Have you heard about Canada Jetlines- the Canadian value focused leisure carrier? This is our Canada Jetlines review! Over the last four months I’ve had the pleasure of taking four Canada Jetlines flights so I thought it was time for me to write my Canada Jetlines review based on my multiple first hand experiences. My first Canada Jetlines experience was in December when our family booked an all inclusive getaway in Cancun and we had my parents with us on that flight so I can touch a bit on the wheelchair experience too. Our most recent Canada Jetlines flights were for our Vegas trip and we were gifted the airline tickets for this press trip. Having flown a fair number of affordable airlines around the world, I am impressed by Canada Jetlines and I’ll tell you why as you read on!
Our Canada Jetlines Flight Experience
So the first thing I noticed when booking our Canada Jetlines flight was the fact that this was no usual budget carrier. Canada Jetlines is more of a boutique airline that’s also affordable. Why do I say this? Mainly because they don’t nickel and dime you for every little thing as most low cost airlines do. Instead, with Canada Jetlines you get a free personal item AND a free hand luggage no matter which type of fare you book. So in many ways, they’re like the big name players but the big difference is that you can snag some very reasonable airfares to some sweet destinations and they don’t have a business class because it’s all economy seats.
I also noticed that their seats actually have a lot of legroom – now coming from a short person, this doesn’t mean much but know that they are utilizing a growing fleet of Airbus320 aircrafts. Their fleet is single aisle (the largest single aisle though!) and chances that they may want to gate check your hand luggage are high if you board last. I was actually quite surprised that despite being the last to board for the Toronto to Vegas flight, they didn’t take our roller hand luggage even though they gate checked those of the passengers ahead. Perhaps we have some mini ones or perhaps ours weren’t as heavy as the ones ahead. I’m not sure how we escaped it but we definitely witnessed gate checking of the free hand luggage during all four flights we took. I like keeping things with me so I was delighted, as you can imagine! YES, if you’re wondering you get to bring a small backpack AND a hand luggage for no additional cost when you fly with Canada Jetlines. Remember that boutique-ness I mentioned? Yeah, that.
My mother needed wheelchair assistance for our Canada Jetlines Cancun flight out of Pearson and she was allowed to board early and there was a wheel chair waiting for her at the Cancun airport too. They definitely pay close attention to the passengers needing extra help and that was great to see.
Also, they offer complimentary non alcoholic drinks on board (with other drinks and food available for purchase) and they have a pretty decent entertainment program which can be accessed via your own devices – and yes, the system worked during all our flights! Another thing I noticed when flying Canada Jetlines is that they do have usb outlets at each of their seats, which as we know in this day and age, is tres important!
My main issue with Canada Jetlines is that you can’t check-in online consistently. In December we ended up waiting an hour and a half at the check-in desk in Toronto and it was brutal (and I was grumpy that I didn’t get my lounge time) but during our February trip, I was able to check in online for our Toronto to Vegas flight and since we only had carry-on, it was a breeze getting to our flight. Unfortunately for the return sector we couldn’t pre-check in and had to do so at the Las Vegas airport (where they definitely weighed our hand luggage-we were well under, phew!).
The staff on board have been very friendly and they do a great job at coming around with the liquids, which I also appreciate. Overall, given the amazing prices and sales I see for Canada Jetlines, I see us flying them frequently! They don’t have a frequent flyer program but that would be a nice next step for them, that’s for sure.
Where Does Canada Jetlines Fly From Toronto?
At the moment Canada Jetlines connects Toronto to destinations within the U.S., Caribbean and Mexico. One can fly from Toronto to Las Vegas, Orlando, Montego Bay and Cancun on Canada Jetlines. They have announced some new routes starting this summer and I definitely see us flying to Halifax with them when we visit Chris’ family this year. I think the exciting option for our East Coast friends is that they can fly to Orlando direct from Halifax.
I recently saw an announcement that Canada Jetlines has partnered with an European carrier so perhaps we’ll hear about some European destination soon- wouldn’t that be lovely? They’ve also launched a Jetlines Vacation portal if you’re looking to book flight and hotel packages for down south destinations.
Is Canada Jetlines a Safe Airline?
I’ve flown with them on four occasions and have no safety concerns. They do have a modern fleet of Airbus A320s so I don’t think we need to worry about safety to be honest.
Which Canada Jetlines Fare Option is Best?
Canada Jetlines offers four fare options : JetLite, JetPlus, JetFlex and JetMore. While all seats are in economy because the entire flight is economy only with Canada Jetlines, the JetMore option does enable one to sit in the front row which has extra leg space. You can pay to upgrade to these seats if you purchased JetFlex tickets but you don’t have that option with the other two. Overall I usually prefer the JetlLtite option and we then pay for one suitcase if we even take one (depends on the trip – we didn’t for Vegas but did need it for Cancun). Challenge is that the JetLite options do sell out quickly because they are an incredible deal. For example, you could easily visit Vegas for CAD300 return trip on a nonstop flight. Pretty amazing right? Though you need to remembeer that with JetLite you do not get the usual luxury of being able to cancel your flight within 24 hours of purchasing the ticket – incase you have got used to that stipulation.
Below is a quick snapshot of what’s available under each Canada Jetlines fare option.
Choosing the Best Seats on Canada Jetlines
If you need extra leg room then rows one, eleven and twelft are your best bets. However the rest of the seats are pretty much the same. This site will show you the various details for each row and if you’re looking for a window seat with a wing view, you know which one to book (13 to 16 y’all).
Is Hand Luggage Included in Canada Jetlines Fares?
How do I check in with Canada Jetlines?
Which terminal is Canada Jetlines at Pearson Airport?
Can Pets Travel on Canada Jetlines?
Tips for Flying Canada Jetlines| Our Canada Jetlines Review
In addition to the usual tips to keep in mind when you’re flying, here are a few specific tips for my Canada Jetlines review.
If you want to ensure that your hand luggage stays onboard with you, board the flight earlier than later because we witnessed hand luggage being pulled at the gate for check-in on all the flights we took. While there’s no guarantee, boarding earlier ensures a better chance at securing your bag in the cabin.
Remember that no unaccompanied minors are allowed but those 12 years and above are considered as adults.
Take comfort in knowing that the airline will seat kids under 14 years of age nearby the parent or guardian. 4 years of age or younger -a seat that is adjacent to their accompanying person’s seat; 5 to 11 years of age – a seat that is in the same row as their accompanying person’s seat and separated by no more than one seat; 12 or 13 years of age-a seat that is no more than a row away from the their accompanying person’s seat.
Bring screens onboard so you can connect to their Entertainment System and bring a USB cable to charge your device.
If your plans are a bit iffy, then don’t book the JetLite fare because there is no option to cancel within 24 hours of purchasing the ticket and you cannot pay to change the flight either- No changes. No refunds.
If you feel like knowing ALL the little details about the rules in place for Canada Jetlines, then this website will make you giddy.
We hope you enjoyed this Canada Jetlines review and if you have other questions, drop them in the comments and we’ll add them in here!
