Record traffic spikes cost of domestic holiday flights

The cost to fly within Canada could be a lot pricier this holiday seasonbecauseofa shortage of airline seats.

Air Canada and WestJet Airlinesboth flew their planes with record percentages of the seatsfull in October as passenger traffic increased with only slight increases in capacity.

Airline consultant Robert Kokonis says fewer empty seats means they're worth more.

"Airlines can and will price higher," Kokonis said.

This Christmas,some of the cheaper flights from Calgary to Hong Kongcost $2,200 the same priceas flyingfrom Calgary to Charlottetown, P.E.I., on peak days.

While flights vary in prices, some of the cheapest return flights on peak daysavailable from Calgary to Sydney, N.S., are a staggering $2,700.

Traveller James Walsh says the highprices are hard to justify.

"It's really annoying, but I think maybe the people who are setting the prices are aware of what we're willing to do to travel at this time of the year," Walsh said.

Senator Terry Mercersits on the Senate's transportation committee, which isstudying why air travel is so expensive in rural and remote parts of the country.

"The lack of competition is driving the price up," Mercer said.

To save money, roughly two million Canadians will drive to the U.S. each year to catch flights.

BothAir CanadaandWestJethave posted high revenuesbecause ofhigher prices and traffic.

Butcheaper regional flights could be on the horizononce WestJet launches its new regional airline Encor, asAir Canada says it will try to compete with those prices.

Listen to CBC Eyeopener host David Gray'sinterview with an airline analystabout what it means for consumers.