Air Canada now charges you $30 fee for phone bookings

Air Canada has started charging customers a $30 fee for booking flights over the phone.

As spotted by CP24, the change went into effect on Oct. 15, per Air Canada’s website. On the page, the airline notes that this $30 (plus applicable taxes) charge will apply to each passenger on new bookings made by phone. It adds that the booking fee will continue to apply for Aeroplan flight reward bookings.

Fliers will still be able to call Air Canada for support with existing reservations, travel disruptions and other inquiries without paying any fees.

In an FAQ on its site, Air Canada says the reason it has introduced this fee is to push its self-serve digital tools.

“Air Canada’s website and mobile app make it easy to book and manage your travel,” writes the airline. “Using these digital tools for everyday travel needs helps reduce wait times and allows our Contact Centre agents to focus their expertise on situations that require personalized support. ”

It should be noted that other Canadian airlines WestJet and Flair already charge for phone bookings, although their prices are $25 each.

While most people likely book their flights online anyway, it’s always annoying to see more fees added onto services, especially when, in this case, it’s literally for the purposes of giving money to Air Canada. If nothing else, charging people for speaking to an agent isn’t as bad as Cineplex, which for the past couple of years has charged a $1.50 booking fee for online purchases where it saves money because it’s a self-serve process where you don’t even deal with any actual humans.

Image credit: Air Canada

Source: Air Canada