WHEREAS Air Canada has eliminated the special fares for passengers traveling due to illness or family death and these passengers require this assistance at their time of need: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities lobby Air Canada to reinstate the special fare for travel due to illness or family death on Tango and Jazz fares.
AIR CANADA ...We regret your disappointment with the removal of our Compassionate fares for travel within North America. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify our position on this matter. This change was the result of our customers feedback expressing that they felt that our bereavement fares were higher than fares they could book online on our website. Airlines have no desire to take advantage of customers traveling due to a family emergency and we recognize their difficult circumstances. In the past Air Canada offered a discount off of full economy fares when travel was prompted by the death or imminent death in the family. With the introduction of our new simplified fare structure, our everyday low fares are either the same or lower than the previous bereavement discounts. Customers have the flexibility of booking at the last minute, booking one way or return and without any documentation or relationship restrictions. For international travel, we continue to offer discounts to customers when travel is prompted by a death or imminent death in the family. Customers are able to make last minute bookings at these reduced fares and are provided with the same level of flexibility as our unrestricted, higher fare tickets. Air Canada has long supported compassionate travel fares. Suggestions and comments such as those you have conveyed are instrumental in shaping our policy. We appreciate your feedback and would like to assure you that it has been conveyed to the responsible Marketing team for their consideration, as part of our ongoing review of our products and services...