Air Canada’s different fare options: how to choose?

Whether you use your Aeroplan points or pay with cash, you have several options. The options vary on several characteristics:

• Before the flight: for example, cancellation and modification policies
• During the flight: for example, checked baggage and seat selections .
• After the flight: for example, the number of Aeroplan points earned .

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 :

• free of charge,
• with costs,
• or simply not be possible.

The calculation is quite complex, it 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.

• Option 1: Consult the price list

For award 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.

• Option 2: Make a simulation

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.

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.

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 Montreal-Paris round trip with an Aeroplan Award ticket:

This will give between different options :

Since according to our evaluation, 20,000 Aeroplan points are worth approximately $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 Montreal-Paris round trip 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.

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 the age of 14, Air Canada will automatically assign generic seats prior to check-in at no additional 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

• Several Aeroplan-affiliated credit cards offer the first checked baggage for free.

• Many credit cards offer an annual credit that can be used to reimburse these fees.

Some Aeroplan status holders may also be eligible for 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 Checked Bag Free” information will automatically be shown and taken into account when you book.

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 you select, you may earn more or less Aeroplan points or Status 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 earn 100,000 eligible Aeroplan Points(EDQ) in a year.

In this case, the number of Aeroplan points earned on a trip will accelerate the process of obtaining or maintaining status.

The choice of fare option is critical when applying eUpgrades to your reservation.

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.