2013
21
January
The Official Guide For Canadians Flying Out Of U.S. Airports (from Ottawa & area)
21
January
This guide will attempt to organize everything someone living in the Ottawa area might want to know about flying out of U.S. airports.
If you see anything in this guide that looks incorrect, out of date, or could just simply be improved with better info, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll fix / update it.
Flying out of Ogdensburg, New York (OGS)
How long of a drive is it?
According to Google Maps, Ogdensburg airport is about a one hour drive from Ottawa (98 km each way). map link
Don't forget to account for border-crossing times in each direction. You can find estimated wait times online.
estimated wait times at U.S. border
estimated wait times at Canadian border
Tips:
- If you travel to the States a lot you may wish to get a NEXUS card for $50 (US) for 5 years and eliminate the line ups at borders and airports. [Info on how to apply for NEXUS]
Are there good deals to be had?
Allegiant Air
Every now and then the prices drop low enough to be worth the drive.
How much would I have to save for it to be worth the drive?
This is a tricky question, because the answer is different for everyone, based on the variables involved. But costs you should consider factoring into your comparison (besides the roundtrip flight price) include:
- extra fuel costs (how fuel efficient is your vehicle?)
- baggage costs
- parking your vehicle at the airport
- cost of hotel if it requires an overnight stay
- how much your time is worth
- extra vehicle depreciation
I've created an Excel spreadsheet to help calculate what the true savings are when flying out of Ogdensburg:
click here to download the spreadsheet in Excel format
or
try the U.S. Airports Savings Calculator via Google Docs
screenshot: (click to enlarge)
Go to the YOW vs OGS worksheet and enter in a few variables to calculate what your true savings would be. Using common averages, I've found that if the flight from Ottawa is about $75/person less than the flight from Ogdensburg, the average person is only breaking even.
In my opinion, when the flight from Ogdensburg is at least $175 less per person than the flight from Ottawa, it becomes worth the drive. This is based on my calculations using average factors, and 2 people in a vehicle. You can see the example in the spreadsheet that was used to draw this conclusion.
How much is parking?
Parking at Ogdensburg Airport is $8 USD per day.
Is there any public transportation from Ottawa to Ogdensburg airport?
South Coast Shuttle
Links
Flying out of Watertown, New York (ART)
How long of a drive is it?
According to Google Maps, Watertown airport is about a two hour drive from Ottawa (208 km each way). map link
Don't forget to account for border-crossing times in each direction. You can find estimated wait times online.
estimated wait times at U.S. border
estimated wait times at Canadian border
Tips:
- If you travel to the States a lot you may wish to get a NEXUS card for $50 (US) for 5 years and eliminate the line ups at borders and airports. [Info on how to apply for NEXUS]
Are there good deals to be had?
The only airline that flys out of Watertown (ART) is American Airlines through the AA Eagle Network, which covers destinations throughout the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
How much would I have to save for it to be worth the drive?
This is a tricky question, because the answer is different for everyone, based on the variables involved. But costs you should consider factoring into your comparison (besides the roundtrip flight price) include:
- extra fuel costs (how fuel efficient is your vehicle?)
- baggage costs
- parking your vehicle at the airport
- cost of hotel if it requires an overnight stay
- how much your time is worth
- extra vehicle depreciation
I've created an Excel spreadsheet to help calculate what the true savings are when flying out of Watertown:
click here to download the spreadsheet in Excel format
or
try the U.S. Airports Savings Calculator via Google Docs
screenshot: (click to enlarge)
If you've downloaded the Excel file, please note that you will need to switch to the YOW vs ART worksheet at the bottom of Excel.
Go to the YOW vs ART worksheet and enter in a few variables to calculate what your true savings would be. Using common averages, I've found that if the flight from Ottawa is about $150/person less than the flight from Watertown, the average person is only breaking even.
In my opinion, when the flight from Watertown is at least $250 less per person than the flight from Ottawa, it becomes worth the drive. This is based on my calculations using average factors, and 2 people in a vehicle. You can see the example in the spreadsheet that was used to draw this conclusion.
How much is parking?
Parking is currently free at Watertown Airport.
Is there any public transportation from Ottawa to Watertown airport?
Unfortunately there is not.
Links
Flying out of Syracuse, New York (SYR)
How long of a drive is it?
According to Google Maps, Syracuse airport is about a 3 hour drive from Ottawa (306 km each way). map link
Don't forget to account for border-crossing times in each direction. You can find estimated wait times online.
estimated wait times at U.S. border
estimated wait times at Canadian border
Tips:
- If you travel to the States a lot you may wish to get a NEXUS card for $50 (US) for 5 years and eliminate the line ups at borders and airports. [Info on how to apply for NEXUS]
Are there good deals to be had?
Syracuse offers flights on some major carriers, such as Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta, US Airways, and United Airlines.
They also have JetBlue which is perhaps the most interesting, as it is a low-cost airline that serves a wide variety of destinations, and is one of the few low-cost airlines that people seem to like flying! They serve most major U.S. destinations, and are partnered with other airlines to offer destinations around the world.
Occasionally, a really great deal will come out on one of the major airlines (Delta, United, etc) and not be available from Ottawa, meaning Syracuse becomes the closest U.S. departure city for it to be available from.
How much would I have to save for it to be worth the drive?
This is a tricky question, because the answer is different for everyone, based on the variables involved. But costs you should consider factoring into your comparison (besides the roundtrip flight price) include:
- extra fuel costs (how fuel efficient is your vehicle?)
- baggage costs
- parking your vehicle at the airport
- cost of hotel if it requires an overnight stay
- how much your time is worth
- extra vehicle depreciation
I've created an Excel spreadsheet to help calculate what the true savings are when flying out of Syracuse:
click here to download the spreadsheet in Excel format
or
try the U.S. Airports Savings Calculator via Google Docs
screenshot: (click to enlarge)
If you've downloaded the Excel file, please note that you will need to switch to the YOW vs SYR worksheet at the bottom of Excel.
Go to the YOW vs SYR worksheet and enter in a few variables to calculate what your true savings would be. Using common averages, I've found that if the flight from Syracuse is about $250/person less than the flight from Ottawa, the average person is only breaking even.
In my opinion, when the flight from Syracuse is at least $350 less per person than the flight from Ottawa, it becomes worth the drive. This is based on my calculations using average factors, and 2 people in a vehicle. You can see the example in the spreadsheet that was used to draw this conclusion.
How much is parking?
Parking is currently $10/day at Syracuse Airport.
Depending on your situation, you may also want to look at Park Sleep Fly deals which can save money and can be more convenient if you need a hotel for the night.
Is there any public transportation from Ottawa to Syracuse airport?
There are no great options unfortunately. There is the Greyhound bus, which offers service four days a week (Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday) from Ottawa to Syracuse Airport. It leaves at 10 p.m. and arrives at 2 a.m. It costs around $58 each way, which really eats into any possible savings.
Links
See Something Wrong?
If you see anything in this guide that looks incorrect, out of date, or could just simply be improved with better info, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll fix / update it.
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