Air Canada’s decision to impose baggage fees on certain travelers does not go down well with certain elected officials in Ottawa, including the Minister of Transport who summoned airline executives to obtain explanations.
• Also read: Air Canada will impose fees of at least $35 for baggage
• Also read: End of free carry-on baggage at Air Canada: ‘It’s just the beginning of incidental fees,’ warns travel expert
• Also read: End of free carry-on baggage at Air Canada: Canadians don’t deserve this, says Minister Anand
Anita Anand said she was disappointed Wednesday by these new $35 baggage fees which will be required from January 3, 2025, at a time when Canadians are facing an increase in the cost of living. This fee applies only to North American destinations and increases to $50 if carry-on baggage is included.
“I’m going to ask, I’m going to ask the question,” she told Parliament on Thursday. Why did you make this decision and why now? This is a very difficult time for Canadian families.”
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Air Canada defended itself by asserting that these fees are increasingly imposed on travelers with other airlines.
“I will see what I can do,” added Minister Anand.
The meeting between the Minister of Transport and airline executives should take place around mid-December, TVA Nouvelles has learned.
“An abusive pricing policy”
Opposition parties have asked the Trudeau government to do more to protect citizens.
The Bloc Québécois notably demanded that incidental costs should be included in the travelers’ charter.
“What we see is that it is an airline, and it is not the only one, but this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” declared Xavier Barsalou-Duval, MP Bloc leader from Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères.
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«[Air Canada] uses all possible means to snatch each [dollar] possible in the world, he added. At some point, it becomes an abusive pricing policy.”
For its part, the New Democratic Party (NDP) wants the government to prevent large companies from imposing additional fees on consumers.
“This once again shows greed,” said Peter Julian, NDP MP for New Westminster-Burnaby.
See the full explanation in the video above.
