A New Airline With Super Cheap Flights Has Launched In Canada

There's a new cheap way to fly across Canada, but if you're leaving from Montreal, you'll have to take another carrier first. Lynx Air launched last week as the country's new "ultra-affordable" airline with cheap flights starting at $39 for a one-way ticket — but nothing into or out of Quebec.

For those who do fly Lynx, food and drinks are not available to buy during flights. Customers are advised to stock up on drinks and snacks before boarding. There's no Wi-Fi on board, and the base ticket only includes one small personal item in the cabin. Customers can pay more for some additional amenities, including a standard carry-on or checked bag.

Right now, there are three aircraft in the fleet, with plans to add more by the summer. As of April 11, the airline only flies two round-trip routes — Calgary-Vancouver and Calgary-Toronto. However, the airline has plans to expand its network in the coming months and will be operating flights to Kelowna and Winnipeg by the end of the month and to Victoria, St. John's, Hamilton, Halifax and Edmonton by the end of July. The airline also is considering expanding its routes south of the border.

"Lynx is on a mission to make air travel accessible to all Canadians, with a transparent, à la carte pricing model which empowers passengers to pick and pay for the services they want, so they can save money on the trip and spend where it counts — at their destination. Air fares have been too high for too long in Canada, and we aim to change that," said Lynx CEO Merren McArthur in a press release.

Still, Lynx Air does not have any immediate plans to fly in Quebec, a spokesperson told MTL Blog.

The low-cost airline will be operating 148 flights a week across Canada by this summer — around 27,000 seats per week. The airline currently employs 165 people and is hoping to more than double that by the end of the year.