I took a flight with NewLeaf and this is what I learned

If there’s one thing the Canadian air travel industry gets a bad rep for, it’s the high costs of flights to both domestic and international destinations. So, when I heard about NewLeaf, a new low-cost carrier that claimed to make affordable airfare a reality in Canada, I was curious to try it out for myself.

This September, I flew from Hamilton to Winnipeg for under $350 roundtrip. And, while the sticker price is the greatest bragging point for a low-cost carrier like NewLeaf, as I learned during my flight, you get what you pay for in the way of amenities. Here are the high and low points of my flight with NewLeaf:

Let’s start with the cons:

Limited options

One of the criticisms that has been raised about NewLeaf is that their services favour smaller, big-city-adjacent airports rather than the main hubs that are most convenient for travellers. Of the 11 cities you can fly in or out of (Abbotsford in the Greater Vancouver Area, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton in the Greater Toronto Area, Kelowna, Kamloops, Moncton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Victoria), none of them are major cities. If you’re like me, and your starting point is a major city (Toronto, here), take into account the extra time it will take to arrive at the airport and the additional costs that will accumulate in order to get there.

For me, it took an additional hour to get to Hamilton and then approximately another 20-30 minutes to get from the Hamilton bus station (riding in style!) to the airport. In terms of costs, The Go Bus from Toronto to Hamilton cost around $12 (which is pretty good), but it was the cab ride from the bus station to the airport that made me weep a bit. The cab cost me roughly $35 and, since I didn’t know the Hamilton public transportation system at all and their shuttle buses didn’t run on a time frame that was conducive to me getting to the airport when I wanted, it was literally my only option. That was a hit I wasn’t expecting to take and one I did not really care for.

Another criticism is that they have relatively few route offerings. Not all flight routes are available 7 days a week and availability changes based on your destination. For example, when I booked my flight to Winnipeg, I knew I only wanted to stay the one night. I simply wanted to catch up with an old friend and then head back home. Ideally, I would have loved to do that on a Friday or Saturday (not having to work the day after flying is glorious). Sadly, that was not an option for my destination, so I had to opt for a Sunday/Monday trip. Unfortunately, next-day flights are not offered for many cities. This means if you’re looking to take a weekend trip to another city in Canada, you may have to find a different carrier.

Pesky additional fees

According to NewLeaf’s website, www.gonewleaf.ca, the barebones, initial price you pay for your fare gets you the two essentials: a seat and a seat belt.

As with any low-cost carrier, while NewLeaf’s initial flight costs are a more affordable option compared to other major airlines, hidden fees for everything from checked baggage and seat selection to drinks and snacks can add up quickly. This will be familiar to anyone who has flown with Ryanair in Europe or Spirit in the United States.

Round-trip flights between Hamilton and Winnipeg leaving on a Friday and returning on a Monday are available for as little as $205, around $100 less than similar WestJet flights and offer even better savings compared to similar Air Canada options. However, anyone wishing to avoid additional charges will need to limit their luggage to one “personal bag.” What I am talking about here is the personal item that you can fit under the seat in front of you. Beyond that, another carry-on item that will not fit underneath and must be placed in the overhead compartment will have a fee attached to it.

Tip: It is actually cheaper to check a larger item ($26.25-$28.75) than to carry it on ($31.50-$34.50). I know that bringing the item on with you is appealing, but think about the money you can save by relinquishing a little bit of control.

Other options for additional purchase include :

• Seat selection: Between $15-$23 for the front half of the aircraft; between $26-$34 for a seat in an exit row; and between $10-$17 for the rear half of the aircraft
• Printing a boarding pass at the airport: Between $10-$11
• Travelling with small pets: Between $78-$115 for pets under 22 lbs (Flying with pets over 22 lbs is restricted, and travelling with service dogs has no cost associated with it.)
• Priority Boarding (waived for individuals with disabilities): $10.50-$17.25 (This allows you to be one of the first to board the plane and get settled. In my experience, it simply meant waiting on the plane for 15 minutes instead of waiting in the airport – I don’t see how it is worth the additional cost.)
• Changes to a reservation: Between $78-$115 for a change in date or destination; between $78-$86 for a name change
• TravelFLEX: $20 (This allows travellers a one-time change in their travel plans. For example, if you wanted to stay at your destination for a few more days, you could make that change for a one-time fee of $20. Similarly, if you find yourself sick or otherwise unavailable to leave on your chosen date, you could also postpone your trip for the same fee.)
• In-flight snack purchases:  Prices vary. Alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic drinks and a variety of snacks are available for purchase on certain routes, but in-flight purchases may only be made with MasterCard or Visa, no cash is accepted.

