For less than the price of a tank of gas, travellers can now fly to a number of Canada’s major cities.

That, in a nutshell, defines Calgary-based Lynx Air. No-frills, ultra-low-cost, but eminently accessible in a way that more pricey—and amenity inclusive—airline travel is not.

And the airline’s CEO makes no attempt to shy away from describing her airline as ultra-affordable, offering customers only the services they demand, and for a price. A model she said was highly successful in Europe and the US.

“We often talk about our transparent a la carte pricing model, which empowers passengers to pay only for what they want and nothing more,” said Merren McArthur, CEO of Lynx Air.

“At Lynx, we’re very transparent about what you pay for,” she said.

A base fare will get you a seat on a flight, and a small carry on bag. If customers want to bring larger luggage, that’s an additional fee. If customers want to move seats, that’s an additional fee. If customers want to use the airline’s call centre, instead of their website, that’s an additional fee.

And no, the airline doesn’t offer wi-fi, entertainment, or food for sale on board.

Low prices for travel

But for customers who want the basics, and only the basics, it means it is entirely possible to book a flight for $39, depending on the destination.

“That $39 is an honest fare that’s available today, and that will continue,” said McArthur.

“At the moment, there are probably people who just can’t afford to fly, or can’t fly as much as they would like to, but what we want to do is give them an accessible fare.”

According to Statistics Canada, the consumer price index for airline travel has dropped from peaks in August and December of last year, but remains higher than the start of the pandemic. The data shows that nationally, CPI has risen sharply in between the various waves of Covid-19 as demand returned.

Prices’ for Lynx’s planned inaugural flight to Toronto next week, according to Google’s flight comparison tool as of Friday, fall well below Air Canada and West Jet.

Last-minute booking can be done for $180 through Lynx, versus $664 for the other airlines. Waiting until the 21st to fly drops the price to $115, versus $405.