Sunday, November 24, 1991 - North Shore News - 49

fares unfair to western Canada

AIRLINE travel isn’t cheap. Mind you, some fares to
Europe are a lot lower now than they were in previous

years.

The cheapest Air Canada flight
between Vancouver and Toronto
was quoted to me at $459 return.
I inqvired about this after a friend
faxed me an Air Canada adver-
tisement published in the L.A.
Times, Sunday, Nov. 17.

The airline is selling round-trip
Los Angeles-Toronto flights for
$399 US (plus tax) but that’s rwo
tickets.

According to the ad ‘Until Jan.
15, 1992, when you purchase a
round-trip ticket to Toronto on
any of our three daily non-stops
for the low price of $399, we'll let
you bring a friend for free.’”

I checked with North Shore’s
Time Out Travel owner Gus
Mendoza who told me that a simi-
lar offer, with a few different
regulations, is offered to Toron-
tonians flying to L.A.

I can’t help but
discriminated against.

Why should we have to pay
more than double to go to Toron-
to? The mileage is shorter from
Vancouver.

_ Ane why should families in
Toronto be able to take their kids
to Disneyland for $200 US?

Air Canada doesn’t fly Van-
couver-Los Angeles, but Canadian
Airliaes International does. Their
fare is $330 per person.

Froin time to time, certain
packages including accommoda-
tion, etc. are offered by tour
companies and by shopping
around, you can gzt 2 break, but
I’m talking strictly airfare here.

Since ‘deregulation’ of airlines
it appears that we can be charged

feel

McCreadie

TRAVELWISE

‘as little or as much as a carrier
wishes.

I just wish deals like the above
weren’t so biased in favor of
Americans and Easterners.

aeo
I’d heard about some remark-
able bargains to England from
Los Angeles and the rumor was
that these were called ‘‘Eagle’’
fares and were being offered to
Americans (only) on Canadian

’ Airlines International.

I called my friend Walt Grabe
in California, He faxed me the
following:

“Canadian Airlines Interna~-
tional (800-426-7000) operator in
Vancouver acknowledged ‘Eagle
Fare,” referred me to Rebel Tours,
805-294-6900 in Valencia, CA for

restrictions and fares.

“Rebel Tours verified ‘Eagle
Fare,’ but would not say that it
was restricted to U.S. passport
holders. She said that other-
than-U.S. passports would have to
have proper documentation for
transit of Canada (visas, eétc.).

“Fare varies. $499 R/T from
LAX with Vancouver stopover
(plus taxes) is available now,
blacked out for the holidays,
available again January through
March 21. Fourteen-day APEX,
six day to six-month stay.’”

The cheapest fare on any
airline, Vancouver-London is in
the $580 Cdn. range.

What it boils down to is that
our friends can board a CAI flight
in Los Angeles — joi us in Van-
couver and we cin carry on to
London together.

The difference is that “their
flight from Los Angeles to Van-
couver and return is free.

I know that the airline industry
is very competitive. 1 know, teo,
that the American market is much
larger than the Canadian one.
Still, I can’t help feeling offended
that our Canadian airlines are
making Canadians pay higher
prices.

Remember, too, that on top of
the price of every ticket purchased
in Canada, there’s GST. That, of
course, is no fault of the airlines,
but it’s still money out. of our
pockets.

Perhaps I’m misunuerstanding
the whole thing. However, I’ve
got two faxes quoting exact prices.

A Canadian, residing in
Washington state, toid me that he
inquired at an agency there about
Fagle fares and was told that all
he required was proof of residency

Slide presentation on Belize offered

Island Expeditions, a company
that specializes in adventure trav-
el, is presenting a slide show on
Belize, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 7:30
p.m. at Capilano College in the
student lounge.

Belize will come as a surprise to
travellers not familiar with this
region of Central America.

It is 2 place of great natural
beauty with over 70% of its forest
still relatively undisturbed. Situat-
ed in the western Caribbean the
barrier reef which runs the length
of the country is the longest and

Gutside Sales Reps
far Leisure Travel
Cruises
Corporate Travel

Join our full service travel
team. Must have initiative and
proven sales skills. Strong in-
side suppait.

Call Tom Rose at

| s2e-asee |

most pristine in the western hemi-
sphere,

These attributes combined with
the fact that the country abounds
with Mayan ruins and the official
Janguage is English make Belize
the ideal exotic travel destination.

The Island Expeditions slide
show will include the cultures of
Belize, sea kayaking in the tropics,
riverine and forest ecology, and
an overview of the Mayan culture.

For more information phone
687-2428.

[Some Old fashioned Style at the

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Mieatry of kevimmement

such as a hydro bill. This indicates
to me that a Canadian residing in
Canada would be refused the
cheaper fares.

Could my friend in California
purchase tickets: for Brian and
me? Wouldn't it be nice if we
could use the European portion of
the ticket now, returning to Los
Angeles with our friends and then
coming home on that extra flight
coupon?

It’s mind-boggling the games
you can play with this stuff.
Would it be to my advantage, the
next time I want to go to Toron-
to, to pay $330 Cdn. for a
round-trip ticket to Los Angeles
so that we could buy that $200
round-trip ticket te Toronto?

Perhaps you can see the lunacy
in some of this. Will it soon be
cheaper to fly to Calgary by way
of Miami?

“Naska Specials
oe

Special Offers

Caribbean 7 days from 2nd person half price

Mexico 7 days from $928 incl. air from Vancouver

Alaska 7 days from $1, 038 (Van. round trip)
South Pacific 7 days from $i, 699

incl, air from Vancouver
+ 1 night hotel in Honolulu

All prices per person, double occupancy, in US dollars.
Availability on these specials is limited — CALL NOW!

PS. When you cali, ask us about details of how to win a

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(next to Canadian Tire)

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984-6122

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