Air Canada suspends free seat selection at check-in

Air Canada – Which tickets are affected?
*** Update April 26, 2024: Air Canada has announced that it is suspending its decision to charge to change seats in Economy and Standard categories for the time being. We’re keeping this article as an archive since it no longer reflects reality, and it will be updated when further changes are announced.
Effective immediately, free seat pre-selection at check-in will no longer be available for fare tickets in Basic Economy, Standard Economy and Standard Flight Reward (tickets booked with Aeroplan points).
From now on, the computer system will automatically assign a seat free of charge to customers who have not made a pre-selection.
If the automatically assigned seat doesn’t suit you, you can change it for a fee. The fee starts at $14 per seat and vary according to the flight, fare class and seat selected.
You can find all the information on this page of the Air Canada website. The following table gives an idea of the costs to expect:

Members with Aeroplan Elite status are not affected by this new measure. In addition, seat pre-selection remains free for families travelling with a child under 14.
Air Canada – How can I get free seat pre-selection?
There are only two ways to get free seat pre-selection:
- Choose a fare class that allows free seat selection: Economy Flex, Comfort and Latitude, Premium Economy, Business Class.
- Aeroplan Elite 50K or 75K status: seat pre-selection is free at the time of booking for all flights and all fare classes, except Basic Economy.


