End of free baggage at Air Canada | “An abusive pricing policy,” protests the Bloc Québécois

(Ottawa) Air Canada’s decision to impose additional fees for cabin baggage goes down badly in Ottawa. The Bloc Québécois called on Thursday for an amendment to the travelers’ charter to overturn this measure, while the Conservative Party blames Justin Trudeau for his “air chaos”.

The air carrier announced Wednesday that large carry-on bags (commonly known as carry-on) should be registered before the security check. You will have to pay $35 for the first bag and $50 for the second^⁠.

“The Bloc Québécois considers the addition of fees for cabin baggage unacceptable and it is nothing more and nothing less than an abusive pricing policy. Enough is enough: passengers have rights,” stormed the Bloc transport spokesperson, Xavier Barsalou-Duval.

The Bloc Québécois would like to scrap this measure by amending the air travelers charter, so that “cabin baggage is included in the regular price of a ticket and cannot be subject to incidental charges.” », indicated the elected official.

Conservative MP Philip Lawrence shares the same discontent. He proposes summoning before a House committee the big boss of Air Canada and the Minister of Transport, Anita Anand, not without attacking the latter in the process.

« BREAKING: Conservatives to introduce motion to summon Air Canada CEO and Trudeau’s part-time transport minister […] After nine years of Trudeau’s air chaos, prices are up and service is down,” he wrote on Network X on Thursday.

Minister Anand had shared her impressions the day before on the same platform.

“I just learned that Air Canada will be imposing new fees for carry-on baggage. It’s worrying. Canadians work hard and save to travel. They deserve good service, not extra fees,” she wrote.

The new additional fees will come into effect on January 3, and will be imposed on customers traveling with the base fare, for certain destinations.

With Stéphanie Bérubé, The Press