Air Canada is making significant changes to its fare structure: The flag carrier will tighten the carry-on luggage allowance and allocated seating terms for its basic economy tickets.
The stricter rules will apply to fares purchased after January 2, and cover all North American routes, plus “sun” destinations in the Caribbean and Central America.
Passengers traveling on these lowest-price tickets will still be able to bring a small personal item, such as a laptop bag or purse without charge. However, larger carry-on items that would usually travel in the overhead compartment will need to be checked in. Fees of C$35 (US$25) will apply for the first bag, rising to C$50 (US$35) for a second item.
Travelers holding basic economy tickets who arrive at the gate with “ineligible carry-on items” must check this in at a penalty rate of C$65 (US$46). There will be exceptions for medical devices, strollers, and mobility aids.
New Fees for Seating
The changes also extend to seating. Passengers with basic fare tickets will be randomly assigned seats at check-in unless they pay extra to select one. Additionally, starting on January 21, customers will be charged for any seat changes after booking.
The airline said that there will be exceptions, say for families and other special circumstances. The airline said it “remains committed to seating these customers together as per its current policy, which also prioritizes seating traveling companions together.”
Status holders of its Aeroplan loyalty program and Star Alliance Gold members will continue to receive their current entitlements, which allow one carry-on bag.
Air Canada said the move will “align the airline’s fare structure with similar fare offerings by other Canadian carriers and better distinguish its fare brands.”
WestJet – its biggest domestic rival – does not allow travelers on its UltraBasic fare to bring or pay for a carry-on bag except when traveling on long-haul flights. Porter Airlines also limits carry-on luggage to a personal item for most travelers on a basic fare.
Additional Benefits for Comfort Fares
Wednesday’s announcement wasn’t entirely bad news for travelers.
Air Canada is enhancing its checked baggage allowance for Comfort Economy passengers. From January, travelers in this fare class will be entitled to two complimentary checked bags instead of one.
Unlike the basic economy changes that are focused on North American routes, this new benefit applies to all Air Canada services worldwide. Full details of the changes can be found on the airline’s website.
Air Canada’s tightening of rules for basic economy fares is in contrast to broader trends in the United States. United Airlines is the only legacy carrier that charges passengers for a carry-on when flying basic economy for domestic routes.
In September, low-cost carrier JetBlue changed its rules to allow all passengers — even those on its most restrictive ‘Blue Basic’ fare — to bring a carry-on bag for no extra charge.
Speaking at the Skift Global Forum in New York City in September, United Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said the main reason why the airline still charges for basic economy carry-ons is a lack of space: “The issue here is the overhead bins onboard the aircraft were just not big enough to accommodate it all.”
The United executive said the carrier is currently working to address issues with overhead bin space by modifying existing aircraft and flying newer planes with greater capacity.
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