C$ 172 Find Cheap Flights from Ottawa to Thunder Bay – Compare and Save

Only Porter Airlines operates flights between Ottawa and Thunder Bay.

Flights from Ottawa to Thunder Bay usually depart from Ottawa (YOW) and arrive at Thunder Bay (YQT).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Porter Airlines: a cabin bag in Economy Class class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route, and airline, so travellers should check the fare details before booking.

Two cabin classes are available on flights from Ottawa to Thunder Bay:

• Economy Class
• Premium Economy Class

On this route, layover flights are cheaper than direct options on average. Layover fares average C$ 474 round-trip via Toronto Island (YTZ), compared to C$ 496 for direct.

There is no standard. Checked bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge C$ 42–C$ 118 for the first checked bag in economy. Premium fares and elite status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

The De Havilland (Bombardier) DHC-8-400 Dash 8Q family is used most often on this route, operated mainly by Porter Airlines and Air Transat. Other aircraft seen on the route include Embraer 195 E2 variants.

One-stop flights from Ottawa to Thunder Bay most commonly connect through:

• Toronto Island (YTZ) – 50% of one-stop connections
• Winnipeg (YWG) – 25% of one-stop connections
• Toronto Pearson Intl (YYZ) – 25% of one-stop connections

Toronto Island (YTZ) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 33% on the Ottawa to Thunder Bay route. Thursday is the cheapest departure day at C$ 443 round-trip on average, while Monday is the most expensive at C$ 657, a difference of C$ 214. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

Evening is the busiest departure period on Ottawa to Thunder Bay flights, with 100% leaving in that window. Morning departures account for 0%, Afternoon flights for 0%, and Night flights for 0%.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Ottawa to Thunder Bay:

• Earliest: departs at 8:30 am and lands at 10:58 am
• Latest: departs at 6:00 pm and lands at 8:28 pm.

The flight takes about 2h 28m.

Last-minute fares on this route – booked within 2 weeks of departure – run 41% above the route average of C$ 489. Book 13 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A direct flight from Ottawa to Thunder Bay takes 2h 28m, covering 1,754 km.

No, a passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, round-trip prices on this route showed a wide range, from about C$ 317 to C$ 1,499. That means the highest observed fare was about 5x higher than the lowest one.

One-way fares from Ottawa to Thunder Bay are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about C$ 230, which is 31% below the typical average for this route.

Flying via Toronto Island (YTZ) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 4h 26m, compared with 4h 31m via Toronto Pearson Intl (YYZ) and 11h 17m via Winnipeg (YWG).

Thunder Bay Airport (YQT) hosts 5 major car rental companies, with daily rates starting from around C$ 33 for economy cars. Top options include:
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• National
• Budget
• Avis
• Driving Force

Round-trip flights from Ottawa to Thunder Bay range from C$ 418 to C$ 624, with an average of C$ 489 over the past 12 months. Anything below C$ 418 counts as a good deal.