Send this page to someone via email

Frigidly cold weather has plagued Alberta for several days now, and the sub-zero temperatures are prompting many to take tropical getaways.

Elementary student Oscar Carmichael couldn’t stop smiling as he hit the departures level at YYC Calgary International Airport on Thursday on his way to California.

“My teacher Miss Black and everybody in my class are very, very jealous.” Carmichael said through a big grin.

His mom, Christine, was in a similar mood, admitting the vacation comes at the perfect time.

“We had this trip planned for a while,” Christine said. “[We just] happened to plan a trip to Disneyland on this freezing cold day.

Story continues below advertisement

“We are very happy to get out of town.” Tweet This

Then there is Rhonda Williams, who has seemingly been chased by the cold weather for some time. Williams lives on Vancouver Island, which has experienced winter storms.

“When we left, it had just started to get cold,” Williams said. “We came to Calgary to visit our son who lives here. We have been freezing ever since. So we are now off to Mexico to get warm… we are going to thaw.”

Jamie Fuhriman had planned a week-long trip to Cancun for her husband and two children some time ago.

“We are very grateful for the timing of it,” Fuhriman said on Thursday. “We can’t wait.”

She added the cold weather might change the length of their vacation.

“We will see what the weather is like at home [when we have to leave],” she laughed.

Story continues below advertisement

Craig Skimmings said he got a great deal to Las Vegas.

“The weather just happens to be cold so we are definitely delighted to get out of here,” Skimmings said.

According to Lesley Keyter, owner of The Travel Lady Agency, it’s not too late to make a run for it — but you have to pick your destination carefully.

“Remember that scheduled flights work on the basis that they want to fill up the planes quickly,” Keyter explained. “So the lower-price tickets are going to be those that you book in advance some time ago.”

“The charter programs work a little bit differently,” she added. “With the Mexico packages, because those seats are basically prepaid by the company, if they don’t fill those seats they are going to reduce the cost of the package the closer it gets to departure.”

Keyter also suggests using your points to fly if the price is too high.