So I notice alot of seat sales going on right now from the United States to Europe. Of course Canadian fares are ALOT higher (Hundreds of CDN dollars).
Having asked around (travel agent across the street and trying to a real person at an airline, key word: trying) I couldn’t get a straight answer on this.
I’m only a couple of hours from Seattle. Could I, a Canadian citizen, buy a ticket from Seattle to say, London? Or is there some law/rule that since I’m a canadian with a Canadian passport I can’t do this?
It’s worth a few hours drive to save a few hundred bucks (over $400 :eek: ) IMO. Of course I can see from the airlines POV why they wouldn’t want me to do this, and if the airline has a rule against, so be it. But if they don’t specifically exclude me in the Terms and conditions, do they have a legal leg to stand on if they refuse me when I show up in Seattle with my Canadian passport ready to hop on the flight?
On their website it specifically asks for country of residence, so that’s a problem since I’m not an American resident.
After re-reading, it occurs to me that since I’m not a resident, the Terms and conditions does exclude me. Well ain’t that peachy. Could I get around this? Do they actually look into this?
I am aware of the rules re: don’t ask for advice on how to do something illegal. But if it’s "only " an airline rule, I wouldn’t be doing anything illegal. It would be akin to a “Help me pass this drug test” type thread rather than a “where can i score some weed?” thread. You’re not helping me break a law, you’re helping me break a rule!
I digress. Is there a way for me to get the american fare, or am i stuck paying an extra $400 even though Seattle is only an hour further away than Vancouver?
Not an expert by any means, but if you had friends in Seattle and drove down to visit, then you all decided to fly to London, they wouldn’t sell you a ticket?
I dunno, that’s why I’m asking. I’d really like to take a trip, especially at some of the rpices they’re offering in the States, but I don’t want to take the chance I’ll be denied service.
Again, the website specifically asks for country of residency before any pricing info is given out. Do i have to rpove that i’m a United States resident? would the travel agent not sell me a ticket if i told them I’m a canadian resident?
I’ve never heard of such a rule. There are any number of perfectly legitimate reasons why a Canadian might be in Seattle and then take a flight to Europe. Suppose you’re a businessman checking in with your Seattle clients before heading over to your London branch office, for example. It’s really none of the airline’s business why you’re there. Being too nosy is bad business anyway – customers tend to prefer competitors who leave them alone.
Asking for country of residence may be just for statistical tracking or something along those lines. I’d be surprised if they refused to sell you a ticket because of that though.
Yes you can do it. I did it when i lived in Vancouver (flying to London), and members of the Vancouver branch of my family have done it on numerous occasions (to Europe). As long as you have a valid passport, that’s all you need.
I can’t see why there would be a problem. When I go to Vancouver, I fly to Seattle then drive as a) it is cheaper, and b) I can’t fly direct to Vancouver.
I wouldn’t even question whether you could book this flight. The airline really doesn’t care where you live, as long as you show up at the gate. While travelling in other countries, I’ve booked flights both roundtrip and one-way, no one ever batted an eye. I’m sure folks do exactly what you are planning all the time.
Exchange rate differences perhaps?
last time I was in Vancouver it was about 40% That would account for a several hundred dollar fare difference if the Seattle fare is in USD and the Vancouver fare is in CDN.
$0.02 (US)
I buy tickets on European airlines going from, for example, London to Paris. I’m a U.S. citizen. No problem. I think the web sites try to be helpful by asking where you are.
IAA travel agent…rather, I run an agency. Don’t ask me to book any travel for you.
The short answer is that there is nothing prohibitting you, as a Canadian, from purchasing a flight from Seattle to London.
Why you are having trouble, could be due to a couple of reasons:
[ul]
[li]the site that you searched does not have a business license for sales in Canada. While some web agencies do not qualify, most airline sites do.[/li]
[li]the airlines price their inventory not just by fare type or the seat type, but by where you are physically located when you are buying the ticket. Prices can vary dramatically for the same fare depending on what country and/or region you live in. If you indicate that you are Canadian then they will give you the Canadian rates. [/li][/ul]
Try some other sites and you should be able to find one that will sell you the ticket…or if you want to save yourself the hassle you could always call up a Seattle based travel agency shameless plug for my industry
Just be sure that your passport, and necessary visas, are in order before you fly.
Mac Rame made really good points about pricing.
Also, if checking fares on the web, make sure to clear your cookies. Some websites will not show you the same “low price” that you saw yesterday if you go back again to look for the fare today. I’ve seen it for myself on more than one occasion while checking fares here at work. “My” computer won’t show the low fare I saw yesterday, but my office-mate’s would!
