Flights from Ottawa to Toronto: Cheap Deals & Flight Time

Whether you’re a business traveler who needs to be downtown fast or someone hunting for the cheapest way to cross between Canada’s two capitals, the Ottawa-to-Toronto corridor is one of the country’s busiest flight paths. The good news: competition among carriers keeps fares surprisingly low, with round-trip deals regularly dipping below CAD 130. This guide walks you through current prices, which airlines fly this route, and the smartest way to lock in a deal before everyone else catches on.

Cheapest round-trip: $188 (Google Flights) · Cheapest one-way: $74 (Expedia) · Air Canada from: CAD 163 · Porter from: CAD 129 · Skyscanner from: 124 €

Cheap flights from Ottawa to Toronto

Ottawa to Toronto is one of Canada’s most competitive domestic routes. Four carriers operate direct flights, which means fares stay competitive and availability is strong throughout the week. Whether you’re booking weeks ahead or need to fly today, the aggregator sites consolidate deals from all carriers so you can compare in seconds.

Current deals

Momondo’s data shows the cheapest round-trip fares starting at C$183. WestJet consistently undercuts competitors—KAYAK CA tracked WestJet round-trips as low as C$116 in recent days, while Porter Airlines typically starts around C$234 for a round-trip. Air Canada, the route’s most frequent operator, offers flights from approximately C$170 round-trip. Expedia lists one-way fares to Toronto City (YTZ) starting at $124, with round-trip options around $238. For travelers willing to fly into Pearson (YYZ), one-way fares dip as low as $78 on Expedia.

Travelocity’s recent seven-day data shows its cheapest YOW-YYZ round-trip at $181, while Orbitz lists weekend deals as low as $128 round-trip or $57 one-way. Trip.com currently advertises the lowest advertised one-way at $52 and round-trip fares from $88. Prices fluctuate based on seasonality, booking timing, and demand.

One-way vs round-trip

One-way fares on this route range widely depending on the carrier and destination airport. WestJet’s $41 one-way to Pearson (found on Skyscanner for Sat, May 2) represents an exceptional deal, but such lows are date-specific. Expedia’s YOW-YYZ one-ways start from $96, while YTZ options begin at $124. Round-trip combinations often offer better value: Expedia’s YOW-YYZ round-trips start at $190, with the cheapest combination (one-way $78 + return $158) totaling $236. Business class direct returns to YYZ range from $1,158 to $1,244, or one-way between $560 and $1,042.

Ottawa to Toronto flight time

The actual flight time between Ottawa and Toronto is remarkably short—it’s one of the quickest routes in the country. All flights on this corridor are direct, with no connections needed. The fastest recorded time is just 1 hour and 2 minutes.

Direct flight duration

Momondo confirms the fastest direct flight from YOW to YYZ or YTZ takes 1h 02m. Actual duration varies slightly by aircraft type and wind conditions, but passengers should plan for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes gate-to-gate. Both Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Toronto City (YTZ) are served, with YTZ slightly closer to downtown but YYZ offering more flight frequency options.

Airport details

Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) serves as the departure point for all flights on this route. Toronto has three airports that travelers should understand: Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is the primary hub and often has the lowest fares; Toronto Billy Bishop City Airport (YTZ) sits downtown near the waterfront and is convenient for business travelers; YTO is an aggregate code some booking sites use that may route to either airport. Air Canada operates 111 weekly flights on this route, making it the most frequent carrier. Porter flies approximately 60 times per week, primarily to YTZ.

Ottawa to Toronto flight status

Flight status on this route is generally reliable, but delays can occur during winter weather months when Ottawa and Toronto both see snowstorms. Checking real-time status before heading to the airport is always advisable.

Live updates

All major aggregators—Kayak, Expedia, Momondo, and Google Flights—offer real-time flight tracking through their apps and websites. Airlines also provide direct status updates via their apps and notification services. The fastest flight at 1h 02m means even a short delay still typically allows passengers to arrive within the scheduled window.

How to check

Kayak’s flight status tools aggregate data across carriers and show both on-time performance and delay likelihood based on historical data. The travel search engine notes that pricing drops midweek and Saturdays tend to be cheapest—Sunday flights are consistently the most expensive day to fly this route. Passengers can also use Google Flights’ tracker feature to monitor price changes for specific dates and receive alerts when fares drop below a set threshold.

Flights from Ottawa to Toronto today

Same-day availability on this busy corridor is generally strong, though last-minute fares tend to be higher than advance bookings. If you need to fly today, checking multiple aggregators simultaneously reveals the best available options across carriers.

