Note: You can also use this guide to help make your choices with other airlines.
It is often said that on the same flight there is almost as much variety of prices paid as there are seats on the plane.
Indeed, the price of a place is influenced by several factors, among others:
In addition, there is the fare that you must choose when you make your reservation, which can cost from one to five times more for the same seat, depending on the options.
In this guide, you will find the information you need to make the right decision for your situation.
Whether you use your Aeroplan points or pay in cash, there are several options available to you. The options vary on several characteristics:
For most travelers, this is the most important criterion.
Between an option that allows you to cancel or change your ticket without charge and one that does not allow any changes, there is a significant margin.
Depending on the fare class, changes or cancellations can be :
The calculation is quite complex and will vary depending on the type of ticket, the destination (Canada, United States, International, sun destination), the carrier (Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge), the number of segments in the trip, the time before the flight, the mix of fare classes, etc ….
For premium tickets, the information available on the Aeroplan website gives a good idea.
For cash tickets, information is available on the Air Canada website, however there are many options.
The easiest way is to do a simulation on the Air Canada website.
To do this, simply select a fare.
Then go to the summary page and click on the fare option.
Consult the cancellation and modification policies.
Please note: if it is a round trip ticket and the fare class is not the same on the outbound and return trips, the least expensive fare class will apply.
The first question to ask is obviously “Do we need this flexibility?”
Unforeseen events can occur and prevent us from traveling; we think of the death of a family member, an illness, a disaster.
Many of these conditions may already be covered by your group insurance or credit card.
Please note: credit card travel cancellation insurance is not insurance if you change your mind. The conditions are very strict and cover only unforeseen events.
The next question is about the risk premium. If there is a possibility that the trip may not go ahead or you are thinking of cancelling or changing the dates, how much are you willing to pay?
From this point on, you must calculate the additional premium you will have to pay to cover this risk.
Example of a round trip Montreal-Paris on a Aeroplan award ticket:
This will give between different options :
Since, according to our valuation, 20,000 Aeroplan points have a value of around $400, in this example we can ask ourselves the following question:
Am I paying 20,000 Aeroplan (± $400) to maybe save $100 in case of a change or $75 in case of a cancellation?
Example of a round trip Montreal-Paris in cash:
Obviously, the same issues will arise in the cash fare, especially since some fares offer no cancellation or change options.
So the price differences :
The fees charged for checked luggage can quickly add to the cost of your trip.
For flights to Canada, the United States and the South, we are talking about an additional $30 per one-way trip to put a first bag in the hold.
From January 3, 2025, this rule will also apply to basic economy class , which does not include carry-on baggage. You will have to check in your carry-on bag and pay the fee.
For international flights, if the fare option selected does not include checked baggage, the cost is $70 one way ($140 round trip).
For seat pre-selection, please note that if the reservation includes a child under 14, Air Canada will automatically allocate generic seats before check-in at no extra charge.
You may also bring one stroller per child in addition to your baggage allowance.
All details on the Air Canada website.
Some of these fees may be covered by your credit card
Some Aeroplan status holders may also enjoy benefits such as seat selection or additional checked baggage allowance.
On the Aeroplan website, you can find the benefits that apply to your profile in the “Privileges” section of your profile.
For example, if you have an eligible Aeroplan credit card linked to your account, the “First free checked bag” information will automatically be shown and taken into account when you make your reservation.
In general, these criteria only tip the scales for advanced users who already have Aeroplan status or want to keep it.
Depending on the fare option selected, you can earn more or fewer Aeroplan points or qualifying miles (SQM). These are crucial when it comes to obtaining or renewing your Elite status.
Another way to earn Elite 25k status is to accumulate 100,000 Eligible Aeroplan Points(EDQ) in one year.
In this case, the number of Aeroplan points earned during a trip helps to speed up the process of obtaining or maintaining status.
The choice of fare option is essential when you wish to apply eUpgrades to your booking.
In fact, the possibility of requesting an upgrade, the number of eUpgrades, the additional amount requested as well as the period of application will change depending on the fare class.
A latitude economy fare, for example, allows the upgrade to be applied at the time of booking, whereas a standard economy fare will not apply until a few days before the flight.
We hope this short guide will help you make informed decisions when choosing between the different fares available to you.
Savings are here:
