Why $670 is not twice as cheap: how to read an airfare price

A $670 round trip looks like half the price of a $1,300 fare. On one search page, it was — and it wasn't. The $670 figure is real, but it is not the same kind of price as the one it seems to beat. Here is how to read it, using one real search: Calgary–Liberia, September 12–19, 2027, checked October 31, 2026.

1. Per person, not per family.

The $670 is per person, in US dollars. For a family of four, that headline alone is $2,680 USD before anything is added — before bags, before seat selection, before the exchange rate turns it into Canadian dollars. A family total quoted in pesos or Canadian dollars will always look bigger next to it, even when it is the cheaper trip. Always multiply first, then compare.

2. What the fare leaves out.

That cheapest $670 fare was United, two stops each way, with overnight layovers — and no carry-on or checked baggage included, non-refundable, sold through an online travel agency (Lucky2Go), not the airline. On the same search page, WestJet via Toronto was $781 USD per person — $953 with a 50 lb checked bag. The cheapest fare that actually included baggage was $871 per person. So the gap between "$670" and a flyable fare for a family with suitcases was about $200 per person, not a doubling.

3. Stops and layovers are part of the price.

Two stops each way with overnight layovers means two extra airport days in each direction, meals, and possibly a hotel — plus two more chances for a missed connection. A direct or one-stop routing that costs more on screen can cost less in time, food, and stress, especially with kids aged 4 and 12 in tow.

4. Who sells it matters.

A fare sold by an online agency is not the same as a fare sold by the airline: changes, cancellations, and missed connections are handled by the seller, and a non-refundable agency ticket can be the hardest kind to fix. If the saving is small, buying direct is usually worth it. If the saving is large, read the agency's change and baggage rules before you pay — not after.

The checklist before you compare any two fares:

• Same currency? Same number of travellers?
• Baggage included — carry-on and checked?
• How many stops, how long are the layovers, overnight?
• Refundable or changeable, and sold by whom?
• What does the family total come to, in Canadian dollars, bags included?

Run a fare through that checklist and the "$670 is twice as cheap" illusion usually disappears. Sometimes the cheapest headline still wins — but then you are choosing it with your eyes open, overnight layovers and all.

Would you take the cheapest fare with overnight layovers to save $200 per person — or pay more for the simpler routing?

Source figures (checked 2026-10-31, Aviasales page for YYC–LIR, Sep 12–19, 2027): cheapest $670 USD/person round trip, United, 2 stops each way, overnight layovers, no carry-on/checked baggage, non-refundable, via OTA Lucky2Go; WestJet via Toronto $781 USD ($953 with 50 lb baggage); cheapest with baggage $871/person. Prices move — re-check before booking; this is a worked example, not a booking recommendation.