Air Canada adds phone booking fee for passengers

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Air Canada adds phone booking fee

Highlights

Air Canada introduces a non-refundable C$30 per passenger fee for phone bookings effective Oct. 15, aligning with WestJet and United Airlines.
The surcharge aims to reduce call centre expenses and push customers toward digital channels, but exempts those with accessibility needs or disrupted travel.
The policy expands the airline's ancillary revenue framework, reflecting an industry trend toward unbundling services and assigning costs to optional amenities.

Digital booking push and fee rollout

As reported by Moneysense, Air Canada says customers who book flights by phone now pay a non-refundable C$30 fee per passenger, a policy that comes into force on Oct. 15. The airline’s pricing move places it alongside carriers such as WestJet and United Airlines, while Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines still allow telephone bookings without the added surcharge.

For a family of four, the extra cost reaches C$120 on a single booking made by phone. The change reflects a broader effort to move customers toward Air Canada’s website and app while reducing call centre expenses, or offsetting the cost of maintaining phone-based booking support.

Customers who need specialized support, including travelers with accessibility needs, are exempt from the fee, Air Canada says. The carrier also says the charge does not apply when a trip is affected by a delay, cancellation or another travel disruption.

Ancillary revenue trend and customer impact

The new charge fits a longer airline industry trend of unbundling, where services once included in a standard fare are priced separately. Travelers now commonly pay additional fees for checked baggage, seat selection, priority boarding and onboard snacks.

Andrew D’Amours, co-founder of flight deal site Flytrippers, says phone bookings are costly for airlines because staffing and training call centre employees require added spending. He also says the policy could weigh more heavily on older customers who are less comfortable booking through apps or online channels.

Airlines argue that separate fees make pricing more transparent by assigning the cost of optional services to the passengers who use them. That logic continues to shape carrier pricing strategies as operators look for new ways to manage operating costs and expand ancillary revenue.

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