Air Canada Busts the U.S. Border With Covid Fares to Asia Up to 74% Off

Make a connection on Air Canada and get a 3-for-1; elites to pay through the nose;  plus optional Canada exploration(s) for free.

Last-minute fare update: Two hours away from publishing this special report, Air Canada increased fares ~$350 to $500, depending on the route. That said, these fares are still an amazing deal when compared to other fares, which range from $4,000 to $6,800 higher. Plus, the fares could also drop again, as fares nowadays are volatile/change rapidly.

Imagine you’re planning to go to dinner at your favorite sushi restaurant. The taxi driver tells you he can drive straight to there for $20 OR he can go via the ice rink (which is nearby) and it’ll only cost $7. Why not pass by the ice rink on the way to get a deal like that? And hey, you could even get in a little skating.

Which brings me to flying to Asia—Japan specifically. If you go via Canada, you can save big right now–up to 74%. 

Sample low fares to Japan connecting via Canada with Air Canada

Here are some low fares you can expect for travel October through June 1, 2021:

• $2,265 New York
• $2,367 Chicago
• $2,515 Washington, DC
• $2,752 San Francisco
• $2,948 Houston

Now compare those with typical non-stop fares from the U.S.

• $7,051 to $8,560 from New York on All Nippon, Japan Airlines, and United
• $7,051 to $8,551 from Chicago on All Nippon, Japan Airlines, and United
• $7,251 to $9,751 from Washington, DC, on All Nippon and United
• $7,000 to $8,500 from San Francisco on All Nippon, Japan Airlines, and United
• $7,557 from Atlanta on Delta
• $7,051 to $8,551 from Houston on All Nippon and United

Elites pay through the nose

Currently, we’re seeing Air Canada undercutting all major U.S. airlines (American, Delta, and United) from their major non-stop hub cities.

American example: It’s $3,087 from Dallas to Tokyo on Air Canada, while American’s fares are often $7,529. That’s a difference of $4,442/59%.

Delta example: It’s $2,934 from Atlanta to Tokyo on Air Canada, while Delta’s fares are often $7,557. That’s a difference of $4,623/61%.

United example: It’s $2,515 from Washington, DC, to Tokyo on Air Canada, while United’s fares are often $9,751. That’s a difference of $7,236/74%.

It’s the cost of being an elite-focused traveler. If you are an elite who’s locked in, then you’re missing out. 

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE:
LOW-COST UPGRADES FROM PREMIUM ECONOMY

For travel October through June 2021, you can book New York to Tokyo in Business Class on Air Canada for just $2,265 with one connection. Premium Economy during the same time window is $1,874 for a nonstop flight on All Nippon. So that’s $195 more each way, or $14 per flight hour to upgrade. That’s why it’s super important to check those prices before committing to a cabin right now.

BUT YOU CAN’T GET INTO
CANADA NOW, RIGHT?

That’s right, Canada is closed for business from the U.S. due to covid, but a transit (connection) through Canada to another country from any location is permitted. So if Japan is on your radar, it’s a good opportunity to lock in a great price via Canada. Plus, if you decide to stop in Canada (more on 2-for-1 and 3-for-1 strategies below) the information in this report is for 2021 travelers or later in 2020. And don’t worry—these fares are valid for travel well into next year too.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE

This northern dance-step on the way to Japan lands you in one of the planet’s most spectacular countries. Canada is awesome (see some highlights further below). So why not parlay the savings you make on your Japan visit into a Canadian side trip too? The Canadian dollar is greenback-friendly with one U.S. dollar = $1.36 Canadian dollars at time of writing. 

HOW TO USE OUR 2 CITIES-FOR-1 STRATEGY

Let’s say you want to travel from New York to Tokyo and the lowest Business Class fare is $2,265 round-trip with Air Canada. Now, for $2,302, just $37 more, you can fly from New York to Tokyo with a stop in Toronto.

FCF research found that the free enroute stopover strategy in Toronto works when traveling from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, and Washington, DC. From San Francisco to Tokyo, the free enroute stopover is allowed in Vancouver.

We’ve written about this strategy a number of times over the last few months. Check out these great opportunities: TAP Air Portugal with a Lisbon stopover, British Airways with a London stopover, Lufthansa and SWISS with a Frankfurt, Munich or Zurich stopovers, and Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and SAS with Vienna, Brussels, and Copenhagen stopovers. 

HOW OUR 3-FOR-1 STRATEGY WORKS:
THE OPEN JAW

3 for 1! Now the dance is getting jaw-droppingly frenetic. Speaking of which, the open-jaw strategy makes for big savings. Let’s have a look.

Most people fly point-to-point and back (A-B-A). On the other hand, an open-jaw strategy means keeping your plans open. For example, flying to one city and returning from another.

Buy two one-way tickets: New York to Toronto ($262 one-way on Air Canada) and return from Vancouver back to New York ($430 one-way on United) goes for $692 in Business Class booked as two tickets. That way you can spend a few days in Toronto before you go to Japan, and a few days in Vancouver on your return.

Here’s an example of a textbook open-jaw itinerary: fly from Toronto (city A) to Tokyo (city B), and then return to Vancouver (city C) from Tokyo (city B). Toronto to Tokyo and returning back to Vancouver costs $1,928 round-trip nonstop on Air Canada in Business Class right now.

That gives us a total cost of about $2,620 for three destinations. If you were to only fly from New York to Tokyo in Business Class it would cost $8,560 nonstop on All Nippon. So that open-jaw itinerary gives you a savings of $5,653/66%, and two more destinations.

THE RISK OF BOOKING TICKETS NOW

Due to covid, many airlines have new “change fee waiver” policies in place for non-refundable tickets. Policies vary by airline, but in general, the policy waives change fees if you decide not to travel. See FCF’s risk-of-booking widget here for Air Canada. The current change policy allows a one-time change without a fee for travel before August 31, 2021, and new travel must be completed by August 31, 2022.

DON’T USE MILES TO UPGRADE
WHEN FARES ARE LOW

You can book and buy an economy ticket on United from Newark to Tokyo for $1,270 (V class) and pay a co-pay of $1,000 (total $2,270) and 60,000 miles round-trip to upgrade. Or you could book Air Canada in Business Class to Tokyo for just $2,265.

OH CANADA: MANY WONDERS

The world’s second-largest country is big on spectacular sights. Here are some of the highlights:

• Whistler, the largest ski resort in North America.
• Magical Vancouver Island. Get your camera ready.
• Montreal, Canada’s culture capital, a little piece of Paris.
• Banff National Park: stunning natural scenery that words do no justice, and nearby Jasper National Park and Lake Louise
• Go to a hockey game and witness this national sport from a Canadian vantage point.

Don’t forget, The Olympic Games in Tokyo have been rescheduled for July and August 2021. This could be a great way to do it!