Flying out of Buffalo...

[opieshuffle]

Hey Everyone,
Seems as though there's a lot of travellers on this forum so why not ask here?

I found a cheap flight out of Buffalo: $180 cdn vs $450 cdn from Pearson to the same location. (both including all taxes) Anyone found any negatives aside from the border and the drive to get there? Expensive parking? Good experiences...bad? Just trying to see if the savings are worth it.
Thoughts?

Op

 

[sailorsix]

For that difference I would go for it.

I did a lot of permutations for our upcoming trip to the Caribbean including Buf to JFK-SJU, Buf-Charlotte-SJU, Buf-Philly-SJU, Buf-Miami, SJU, Buf-Atlanta-SJU vs YYZ to the same links. The biggest savings over Toronto was only about $80 each but then we had the overnight hotel in Buf to catch a 615AM flight. If you can stand the drive and the border then you have a good deal.

Crossing the border delays really depend on the time of day. We recently went across on a friday at 11 am and it was 15 minutes. Coming back the same day we drove right up to the border booth and got caught in a shift change which meant we were the first ones to help the Canada Customs guy meet his quota (DO NOT CROSS AT 5PM)

The downsides of BUF are weather can be worse and you cannot get direct flights from there to anywhere that I want to stay (other than New York City). Any Caribbean connection requires at least one stop.

Download & use Yapta.com to track your various options.

Check other travel sites as well. I used bookingbuddy.com to check three different sites....and finally try to always book directly with the airline itself.

 

[pritty_kitten]

I flew out of buffalo back in September and thought it was fine. The security check points were fairly quick, and I thought the savings was worth the drive to Buffalo. We went the day before the flight and stayed in a hotel with park and fly service so that also helped as well.

 

[Spinnerbait]

I have done it a few times. There are hotels around the airport that offer free 7 days parking if you book a room. It'll cost you about $100.00 dollars for the room. If you are travelling alone, the saving is not that much after everything. Hope this help.

 

[smylee52]

Hey Everyone,
Seems as though there's a lot of travellers on this forum so why not ask here?

I found a cheap flight out of Buffalo: $180 cdn vs $450 cdn from Pearson to the same location. (both including all taxes) Anyone found any negatives aside from the border and the drive to get there? Expensive parking? Good experiences...bad? Just trying to see if the savings are worth it.
Thoughts?

Op

If you don't mind the drive there and back it is a much better experience than flying out of Pearson . Buffalo airport is like a large bus station . Easy to find your way around and you can leave your car in Airport parking with no worries . With the savings to be had and ease of use I always opt for Buffalo .

 

[Aardvark154]

Depending upon your flight time an other option is taking a bus to the Airport. Trentway-Wagar Inc. runs a bus service between Toronto and Buffalo, and there is a regular buffalo bus service that runs from the Bus Station to the Airport. About $46 round-trip for the Bus.

 

[yaya17]

Keeping in mind that the potential of bad weather during the winter months is greater in Buffalo convienence wise its a no-brainer. Im not saying that its perfect but in my many travel experiences through both Toronto and Buffalo I would most of the time choose BUF.

In terms of parking there are no covered parking lots that I know that are associated with the airport. The downside of this is shovelling 4 feet of snow off your car when you've gone to New York City for the weekend!!! The BIG PLUS is that you can park inside the airport gates for 42/week USD. That is a pretty good bargin when you campare the rip-job the GTAA puts on you to park in the terminal. I think in BUF its the Blue Economy lot.

The other thing I find with flying out of BUF is how hard it is to get a direct flight unless you are travelling to some parts in the northeast. With BUF being a smaller airport most airlines shuttle you from BUF to their north hubs...if its one of their hubs that your going then perfect....if not its switching planes and terminals. Not big deal but having your luggage follow you is always nice.

Keep in mind that because it is so much smaller than YYZ the ammenities within the airport are minimal. A Burger King just outside security and a average bar just inside. Also think there's a starbucks and a small cafe with pre-made sandwiches.

Lastly, the security line is usually pretty quick but can slow down first thing in the morning and after a Bills game..other than that is BUF all the way. PM if you got any questions.

 

[gdog]

I have flown out of Buf many times, parking is 1/3 the cost of Pearson, and as many have said previously many of the hotels offer free or greatly reduced rates if you stay a night. In my case 2 adults & 1 child saved over $650 for a week in Florida v flying out of Pearson; and that was after we stayed the night in a hotel , dinner etc. Pearson is VERY aware of passengers that fly out of Buf, but due to thier high ground lease with the Feds they can do little about it.

I have had no problems with CBSA ( Canada Customs) at the border, and living in Burlington it's not that much further.

 

[lenharper]

... I'd imagine it's a heck of a lot better than flying into buffalo.

 

[Aardvark154]

I have not tried Buf...but the comparisons aren't making it sound a lot cheaper to me. I go into TO and get a hotel for around $100, with up to 2 weeks free parking, shuttle to the airport. The difference in flight costs and the extra taxes would be the main difference for me.... So I guess it has to be a lot cheaper to get me to go to Buf.

That's exactly what you need to do - compare the actual total cost of each option for you. Not infrequently when you factor in incidentals the higher priced airport may in fact be less expensive.

 

[einar]

I have flown out of Buffalo several times on Southwest, a terrific budget airline with the best on-time record of any US airline.
The drive from downtown Toronto to the Buffalo airport parking lot takes about 2 hours, 10 minutes going the speed limit with no traffic and no wait at the border. For me that's a pleasant time of no distractions, and the Buffalo airport is compact and modern, with efficient and inexpensive parking right on-site.
Figure 3 hours drive time and you'll allow for some border waiting and a quick stop at a Tim Horton's.
That's the good news: the bad news, of course, is that snow-belt weather between here and there can screw up everything. Ditto for one-hour or longer border waits, which can happen. Sometimes I go down a night early and stay in a cheap motel. Crossing the border in the evening is usually quicker.
Regular fares on SW -- with zero penalties for changes! -- are about the same as the cheapest, very restrictive sale prices on Air Canada.
So, yes, Buffalo is a viable alternative to Pearson.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

I would rather drive there..

 

[papasmerf]

Flying thru JFK, yesterday,several Canadians were waiting for the Buffalo flight and all agree the numbers make it a bargin.

 

[RTRD]

Much cheaper...

...general out of Buffalo. Parking is much cheaper as well.

Downside is cost of the gas you'd burn, along with the additional time. Time to drive there, wait at the border.

As a general rule for me - business travel out of Pearson (because I am going to charge my client anyway, plus it is important to arrive on time, etc.). Personal travel out of Buffalo (time to plan to get best fare, generally have the time to burn driving and waiting at the border).

I've even driven the night before and stayed at a Buffalo Airport hotel for $50 or so....got some genuine Buffalo Wings at the Anchor Bar and did a bit of shopping at the outlets in Niagara as well.

 

[elmufdvr]

buffalo has an airport? what will they think of next?????????????

 

[opieshuffle]

Thanks!

I appreciate everyone's input on this. Sounds like I'm gonna give it a shot. It's a direct flight too which is a bonus, so I'll just allow all the normal time alloted with getting there and border times, and see what it's all about.

Thanks again everyone.

OP