A viral video posted to TikTok by a Toronto woman claims that flight tickets to other cities within Canada tend to be more expensive than those to South America or even Europe.
The TikTok, uploaded by user @this.is.mile, has already amassed over 170,000 views and hundreds of comments. In the video, the woman compares prices for flying from Toronto to South America versus travelling within Canada.
“You wanna know what’s so crazy about living in Canada?” the woman asks.
“If I needed to fly to Colombia tonight, I could get a ticket from Toronto to Colombia for $700. But if I needed to fly from Toronto to Vancouver tonight, I am paying over $1,500. That’s Canada for you.”
Dozens of Canadian residents took to the video’s comment section to echo the woman’s thoughts, claiming that, in most cases, it’s cheaper to travel abroad than within Canada.
@this.is.mileCANADA IS WILD!!!♬ original sound – Milena Jimenez
“I’m in Toronto and my sister lived in Calgary for nine years. I couldn’t afford to visit her there, but we could afford to meet up in MEXICO,” one person wrote under the TikTok.
One user noted that current flights from Montreal to Fredericton are approximately $900, while a roundtrip ticket to Italy is in the $800 range. Another comment suggests that current flights from Vancouver to Halifax are over $2,000, while a flight to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, is just under $300.
“My cousin lives in Yellowknife. It was cheaper for me to fly to Ireland than to fly to visit her,” another person said.
“I’m convinced Canada is a simulation, because this doesn’t happen anywhere else,” one response reads. “I can literally fly from the U.K. to Spain for under 100 dollars.”
Last year, a Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) study examined why domestic flights in Canada are so expensive, and found that three main factors, namely airport rental costs, security fees, and airplane fuel taxes are driving costs up.
“Ottawa prefers to treat our airports as cash cows, rather than the essential transportation infrastructure that they are. These taxes have a direct effect on the high cost of domestic travel in this country,” the study reads.
“When you add up all of these fees charged by the federal government, you quickly realize that a substantial portion of the price of a plane ticket is taxes,” the study continues.
“Whether a ticket is bought for a vacation or to reach our remote regions, these taxes have a negative effect on families’ budgets.”