Air Canada red tape

[dr_whom]

So, I recently had to cancel a ticket I'd booked with Air Canada because my travel plans have changed. I wasn't expecting to get any kind of refund or credit or anything; I'd originally booked it at the lowest possible price, about $115, and accepted the risk that comes with that.

But the person I spoke to on the phone said that, actually, they would give me a credit for the amount my booking had cost, to be used toward a future Air Canada booking within the next 12 months. She told me that to use that, I would simply have to change my booking to any other flight, incurring the $200 booking-change fee, and the amount I'd already paid would be credited toward the cost of my new ticket.

I asked, so, because of the change fee, using my credit would actually cost more than just buying a new ticket and ignoring the credit?

She allowed as how it would.

I said, well, I probably won't do that, then.

She said that made sense… but still had to explain how to go about doing that, in case I should change my mind for some reason.

Comments

[midnight-sidhe.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many people they actually get with that.

[winterlime.livejournal.com]

$200 change fee? Good lord.

[rford.livejournal.com]

Why did you bother to call and cancel?

[dr_whom]

Well, at first I called to try and change my booking to accommodate my new travel plans, but when I couldn't do that (because one flight was going to be within the US, which Air Canada doesn't do) , they told me if I canceled my booking they'd give me a credit.