An Overview Of Air Canada's Change Fee Policy And How It Compares To Other Airlines In The Industry

Air travel can be a stressful experience, and it is not uncommon for travelers to need to make changes to their plans. Whether it's a last-minute business meeting or a family emergency, life can throw unexpected curveballs that require flexibility from airlines. This is why it is important to understand an airline's change fee policy and how it compares to others in the industry.

Air Canada is a major international airline that has been operating for over 80 years. In this blog, we will take a closer look at Air Canada's change fee policy, including its Comfort Fare Refund option, and compare it to other airlines in the industry.

Air Canada's Change Fee Policy

Air Canada's change fee policy varies depending on the fare class you have purchased. Generally, the airline offers two types of fares: Flex and Standard. Flex fares are fully refundable and allow for unlimited changes without any additional fees. Standard fares, on the other hand, are non-refundable and changes can be made for a fee.

For Standard fares, the change fee for domestic flights is $75 CAD per direction, and for international flights, it ranges from $100 CAD to $250 CAD per direction, depending on the destination. Additionally, if the new fare is higher than the original fare, the difference must be paid.

It is important to note that Air Canada also offers a Comfort Fare Refund option for Standard fares. This option allows customers to receive a full refund of their ticket price, including the change fee, if they cancel their flight within 24 hours of purchase. However, this option is only available for flights that are more than a week away from the purchase date.

Air Canada's Elite Members

Air Canada also offers different policies for its Elite members, who are frequent flyers that have achieved a certain status within the airline's loyalty program. Elite members are entitled to waived change fees for both domestic and international flights, regardless of the fare class they have purchased. They can also make changes to their flight without any additional fees.

How Air Canada Compares to Other Airlines?

Now, let's compare Air Canada's change fee policy to other airlines in the industry.

WestJet, Air Canada's main competitor in Canada, has a similar change fee policy for its Econo, Flex, and Premium fares. Changes to Econo and Flex fares are allowed for a fee of $75 CAD per direction for domestic flights and $100 CAD per direction for international flights. Premium fares, on the other hand, allow for unlimited changes without any additional fees.

In the United States, Delta Air Lines offers a similar policy for its Basic Economy and Main Cabin fares. Basic Economy fares are non-refundable and changes are not allowed, while Main Cabin fares allow for changes for a fee of $200 USD per direction for domestic flights and $200 USD to $500 USD per direction for international flights, depending on the destination.

United Airlines has a similar policy to Delta for its Basic Economy and Standard fares. Basic Economy fares do not allow changes or refunds, while Standard fares allow for changes for a fee of $200 USD per direction for domestic flights and $200 USD to $400 USD per direction for international flights, depending on the destination.

In terms of Elite member policies, Air Canada is more generous than its competitors. Delta, United, and WestJet all offer waived change fees for their Elite members, but only for certain fare classes and destinations.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Air Canada's change fee policy is in line with its competitors in the industry. While it may not be the most generous, it does offer a Comfort Fare Refund option for customers who need to cancel their flight within 24 hours of purchase.