"Ned Kelly" <NedKelly@usenetexchange.com> wrote in message news:endch3hegrckpvaa08htppm4kkuub0f6qq@4ax.com... > Is it true that Alaska/Horizon Air are planning to fly charter flights > from > Alberta to Seattle, for pre-Christmas shoppers? > > Is it true that the Seattle Tourism group, together with Seattle hotels, > outlet stores and shopping malls, all co-operated to get thousands of > Canadian > shoppers spending down there? > > Canadians, with the C$ now equal to the US dollar, are finding prices in > the > US 30-40% cheaper for identical goods, than the rip-off pricing in Canada. > > With a good 3 day holiday in Seattle, at a good hotel as part of a package > tour, plus the $400 per person duty free allowance for shopping, the > airlines > would have their planes packed for every flight. > > Horizon/Alaska Air - bring on the cheap packages! > > If the crooked canuck businesses do not want to compete, let them all go > under, together with Bumbardier! Trouble with using airlines, is if you buy big stuff how do you get it back? I prefer Montana, a quick drive, cheaper places to stay and with a truck, lots of room to haul back stuff. Don't worry about duty too much. $400 just means the amount for no tax. If an Alberta resident, and the product was North American made, your only saving $20 GST. You use the $400 for stuff made outside of Northern America and outside of Chile like electronics. For example, buy a $15,000 boat in Montana that you could get in Red Deer for $25,000. Canadian purchase is $25,000 + GST = $26,500 Montana purchase is $15,000 + GST + $60 (Canadian sticker) = $15,960 Same boat, made in Minnesota with motor from Wisconsin. Savings $10,540. Say travel costs are $540. nice $10,000 after expense tax paid savings. Because the boat and motor are US made, or even perhaps Canadian made, there are no duties. Funny how boats made in BC and Alberta are cheaper in the US. Kalispell, Great Falls, Whitefish all have good shopping and are a scenic days drive from Vancouver or Calgary.