Today’s availability

Direct flights operate every day of the week on this route, with Momondo confirming service on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Air Canada and Porter offer the most frequent daily departures. Same-day prices vary significantly: Kayak’s tracked data shows one-way fares ranging from $72 (WestJet on select midweek dates) to $1351 for premium cabin last-minute bookings.

Last-minute deals

Last-minute fares are typically elevated on this route, but opportunities exist. Orbitz lists same-day options, while Trip.com has shown one-way fares as low as $52 even for near-term travel. For travelers facing genuine urgency, booking directly through airline apps sometimes reveals exclusive inventory not shown on aggregators. WestJet’s cheapest connecting round-trip from YOW-YYZ, according to Expedia, is $501—significantly higher than advance-purchase options.

WestJet Ottawa to Toronto

WestJet positions itself as the budget-friendly option on this route, and the numbers largely support that claim. The carrier consistently posts the lowest base fares, though its frequency is lower than Air Canada or Porter.

WestJet schedules

WestJet operates approximately 7 weekly flights from Ottawa to Toronto, according to KAYAK CA. The carrier primarily serves Pearson (YYZ) rather than the downtown Billy Bishop airport. Momondo shows WestJet fares starting at C$122 round-trip, though recent Kayak data tracked the carrier’s cheapest round-trip at $143 for a Thursday May 7 departure. One-way options start as low as $41 on select Saturday dates.

Compare with Air Canada

WestJet vs. Air Canada represents the core price vs. frequency trade-off on this route. WestJet carries a 7.2 rating from over 3,300 momondo reviews, while Air Canada scores 7.1 from nearly 11,000 reviews. The ratings are nearly identical despite significant price differences. Air Canada operates 111 weekly flights versus WestJet’s 7—the premium you’re paying is availability and frequency, not service quality. Porter Airlines, with a strong 8.0 rating and 60 weekly flights, sits between the two in both price and frequency.

How to find and book cheap flights

Finding the cheapest flights from Ottawa to Toronto requires knowing which tools to use, when to book, and which airports to compare. Here’s a practical five-step process based on current aggregator data.

Step-by-step booking guide

1. Check multiple aggregators simultaneously. Momondo, Kayak, Skyscanner, and Google Flights pull from different inventory sources. Running your search across all four on the same day often reveals price gaps of $20–$50 between platforms.
2. Compare YYZ versus YTZ. Expedia’s data shows one-way fares to YTZ (downtown airport) starting at $124, while YYZ (Pearson) options begin at $78 for the same date. If you don’t need to be downtown immediately, Pearson saves money.
3. Target Saturday departures. Kayak’s analysis confirms Saturday is the cheapest day to fly and Sunday is the most expensive. Shifting your departure to Saturday can drop fares by 20–40% versus Friday or Monday options.
4. Book 2–3 weeks ahead. Expedia and Orbitz data show prices climbing steeply for same-day and 1–2 day bookings. The sweet spot for domestic Canadian flights is typically 14–21 days out.
5. Set price alerts. Google Flights and Kayak both offer free price tracking. Set an alert for your specific dates and receive notifications when fares drop below your target threshold.

What travelers say

Porter Airlines flies from Ottawa to Toronto around 54 times per week, with 435 momondo users rating the airline 8.0/10.

The cheapest Porter Airlines deal from Ottawa to Toronto in the last 72 hours was C$234 (round-trip), much lower than the average airfare cost of C$405.

Saturday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Sunday is the most expensive.

The pattern is consistent: Porter leads in customer satisfaction, WestJet leads in price, and Air Canada offers unmatched frequency. Saturday departures consistently deliver the lowest fares across all carriers and aggregators. Weekend travelers who can shift their departure by even one day often save $50 or more on round-trip tickets.

Bottom line

For Canadian travelers booking Ottawa to Toronto flights, the market offers genuine choices rather than forced compromises. WestJet delivers the lowest base fares (round-trips from C$116), Porter offers the best-rated service to downtown Toronto (8.0 rating, 60 weekly flights), and Air Canada provides frequency for those with inflexible schedules (111 weekly flights). Saturday departures consistently beat weekday fares, and Pearson (YYZ) airports typically save $30–$50 versus downtown Billy Bishop (YTZ). The aggregator sites show prices ranging from $52 one-way to over $1,350 for premium last-minute bookings—your booking strategy determines which end of that spectrum you land on.

For Canadian leisure travelers, the path is clear: compare Kayak and Momondo first, target Saturday departures, and book 2–3 weeks ahead. For business travelers needing flexibility and frequency, Air Canada’s 111 weekly flights offer the reliability that budget carriers simply can’t match at scale.

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While air travel suits quick trips, the Ottawa to Toronto train offers scenic rides starting at $39 with reliable schedules.

Frequently asked questions