Travel costs are expected to rise as demand creeps up
Anyone expecting to travel later this summer or fall should be prepared to pay more for everything from flights to car rentals, thanks to pent-up demand and seasonal increases.
While traffic is still down dramatically at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, it's been steadily increasing in recent weeks as COVID-19 restrictions loosen.
"We're up to about 1,500 to 2,000 people a day, arriving and departing," Public Affairs Director Tiffany Chase told CTV News Wednesday.
"Still not that 11,000 that we would have seen pre-pandemic, but we continue to see small, incremental increases. I feel like, as more people are vaccinated, particularly getting the double dose … we expect more people will be choosing to travel to reunite, especially with family and friends in the coming weeks."
Peter Banks and Kerry Andrews from Truro were flying to Alberta Wednesday for the birth of their latest grandchild.
"We're flying direct to Calgary, and then Calgary to Fort Mac, but as far as the prices, I haven't noticed any difference," said Banks.
Some travellers have snagged some deeply discounted flights, but experts say those will be harder to find as demand continues to increase across the country.
In the United States, Delta Airlines reported Wednesday it expected to return to profitability, with domestic leisure demand fully recovered in that country.
"This is exactly what we expected with the recovery that we're starting to see right now," said Dr. Lorn Sheehan, director of the Rowe School of Business.
"We saw it happen already in the U.S., because the U.S. is open ahead of Canada, and now we're starting to see the same thing in Canada."
"That will increase even further when global travel opens up more."
But seasonal demand will likely also be a factor in pricing.
"As the summer goes through, gas prices go up, and peak season hotels are charging higher rates and that's just the nature of the travel industry," said Gary Howard, CAA Atlantic's VP of Marketing and Communications.
Prices were the last thing on Kerry Andrews' mind as she and Banks waited for their flight Wednesday.
"We have a daughter and a son and two grandsons - and one on the way tomorrow, so we're really excited to see our family," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Firefighters battle to control devastating Los Angeles wildfires as ferocious winds calm somewhat
A fast-moving fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, threatening one of Los Angeles' most iconic spots as firefighters battled to get under control three other major blazes that killed five people, put 130,000 people under evacuation orders and ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena.
Canada could impose tariffs on U.S. steel, orange juice in response to Trump threat
Canadian officials are narrowing a list of American products to target in the event the federal government must respond to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, CTV News has confirmed.
NEW Tipping guide to Canada: When, where and how much to tip for restaurants, taxis and more
CTVNews.ca has created an entirely unofficial guide to tipping in Canada to help visitors, newcomers and curious Canadians navigate the shifting social norms of when, where and how much to tip.
'On the front line': Quebec planes and B.C. helicopters battle L.A. wildfires
Water-bombing pilots and crews from Quebec and a British Columbia company have been grappling with high winds and heavy turbulence in the battle against massive Los Angeles wildfires, as Canadians with homes in the area are forced to flee fast-moving flames.
Canadians want Ottawa and provinces to team up against Trump tariff threats: Nanos survey
A majority of Canadians want Ottawa and the provinces to team up against U.S. tariff threats, according to a new survey by Nanos Research.
Convicted Jan. 6 rioter arrested as fugitive in Whistler, B.C.
An American citizen convicted of participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on Capitol Hill who said he was seeking asylum in Canada has been arrested as a "fugitive from U.S. justice," according to authorities.
Can the U.S. really make Canada the 51st state?
Talk of Canada becoming the 51st American state has raised an existential question on this side of the border: Could it be done? Could the maple leaf make way to the stars and stripes? According to several experts, it may be possible, but not painless.
Overdose deaths in Ontario increasingly involve more than one drug, new report says
An increasing number of overdose deaths in Ontario involves the use of more than one drug, with the combination of opioids and stimulants proving to be especially dangerous, a new report says.
Attack on Chad's presidential palace leaves 19 dead
An attack on Chad's presidential palace left 18 assailants dead and six in custody, with one soldier killed and three wounded, state media reported Thursday.