Air Canada Announces Expanded Economy Fare Range
Jackie Reddy April 11, 2018
Those traveling on the carrier’s North American routes can now take their pick from among five different economy classes. Whether they choose Latitude, Comfort, Flex, Standard or Basic, Air Canada believes that the introduction of these fares will offer travelers the flexibility they desire.
Air Canada has announced that it has expanded its North American economy fares to offer its passengers better flexibility along with a range of in-flight services and amenities. In a press release, the carrier has said that this newly introduced range of economy options – which is comprised of Latitude, Comfort, Flex, Standard and Basic fares – was made available to passengers traveling on domestic North American routes as of April 4th.
All of these fare types include a carry-on luggage allowance and access to on-board in-flight entertainment.
Air Canada’s Latitude fare features a fully-refundable ticket, priority check-in as well as a complimentary baggage allowance and advanced seat selection facilities. Seat selection is also available for those traveling on Comfort fares, which also includes a checked luggage allowance.
True to its name, the carrier’s Flex fare enables passengers to make changes to their ticket for an additional fee, as does Air Canada’s Standard fare. The Basic fare, which is described as the airline’s “most restrictive fare option” is “available only for select routes and flights and for booking exclusively through Air Canada channels.”
Those traveling on this fare are not for eligible upgrades and cannot make changes to their tickets and should be prepared to pay extra for amenities such as seat selection and checked luggage.
Commenting on the changes, Lucie Guillemette, the carrier’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer said, “Air Canada recognizes that people have different requirements when they travel, so we are expanding the range of choice for our economy customers with our new suite of fares. Each fare type offers customers specific attributes as well as options to purchase additional benefits and amenities that vary based on the type selected, such as extra legroom, upgrade eligibility, or lounge access.”
I get a kick out of how they tout “carry-on luggage allowance and access to on-board in-flight entertainment“ as included with all fares - I'm sure if there were a viable way to lock out both of those for basic economy passengers, they’d do it.