Canadian travel to the U.S. drops by over 70%

Many Canadians seem to be using travel decisions as their way to make their voices heard amidst the U.S. trade war and 51st state rhetoric from President Donald Trump.

A recent report from OAG, a global travel data company that provides data solutions and analytical tools, including airline schedules, flight status information, and aviation data, has revealed that Canadians are simply turning elsewhere for their travel destinations.

Airline capacity between Canada and the U.S. has been reduced through to October 2025, with the most significant cuts occurring during the peak travel months of July and August.

The largest drop in forward bookings was in April, with a drop of 75.7 per cent, while June was the lowest at 71.6 per cent. The average percentage between the six months was a staggering 71.8 per cent decline in Canadian bookings to travel to U.S. markets.

OAG

When it comes to scheduled airline capacity on routes from Canada to the U.S., the experts at OAG found that comparing the total number of scheduled one-way seats between the two countries filed on March 3 and those filed on March 24, over 320,000 seats have been yanked by airlines operating between the two countries through to the end of October.

“Unfortunately, the law of unintended consequences is once again impacting the airline industry, adding to what had already become a softening market,” wrote John Grant, OAG chief analyst.

The lack of travel interest has even forced some Canadian airlines, like WestJet, to cut routes to some U.S. destinations.

When it comes to which parts of Canada have residents that are more likely to still proceed with trips to the United States this year, one province leads the pack in that department. Grant added that there may be some airlines offering particularly cheap flights over the coming months to try and create demand.

Have you decided to forgo travel to the United States this year due to the current political and economic climate with our neighbours to the south? Let us know in the comments below.