Direct flights from London to warmer destinations like Cuba, Jamaica, and Orlando have been popular, according to a local travel agent.
But just because it’s cold outside — with temperatures dropping so low that Environment Canada’s extreme cold warning has been in place since Monday — doesn’t mean people are jumping on flights bound for the sun, says Nexion Travel Group’s Mike Foster.
“People are paying their bills still from the Christmas holidays, so they’d be less inclined to travel in January,” he said.
MORE: Current conditions in London, Ont.
And those who aren’t feeling held back by post-festive debt might actually be held back by the cold itself.
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“Things like de-icing machines freeze up. Airports have had to slow down some of the lifts. There’s not as many flights leaving in some cases as well,” Foster said.
London International Airport has direct seasonal flights to Montego Bay, Cayo Coco, Varadero, Punta Cuna, Cancun, Orlando.
READ MORE: This is why it’s really, really cold all across Canada
Prices are based on supply and demand, Foster said. That means those destinations may be a little more expensive than normal in the winter months. That being said, once a plane has left the airport, you can’t sell a seat anymore, he explained.
“There can be some last minute specials, no question. … They’re trying to recoup something — anything — from a seat that’s about to go empty.”
If a sunny vacation isn’t within your purview, some relief is coming in the form of warmer temperatures for London and the surrounding area.
Environment Canada says the high Friday is -12 C, though the wind chill could make it feel like -18 C in the morning and -30 C in the afternoon. Saturday’s high is -2 C, before daytime temperatures climb up above freezing on Sunday with a high of 4 C, and Monday with a high of 5 C.
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