Fares may be down, but these Canadian airline fees may bring the price back up
With spring break just weeks away, Canadians looking to jet-set their way to a new destination either now or when prices come down in the spring are being reminded by experts to review their fares carefully. While Statistics Canada suggests prices for airfare(opens in a new tab) dropped in 2023 by roughly 14%, airline analysts say the lower fares can be a catch-grab. “They offer you a low fare as a way of drawing you into travel,” said Karl Moore, a business strategy professor at McGill University who also studies the industry. Lured in by low fares, would-be travellers sometimes find that once on the booking page, the other costs add up. Frequent flyers will be well aware of fees for checked bags, seat selection or refundable tickets, but for those less aware, these add-ons can increase the overall price significantly. This month, West Jet has increased its baggage fees system-wide for the first time since 2018. This follows an increase in November that applied to excess checked bags paid for at the airport with an airport agent. The new prices for checked bags(opens in a new tab) are up at least $5 across the board. For example, pre-purchased on a base fare, a first checked bag will cost between $35 and $42. That’s up from $30 to $36. The airlines says these changes only apply to tickets purchased on or after Feb.15. In a statement from Air Canada, the airline said, “We are aware of these trends in the industry and monitor them for competitive purposes, but there has been no change to our policy with respect to baggage fees.” The airline wouldn’t say whether an increase loomed. A first checked bag with Air Canada costs roughly $36.<br/>
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Fares may be down, but these Canadian airline fees may bring the price back up
With spring break just weeks away, Canadians looking to jet-set their way to a new destination either now or when prices come down in the spring are being reminded by experts to review their fares carefully. While Statistics Canada suggests prices for airfare(opens in a new tab) dropped in 2023 by roughly 14%, airline analysts say the lower fares can be a catch-grab. “They offer you a low fare as a way of drawing you into travel,” said Karl Moore, a business strategy professor at McGill University who also studies the industry. Lured in by low fares, would-be travellers sometimes find that once on the booking page, the other costs add up. Frequent flyers will be well aware of fees for checked bags, seat selection or refundable tickets, but for those less aware, these add-ons can increase the overall price significantly. This month, West Jet has increased its baggage fees system-wide for the first time since 2018. This follows an increase in November that applied to excess checked bags paid for at the airport with an airport agent. The new prices for checked bags(opens in a new tab) are up at least $5 across the board. For example, pre-purchased on a base fare, a first checked bag will cost between $35 and $42. That’s up from $30 to $36. The airlines says these changes only apply to tickets purchased on or after Feb.15. In a statement from Air Canada, the airline said, “We are aware of these trends in the industry and monitor them for competitive purposes, but there has been no change to our policy with respect to baggage fees.” The airline wouldn’t say whether an increase loomed. A first checked bag with Air Canada costs roughly $36.<br/>
