Summary
- Air Canada delays new policy of assigned seating for Basic and Standard economy passengers for operational reasons.
- New policy to assign seats at check-in for select international routes triggers fee for seat changes.
- Air Canada follows industry trend of offering cheaper base fares with add-on fees for inclusions to remain competitive.
Air Canada was in the midst of changing its seat selection policy for its Basic and Standard economy passengers but is now delaying the change. An implementation date for the change has yet to be announced. The Canadian flag carrier cited operational reasons for the delay.
The change
Previously, the airline announced that it would be changing the seating policy for Basic and Standard economy fares.
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
The new policy introduces seat assignments at check-in for passengers traveling with Basic and Standard economy fares. Once it comes into effect, these customers can no longer choose a standard seat for free during check-in. Instead, the airline will now assign a seat for the passenger. If the passenger is unhappy with the seat assignment or wants to change it, they must pay a fee ranging from CAD 14 to 90, depending on the fare type and route.
The policy will affect passengers on Air Canada flights on domestic flights, flights to and from the US, and on certain international routes.
The routes are as follows:
| Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America | Other Countries |
| Antigua and Barbuda Aruba Bahamas Barbados Bermuda Costa Rica Cuba Curaçao Dominican Republic Grand Cayman Island Grenada Guadeloupe Haiti Jamaica Martinique Mexico Panama Puerto Rico St. Lucia St. Kitts and Nevis St. Maarten Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands |
Algeria Belgium Czech Republic Denmark France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland India Ireland Israel Italy Morocco Netherlands Poland Portugal Spain Switzerland United Arab Emirates United Kingdom |
Current policy
The current policy allows economy passengers to choose a seat during the booking process or check-in. Passengers in the cabin could choose any standard seat they wished for no additional cost.
Photo: WorldStock | Shutterstock
The policy changes, once they come into effect, will not affect passengers who book other economy fares such as Flex, Comfort, and Latitude. Passengers on these fares may still select a seat at no additional cost.
Similarly, passengers with Aeroplan Elite Status are entitled to a preferred seat at no cost. Aeroplan Super Elites can access standard or preferred seats on any fare.
Why the change?
While Air Canada patrons might be unhappy with the change, it’s quite common in the industry. Most American carriers and rivals, such as WestJet, already have this policy. The reason for the change is often to increase ancillary profits.
Photo: Air Canada
Airlines are now offering passengers cheaper fares for the bare minimum, and once they get customers in the door, they charge for any inclusions. Food, free baggage, and seating preferences are all chargeable add-ons.
Gone are the days when only one fixed charge for a cabin. Now, economy travelers have to choose between multiple fares, and with the increased price, more options. If seating arrangements are important, airlines ask you to go up one fare tier.
Rising fares
Global airfares are expected to increase by 3-7% in 2024. Orthodox carriers such as Air Canada must adopt these tactics to stay competitive against low-cost carriers or risk losing passengers.
Customers patronizing low-cost carriers have shown that they prefer cheaper airfares to more inclusions, and as a result, the entire industry is adopting these trends.
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