If you have no status or your ticket is at the basic fare, you’ll have to pay to change seats.
National Bank World Elite Mastercard® holders can apply their $150 annual travel credit to these fees. If you don’t have one yet, take advantage of our exclusive offer to get one!
Bottom Line
This is bad news for Air Canada customers. This measure particularly affects families, groups and people travelling on separate bookings. Now, the chances of sitting side by side are slim unless you pay the extra.
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- $150ⓘMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueAnnual fee rebated$150Total$150Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Milesopedia first-year estimateⓘFirst-year valueAnnual fee rebated$150Total$150Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
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- Airport parking
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TM À LA CARTE TRAVEL is a trademark of National Bank of Canada. The À la carte Travel agency is owned by Transat Distribution Canada Inc. and holds a Quebec permit (No. 753141).
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* Mastercard® World Elite®
The National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® credit card was voted best Mastercard credit card by Milesopedia in 2026, 2025 and 2024.
The National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® credit card was voted best travel credit card by Milesopedia in 2026, 2025 and 2024.
Every year, Milesopedia reviews credit card offers from major financial institutions and establishes its Ranking based on over 150 criteria such as fees, welcome offer, minimum income required, number of points per category, account credits, insurance, airport lounge access, etc.
- Certain restrictions apply. For more information, see the Rewards Plan section or the Plan Rules applicable to point accumulation.
- Grace period:
No interest is charged on purchases made during the month if the cardholder pays the full balance of their account within twenty-one (21) days of the statement date. This grace period does not apply to cash advances and balance transfers. Minimum payment: if your account balance is less than $10, you must pay the balance in full. If you reside in the province of Quebec, your minimum payment is 5% of your account balance plus any overdue amount, or $10, whichever is greater. If you reside outside Quebec, your minimum payment is 2.5% of the credit card account balance plus any overdue amount, or $10, whichever is greater. Account statement: an account statement is sent monthly.Table of examples of credit fees calculated over a 30-day period
Annual interest rate $500 $3,000 22.49% $9.24 $55.45 20.99% $8.63 $51.76 13.2% $5.53 $33.16 9.2% $3.78 $22.68 *Variable interest rate in effect as of September 1, 2021.
- Balance transfers and cash advances are subject to National Bank credit approval. Each amount transferred cannot be less than $250.
- Exclusive to World Elite Mastercard cardholders. Presentation of the physical credit card and boarding pass is required to access the lounge.
The National Bank® Lounge is accessible to customers traveling on international flights only (excluding flights to Canada and the United States).
You benefit from free and unlimited access with one guest and two children aged 12 and under.
Until October 4, 2026 (date subject to change), customers can enter the National Bank Lounge three hours before their flight departure time. From October 5, 2026 (date subject to change), access will be authorized for a maximum duration of 2 hours (3 hours for customers who hold a Private Banking 1859® World Elite® Mastercard® credit card).
National Bank customers who are not World Elite ® Mastercard ® cardholders can also access the current lounge based on current rates and benefit from a 25 % discount on these rates :
63,24 $ taxes included for adults (excluding discount)
$40.24 taxes included for children aged 2 to 12 (excluding discount)
free for children under 2 (excluding discount)
The entry fee is subject to change without notice and is the responsibility of the lounge operator. - Subject to providing the required supporting documents in the manner and within the prescribed timeframe. Certain conditions may apply. Only the primary cardholder of a National Bank World Elite Mastercard (Cardholder) whose account is in good standing can request a « Travel Fee Reimbursement ». « Account in good standing » means an account linked to the credit card that does not violate the Credit Card Agreement in any way and on which no restrictions apply. For example, and without limitation, the associated annual fees must have been paid in full. The maximum reimbursement of $150 can be requested from January 1 to December 31 of each year.
Eligible expenses are:
airport parking
baggage fees
seat selection
airport lounge access worldwide
airline ticket upgrades
A reimbursement request must be made within 60 days of the purchase date. Travel expenses must be charged to the National Bank World Elite Mastercard credit card account. The maximum reimbursement of $150 is applicable per account. Please allow up to 7 business days for the reimbursement to be processed from the date your request is submitted. National Bank reserves the right to request additional supporting documents for validation purposes (e.g., invoices). You must keep all receipts and supporting documents for a period of 12 months from the date you made your reimbursement request. An unused reimbursement in one year cannot be carried over to the next year. You can make your request online at rewards.nbc.ca or by calling 1-800-341-8083 (toll-free) for an agent to assist you with your travel fee reimbursement request. - Point accumulation on grocery and restaurant spending depends on the total gross monthly amount charged to the credit card account, across all categories. Earn 5 points per dollar spent on eligible grocery and restaurant purchases. The 5 points per dollar accumulation is valid for the first $2,500 of gross monthly purchases charged to the account. Beyond this amount, eligible grocery and restaurant spending will earn 2 points per dollar. The calculation of the gross monthly purchase amount is based on monthly billing. A grocery purchase means a purchase made at a merchant whose primary business is selling food, such as a grocery store, delicatessen, supermarket, fruit store, or specialty food store. Meal kit subscriptions and meal delivery services are eligible. Therefore, this definition excludes, among others, retail stores and big-box stores whose primary business is selling non-food items. Some merchants may sell products or services identical or similar to those of eligible merchants, or are separate merchants located on the same premises as eligible merchants, but are classified by Mastercard in different categories. Purchases made from other merchants only earn base reward points. A restaurant purchase means a purchase made at a restaurant, including quick-service restaurants, bars, discotheques, nightclubs, and taverns. To view the full list of Mastercard codes associated with eligible merchants, download the À la carte Rewards Plan® terms and conditions document.
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- Subject to credit approval by National Bank.
- Certain conditions apply. Visit mastercard.ca for more information. See all credit card terms and conditions.
- To earn 2 points per dollar spent, you must pay for your gas or electric charging purchases at a gas station or certain big-box stores. Some merchants may sell products or services identical or similar to those of eligible merchants, or are separate merchants located on the same premises as eligible merchants, but are classified by Mastercard in different categories. Purchases made from other merchants only earn base reward points. To view the full list of Mastercard codes associated with eligible merchants, download the À la carte Rewards Plan® terms and conditions document.
- Recurring bill payments are defined as payments made monthly or regularly that are automatically charged by the merchant to your National Bank World Elite Mastercard. Not all merchants offer recurring payments, and not all recurring payments are considered recurring bill payments. Therefore, some payments may not qualify for accelerated reward points.
- To earn 2 points per dollar spent, you must pay for your eligible purchases through the À la carte TravelTM agency section of our À la carte RewardsTM site.
- For example, if you spend $400 monthly on groceries, $200 on gas, $100 on recurring bills and $150 on other purchases, the $850 spent will generate 2,750 points, broken down as follows: 2,000 points for grocery spending (since the total gross monthly amount is $850, which is less than $2,500), 400 points for gas spending, 200 points for recurring bills and 150 points for other purchases.
- Insurance up to $1,000 in case of breakage, loss or theft of mobile devices for a maximum period of 2 years following the date of purchase. Subject to purchasing the device with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard or a phone service subscription paid by recurring payments from your National Bank Platinum Mastercard starting September 1, 2022. For all conditions, please consult the insurance certificate linked to your card.
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Annual income required
Conversion fees
2.5%
Earning rate
- 5xRestaurants
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- $1,139ⓘMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,000Annual fee rebated$139Total$1,139Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Milesopedia first-year estimateⓘFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,000Annual fee rebated$139Total$1,139Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- Welcome offer
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With this offer for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, you can get up to 50,000 Aeroplan points† as well as an Annual Fee rebate for the first year†.
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This card also allows you to enjoy travel benefits, such as a free first checked bag for you and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation†, as well as a rebate on the NEXUS program application fee (up to $100 CAD per eligible cardholder) every 48 months†.
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn 1.5 points† per $1 spent on:
- Grocery purchases
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- Purchases made directly with Air Canada® (including Air Canada Vacations®)
You also earn 1 point† per dollar on all other eligible purchases made with your card.
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†Terms and conditions apply.
Annual fee
Annual income required
Conversion fees
2.5%
Earning rate
- 1.5xGas & EV
- 1.5xGroceries
- 1.5xAir Canada flights
- 1xAll spending
Value
Card benefits
Travel insurance
Purchase protection
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