More information regarding additional prices is available at www.gonewleaf.ca/how-to-save/baggage.

In-flight, I did purchase a (plastic) glass of wine, which cost $7.35. Just when I was ready to make it rain with the cash in my purse, I was informed that they only accept Visa and MasterCard. If you don’t feel like indulging in wine or beer (both of which will cost you over $6.00), they offered juice, pop and water (each costing under $5). Sadly, snacks were not an option on my flight. Not free ones and not ones you can pay for. NewLeaf is the land of bring your own over-priced snacks or starve (OK, I’m being dramatic again).

More information about additional charges is available at www.gonewleaf.ca/how-to-save/other-products

Public Image Issues

NewLeaf had a rough start to 2016 when air travel expert Gabor Lukacs warned that the airline posed “serious liability issues” to customers stemming from some legal issues and Lukacs’ doubt in the company’s business plan. The company then again found its name in headlines early last month when in temporarily ceased flights to four cities, including to Regina, Saskatoon and Victoria. Those four cities are expected to be added back on to flight schedules mid-December. On the flip side of the temporary dropping of those cities, however, NewLeaf announced it would increase the frequency of its flights to five other destinations, including Edmonton, Winnipeg and Hamilton, beginning early in October.

The Pros:

Customer friendly, comfortable flight 

Like most travellers, I prefer travel that is easy, organized and leaves little room for blunders. Despite the potentially confusing options and extra fees that can come up when booking a flight with NewLeaf, I can say that the actual flight experience was straightforward and positive. From their easy to navigate website, to the friendly and helpful airport staff, this was one of the more “no fuss, no muss” flights that I have ever taken.

Since I was travelling from smaller airports, security lines were very minimal, which gave an easygoing vibe to the entire experience. I enjoyed being able to quickly check-in online and have the luxury of choosing a seat I knew I would be comfortable in (I picked the exact same seat going as I did coming back). While there are “priority seats” that will cost you (costs listed above), you can log on to www.gonewleaf.ca and find seats that are not in the “desired” sections and choose from one of those for free. I may not have gotten an exit seat, but I did get the window seat and I was able to choose a row that didn’t have someone sitting directly beside me. I didn’t look that gift horse in the mouth.

Since this is discount travel, there is no First Class versus coach. Essentially, this meant that I didn’t have to walk through First Class while resisting the urge to drool at their leg room and fantasize about the various sleeping positions that they would be able to get into. On this flight, we were all regular Joes just trying to save a buck while still being able to travel around Canada. The plane itself left little to be desired, as it was on the smaller end and sat three across (and I didn’t end up having to sit directly next to anyone on either of my flights, which was a major win). In addition, the flight itself was relatively smooth and we were kept updated when entering small areas of turbulence, which I very much appreciated.

The bottom line

As is always the case with travel on the cheap, there are pros and cons. But if flying in Canada at a discounted price is your highest priority, I do recommend using NewLeaf — that is, if you can manage both to sync up your schedule with theirs and can handle either a barebones service or the additional price of added features.

But there are many factors to keep in mind when deciding to book with NewLeaf. The first is that, while you certainly save on the base flight, you have to consider all the additional fees mentioned above. If you pair that with the fact that the flight itself offers nothing (no entertainment, no snacks and beverage prices that are no cheaper than major airlines) beyond simply getting you from point A to B, then you have to ask yourself if you are truly “saving” at the end of the day. If enjoying the flight is a key part of the whole vacation experience for you (and it is for many), than I would suggest taking a pass on NewLeaf. If you are working on a shoestring budget and need a cheaper way to get from one Canadian city to the next (and you aren’t interested in frills of any kind), then it is certainly worth checking out).

For me, I travelled round-trip to Winnipeg for less than $350 total. Compare that to other flights that will cost you upwards of $500 and I am happy to sacrifice free snacks to save a couple hundred dollars.

What’s more important to you when searching for a flight; price or experience? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.

Feature Photo: NewLeaf Travel Company Inc.