What are the cheapest places for Canadians to fly? (Hint: not in Canada)

We all know flying within Canada isn’t cheap. Well it turns out Canadian cities don’t even crack the top 10 when it comes to airfare affordability.

Air Canada’s CEO Calin Rovinescu said on Wednesday that Canada’s airport fees are too high, just as a travel report released by Cheapflights.ca found the 10 most affordable flights in Canada are all to U.S. destinations.

The search site’s number crunching is based on results from six Canadian cities — Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal — between May 1, 2015 and April 30, 2016.

On average, travelers in those cities are most likely to get the best round-trip deals when booking to:

1. New York City ($294)
2. Boston ($362)
3. Washington, D.C. ($378)
4. Chicago ($410)
5. Seattle ($441)

Florida hotspots (Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa) round out the next three spots on the list, followed by Los Angeles ($458) and Phoenix ($461).

For those who want to keep their vacation north of the border, Montreal is the cheapest Canadian destination. It comes in 15th with a $481 pricetag.

READ MORE: Montreal restaurant named Canada’s best

But it can still cost you more to fly there than to Cancun, which lands in the 12th spot on the list

The most frequented Canadian destination is reportedly Vancouver, with its scenic ocean and mountain views.

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It’s apparently the second most common place for us to visit, behind Manila in the Philippines. Los Angeles is the other top spot.

READ MORE: Discover B.C.’s hidden road trip gems

Money-saving flight tips

• On average, it’s as cheap to fly to Hawaii ($613) than it is to fly to Vancouver ($612).
• The top three Caribbean money savers are: Cancun ($473); San Juan, Puerto Rico ($487) and Montego Bay, Jamaica ($587).
• Hong Kong ($961) is the least expensive gateway in Asia, followed by Tokyo ($1,026) and Shanghai ($1,048).
• Fly into Dublin ($801) rather than London ($873) or Glasgow ($920).
• Fancying Scandinavia? It’s best to fly into Oslo ($877) or Helsinki ($830) rather than Reykjavik ($954) or Copenhagen ($955).
• Craving a Spanish getaway? Try Mexico City over Barcelona and it could save you more than $300.

For Torontonians looking for a trip outside North America, a flight to Paris ($762) or London ($789) may be their best bet.

Those in Montreal might find airfare to Cancun ($475) or Varadero ($575) to be a steal.

Cancun is also a cheap destination for Calgarians (at $502), whose next best out-of-continent option is Hong Kong ($1022).

The Asian city gives Vancouverites the most bang for their buck (at $843), as well. Paris ($917) and Shanghai ($937) are their other two top options for lowest airfares.

Winnipeg travellers could score a deal on a trip to Cancun ($507), London ($955) or Amsterdam ($1025).

For a closer look at cheap fare options and cost-cutting city swaps, check out the infographic below from Cheapflights.ca.

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