Lower Air Fares and Airport Fees Give Canadians Many Reasons to use Buffalo Airport

Posted below is an excellent article on why Canadians are heading to Buffalo for cheaper airfares. I've included portions of the article, but the entire piece is well worth reading:

Fare Better South Of The Border

By TED JACKOVICS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 13, 2008

TAMPA - When Kimberly Hartley wanted to fly between Toronto and Tampa to attend a conference here in January, the best round-trip airfare she could find cost $1,185 on Air Canada.

Then, Hartley researched fares between Buffalo and Tampa and found one for $475 on Southwest Airlines.

So Hartley did what an increasing number of U.S. and Canadian travelers are doing. She bypassed the steep charges that the Canadian government adds to flights using Canadian airports.

Airports in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, N.Y., have emerged as gateways to the burgeoning Toronto-Hamilton, Ontario, corridor, while airports in Burlington, Vt., and Plattsburgh, N.Y., are marketing themselves as alternatives to flying into Montreal.

Families Can Save A Lot

But the cost savings can mount, especially for parties larger than a single traveler.

"It is not unusual for families to save $800 or more on tickets to or from places like Tampa," said C. Douglas Hartmayer, director of public relations for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which oversees the Buffalo and Niagara Falls airports.

The savings also matter to business travelers like Hartley.

"Should I pay more for a little more convenience," said Hartley, a Pinellas County tourism consultant who lives 30 miles west of Toronto in Oakville, Ontario, "or should I take an easy drive and get a less expensive fare?"

If you live in Ontario and are flying out of the Buffalo airport, check out our main web site for the cost of airport transportation service from your door to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.