct flight Quebec-Paris
$1250.67 from July 23 to August 4 direct flight Montreal-Paris
$1437.67 from July 22 to August 4 direct flight from Quebec City to London
$1475.58 from July 23 to August 4 direct flight Montreal-London
$1573.44 from July 24 to August 4 Quebec-Paris flight with stopover in Montreal
$1423.55 from July 24th to August 4th direct flight Montreal Paris
$1571.15 from July 24th to August 4th direct flight Montreal-London
$2,117.06 from July 24 to August 4 Quebec-London flight (with stopover in Montreal)
Note: These prices are the result of an economy class search performed on June 28th. The selected period begins with the beginning of the construction holidays.
Can you share information about this story with us?
Write to us or call us directly at 1-800-63SCOOP.