Air Canada now charging $30 per passenger when you call to book flights

Air Canada AC-T customers who book their flights by phone are now paying $30 per passenger for the privilege.

The country’s largest airline says the policy came into force on Oct. 15, placing it alongside WestJet, United Airlines UAL-Q and the numerous low-cost carriers that charge non-refundable phone booking fees.

Other competitors such as Delta Air Lines DAL-N and Southwest Airlines LUV-N still offer tickets by telephone without the surcharge.

For a family of four who books their Air Canada trip the old-fashioned way, the bill will run an extra $120.

The move marks an attempt to steer customers to the company’s website or app and to cut call centre costs, or at least compensate for them.

“It’s expensive. But then again, it’s expensive to hire an employee, train them and have them answer the phone,” said Andrew D’Amours, co-founder of flight deal site Flytrippers.

The change could disproportionately hit seniors who rely on phone bookings, he said.

“A lot of people, probably older folks, don’t really like booking on the app or on the internet. So I get the argument that it’s kind of unfair for them.”

The move also highlights yet another area that airlines have found to charge for services, part of a decade-long trend of “unbundling,” where airline customers pay for perks that were once bundled into a standard flight. Passengers now routinely pay extra for checked bags, pre-selected seats, priority boarding and onboard snacks.

Airlines have argued that unbundling allows customers to know precisely what they are paying for, with the cost of a particular service borne more by those who use it.

D’Amours served up a pungent analogy. “If you buy cheese, you can buy the brick and it’s much cheaper. Or you can buy it shredded,” he said.

“It’s more expensive, but you choose that for the convenience. If you don’t want to book online, you can pay someone to do it.”

Customers who require specialized support, including those with accessibility needs, are exempt from the fee, Air Canada said.

“There is also no change to the support available to you, and no booking fee will apply if your trip is affected by a delay, cancellation or other travel disruption,” the company said.