As more Maritimers are looking to travel abroad, Air Transat is expanding its international flight service from Atlantic Canada starting next month. Beginning on Dec. 18, the Montreal-based airline will offer up to 20 direct flights per week to 10 destinations in the Caribbean and southern U.S. from Halifax and Moncton until the middle of May.
“We are proud to present an ambitious flight program that is even more attractive that our pre-pandemic offer,” said Michèle Barre, Air Transat’s chief revenue officer.
Air Transat has significantly expanded service from Atlantic Canada to the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Florida, specifically.
The airline is offering four weekly flights to Cancun and Punta Cana from Halifax. Air Transat is also expected to run three flights per week to Orlando and two to Fort Lauderdale. Additionally, there will be increased service to five other destinations in Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic from the Nova Scotia capital.
Moncton travellers, meanwhile, are also scheduled to have weekly flights to Cancun, Punta Cana and Orlando, plus direct service to Varadero, Cuba.
In previous years, Air Transat only offered direct service to those destinations beginning in February.
By increasing direct service in December, Atlantic travellers will have more options to travel abroad during the holiday season without having to connect through a larger Canadian city, said Nicole Bursey, Air Transat’s commercial director of Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
“It’s possible to travel all year round from most gateways in Canada, but if it’s not during peak travel times, you’re often travelling via Toronto, Montreal or a host of other spots,” Bursey said.
“What the leisure traveller values is the direct flight. We wanted to have that direct lift earlier.”
Travellers can also take advantage of incredible options during the popular holiday period as well as 100,000 roundtrip flights to the South and the United States starting at $399 during the Black Friday mega sale1.
The increase comes two months after an Air Transat-led survey found that “relaxation” is the main reason why Canadians prefer to travel.
The airline, in collaboration with Maru/Blue, a market research group from Toronto, asked more than 1,500 Canadians about travel preferences. Nearly half of Maritime residents said they were primarily interested in travelling to relax, while 34% expressed a desire to experience a new culture.
The demand to travel abroad increased after the pandemic, Bursey said. And nearly four years after the pandemic was declared, many people are still seeking international getaways.
“There is still a little bit of that pent-up demand,” she said. “People seem to be valuing more time with their families now than pre-pandemic. So, we really wanted to offer that holiday vacation.”
The price for each destination varies depending on the time of the year.
Cancun and Punta Cana tend to be the most popular destinations for Canadians, Bursey said. However, if travellers are looking to save money, there are often deals to all of Air Transat’s southern destinations in January—a few weeks after the peak travel season in December.
The new six-month direct service will hopefully create a new booking pattern, incentivizing people to take two winter vacations per year, Bursey said, like one trip in December and another in April.
Ultimately, though, she hopes that the added flights will help people escape the cold and enjoy time with loved ones and friends.
“Air Transat has beefed up their schedule to help Atlantic Canadians have an easier time finding a good vacation this winter.”
This content has been developed and paid for by Air Transat without involvement from The Coast’s editorial department.
1. The offer is valid on individual bookings made between now and November 26, 2023 for travel before June 30, 2024.↩
This article appears in Nov 6 – Dec 2, 2023.