CONGRATULATIONS on your job at a Camp in Canada this summer! We’re really excited for you, and can’t wait to meet you at camp this summer!
Working abroad is a massive adventure, and one that can seem a bit overwhelming at times. But luckily by applying through NYQUEST you have a crack team of dedicated professionals (based in Canada) that can help you with your entire work abroad adventure! The NYQUEST team is based in Toronto, Canada and is made up of staff from around the world that can use our own personal experience to help find you a good deal, and make this trip as easy as possible.
Here are our top tips on booking cheap flights to Canada this summer:
Use a flight scanner that will search many airlines at once.
Our recommendations are: SkyScanner, Kayak, Expedia, Hopper, On the Fly, and Google Flights
JC‘s tip: “I always check SkyScanner first, and then I’ll go to that company’s website directly as well to make absolutely sure that I’m getting the best deal around. Some staff have told us that they get better deals when using their internet browsers’ “private browsing” function – so try that too!”
If you’re coming from the UK then we consistently find the cheapest prices are on CanadianAffair – They use AirTransat, and only fly on certain days so you will need to be flexible with your travel dates (see below)
Be as flexible as possible with your dates
If your summer camp job in Canada doesn’t start until June 22nd but you finished University on June 1st, you could look for cheaper flights to Canada earlier in the month and spend some extra time travelling! Remember, NYQUEST can offer their staff great discounts on events and accommodation in several cities in Canada – just ask us! The money you saved on your flight can go towards these extra fun excursions.
Use AirMiles or other reward points.
Check your (or your parents) credit card to see if they can give you a discount on flights! Some airlines can give you a discount or credit if you book your flight to Canada using AirMiles. Some Credit Card companies can also give you a certain percentage of cash back for using their card to book your travel.
Added bonus: These cards can sometimes also provide you with free comprehensive travel insurance so check in with your credit card company before you splurge on travel insurance.
Note: NYQUEST purchases 10 weeks of comprehensive health insurance for all of our international summer camp staff. Please check your email for details. Returning staff should contact us if they wish to be take advantage of our cheap health insurance coverage.
Sign up for deal notifications by email
Some of the best deals that we have found in recent years have been on CanadianAffair.com (from the UK only) – You can sign up on their website to be notified when they have seat sales, and if you’re flexible with your dates (see tip #2) it’s an easy way to pick up a bargain.
Other websites like Kayak give you a Fare Alert option – so they’ll send you an email about price changes on your selected route.
Be flexible with your destination/departure airport
If you have some extra time before or after camp why not look into flying to/from bigger Canadian airports such as Toronto, Vancouver or some of the major US hubs such as Chicago or New York. You may be able to pick up a cheap connecting flight to/from these airports and your host city (see using a flight scanner above). Sometimes even smaller airports will give you a better deal! A popular route with NYQUEST staff is to work at a summer camp in Canada and then travel down to the US (New York/Seattle/Chicago) for their return flight.
The MegaBus runs a great service from Toronto to Montreal, so if you are placed at a summer camp near Montreal you may find it is cheaper to fly into Toronto and then get the bus to Montreal.
Camilla‘s tip: “When I fly from the UK to Toronto I search for flights that leave from different cities in the UK. It may cost an extra bus fare to get there, but it can sometimes save you more money overall”
We will keep updating this page with more tips as we learn them, but remember if you need more help you can always get in touch with any of us at NYQUEST and we’ll be happy to help!
Do you have some tips that we should add? Let us know, and if it’s a good one then we’ll add it to the list (and use it ourselves!!)