New Low-Cost Carrier Play Airlines Debuts in Canada
Source：Narcity
From：Taiwan Trade Center, Toronto
Update Time：2023/11/26
Low-cost carrier Play Airlines has just launched in Canada, connecting Toronto with destinations like Greece, France, Italy, Portugal, and more.
The carrier's inaugural flight from Toronto to Iceland took off on June 22, 2023, from the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport.
Play is a budget airline that initially operated flights only between Iceland and the rest of Europe. The Icelandic airline was founded in 2019 in Reykjavík by executives from WOW Air, a similar low-cost airline that ceased operations in 2019.
The airline announced its service to Canada in January, allowing travelers to book cheap flights from Hamilton International Airport to 32 European destinations including London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Brussels, Stockholm, and Gothenburg.
Similar to other low-cost carriers like Flair and Swoop, Play offers a streamlined, no-frills service without extras like Wi-Fi, entertainment, or free meals. This approach allows travelers to "pay less and 'play more.'"
Instead of spending on these features, travelers are encouraged to use their travel budget on "the meaningful experiences, dining, and excursions that make a trip memorable."
What sets Play apart, however, is its service to Europe; so far, no other Canadian budget airline offers low-cost flights to Europe.
Play Airlines links Canada to 17 European countries, with flights connecting through the airline's base in Iceland.
In Canada, the airline currently only flies out of Hamilton's John C. Munro International Airport. Play says that the lower cost of operating at the airport compared to other airports in the area means that the airline can offer Canadians the lowest fares between the Toronto area and Europe.
According to the airline's summer schedule, below are the destinations offered to Canadian passengers:
- Austria (Salzburg)
- Belgium (Brussels)
- Czech Republic (Prague)
- Denmark (Aalborg, Billund, Copenhagen)
- France (Paris)
- Germany (Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg)
- Greece (Athens)
- Iceland (Reykjavik)
- Ireland (Dublin)
- Italy (Bologna, Venice)
- Netherlands (Amsterdam)
- Poland (Warsaw)
- Portugal (Lisbon, Porto)
- Spain (Alicante, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Malaga, Mallorca, Tenerife)
- Sweden (Gothenburg, Stockholm)
- Switzerland (Geneva)
- U.K. (Glasgow, Liverpool, London)
Play plans to run flights daily, year-round, despite expecting losses during the winter months. It believes the consistent schedule will help grow demand for its service and generate more sales in the long run.
Canada has seen several new players in the discount airline market in recent years, including Swoop, Flair Airlines, Lynx Air, and Jetlines.
However, WestJet recently announced plans to shut down its low-cost subsidiaries, Sunwing and Swoop, and merge them into its mainline business.
Source: https://www.narcity.com/play-airlines-launches-in-canada-look-inside-new-cheap-flights