welcome kdmoore
We fly out of Syracuse. It's much cheaper and worth the drive if economics is the biggest factor in your trip planning and especially when there are several fares to pay for.
Some other factors to consider when flying from Syracuse:
1. There are no direct flights. They all involve a stopover. It could be in New York, Atlanta, chicago, Washington. So the total flight time is longer. Is that worth the drive to you?
2. You'll have to pay for airport parking for the week. Would you have to anyway, even if you flew out of Ottawa or would someone have driven you or perhaps a cab ride would be cheaper from your home to Ottawa airport?
3. If you have an early flight from Syracuse would you stay in a hotel for the night? Extra cost there.
Basically is it worth the extra hassle for the savings? and how much of a savings would it be in the end?
When our family considered these questions, we found that it was definitely still worth it. We stayed at the Best Western right at the airport and got a park n'fly rate. Even with the overnight hotel stay, we saved a lot. Got an early flight, and with the connection, we managed to get to Orlando by noon. We have two young kids and everyone was still happy by the time we arrived.