Air Canada Cancel Flight Cost

I think you'd get two vouchers for $292.36 each - but they'll charge you $100 plus tax change fee per voucher once you use it.

But I'm not sure.

treksub wrote: ↑ I have a booking with Air Canada under the Standard Economy category. It's a one way flight from Toronto to San Francisco on March 11, 2020 for 2 passengers. Please see below for the cost breakdown.

2 adults        
Air Transportation Charges 389.98  
Taxes, fees and charges 194.74         
GRAND TOTAL (Canadian dollars) $584.72

We are trying to find out the cost if we want to cancel this booking. We tried contacting Air Canada by email, Facebook, Twitter and have not received a response. Phone holding time was very long as well.

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/hom ... he-us.html

From the above link, it states that there is a $100 penalty per person for changes made within 60 days of departure. Does this mean that if we cancel this booking, we would get a $384.72 ($584.72 minus the $100 per person penalty) Air Canada travel voucher? Thanks in advance for your help.

If it was a non refundable fare, they may even not give a refund but give you a credit to use within a year (minus change fees).
Air Canada is a bugger to get through to.
My secret (?) lately is to go on their Facebook page and use messenger to contact them. They have answered almost right away.

Pete_Coach wrote: ↑ If it was a non refundable fare, they may even not give a refund but give you a credit to use within a year (minus change fees).
Air Canada is a bugger to get through to.
My secret (?) lately is to go on their Facebook page and use messenger to contact them. They have answered almost right away.

I tried using Facebook Messenger and this is the reply below.

"Thank you for reaching out to us. We are currently experiencing very high message volumes since we're merging a new Reservation System Migration. We try the best we can to guide the passenger to explore our website for further information and also for future reference. We invite you to reach our call our Contact Centre at 1-888-247-2262, if you need a international phone number you can find the right number under this link: http://bit.ly/2vZBnKH for assistance with your reservation.

Regards,

Air Canada Social Media / Émile"

treksub wrote: ↑ I tried using Facebook Messenger and this is the reply below.

"Thank you for reaching out to us. We are currently experiencing very high message volumes since we're merging a new Reservation System Migration. We try the best we can to guide the passenger to explore our website for further information and also for future reference. We invite you to reach our call our Contact Centre at 1-888-247-2262, if you need a international phone number you can find the right number under this link: http://bit.ly/2vZBnKH for assistance with your reservation.

Regards,

Air Canada Social Media / Émile"

Sorry to hear that. I just used messenger 3 or 4 times (3 upcoming trips) in the last month and gotten great quick resolution each time.

The details of Air Canada fare types depend on the destination.

See https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/hom ... he-us.html for the US conditions.
You can read the details by clicking on the little i in a circle.

If I read what's there and what you have written right, you cannot receive a refund, but you will receive a credit (voucher) that you can use for a future flight, within one year, for a value of what you paid minus $100 per person change/reissue fee.

If you do want to cancel, I believe you can cancel online, so you don't have to phone in. But I'm not sure of that.

houska wrote: ↑ The details of Air Canada fare types depend on the destination.

See https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/hom ... he-us.html for the US conditions.
You can read the details by clicking on the little i in a circle.

If I read what's there and what you have written right, you cannot receive a refund, but you will receive a credit (voucher) that you can use for a future flight, within one year, for a value of what you paid minus $100 per person change/reissue fee.

I think that is not how it works. I think you get the whole ticket value as a voucher, but you have to pay the change fee to use it. With fresh money.

The difference is this: Say your original flight was 300 Dollars. You cancelled it. Now you want to buy a new ticket that costs 250 Dollars.

If Air Canada had just deducted 100 Dollars and given you a voucher for 200 Dollars, you would now have to pay an extra 50 Dollars for your new ticket.
However, if they gave you a voucher for 300 Dollars and then charge you 100 Dollars change fee, you will now have to pay 100 Dollars change fee (plus tax), and you are left with a residual value of 50 Dollars on the voucher. Yes, you can use those 50 Dollars for yet another ticket (no second change fee, as I understand), as long as you fly within 12 months of the day you bought (!) your original ticket.

Which of these options do you think Air Canada would pick?

houska wrote: ↑ If you do want to cancel, I believe you can cancel online, so you don't have to phone in. But I'm not sure of that.

Only if you booked directly with Air Canada in the first place - and these days you may run into a roadblock because they moved their reservations system to Amadeus and your booking may not be accessible as usual, or there was a slight change in flight times and now your booking is blocked for that reason.

The Amadeus project seems to be a dumpster fire. Either things are not going as expected, or they hate their customers a lot and did not prepare for the onslought of customer calls with malice.

OP, how did you book your ticket in the first place? If you did not book directly on the Air Canada website, you have to talk to your travel agent. They may or may not add a fee of their own to process the cancellation.

Is the change fee $100 or $100 each way? You may want to confirm that.

dolfan1980 wrote: ↑ Is the change fee $100 or $100 each way? You may want to confirm that.

One way flight.

antigua1999 wrote: ↑ One way flight.

Thread clearly got too long for me! Thanks for straightening me out.

sokolov wrote: ↑I think you get the whole ticket value as a voucher, but you have to pay the change fee to use it. With fresh money.

The difference is this: Say your original flight was 300 Dollars. You cancelled it. Now you want to buy a new ticket that costs 250 Dollars.

If Air Canada had just deducted 100 Dollars and given you a voucher for 200 Dollars, you would now have to pay an extra 50 Dollars for your new ticket.
However, if they gave you a voucher for 300 Dollars and then charge you 100 Dollars change fee, you will now have to pay 100 Dollars change fee (plus tax), and you are left with a residual value of 50 Dollars on the voucher. Yes, you can use those 50 Dollars for yet another ticket (no second change fee, as I understand), as long as you fly within 12 months of the day you bought (!) your original ticket.

I appreciate the greater precision. Yes, this is how it works, my answer (over)simplified: I fly several times a month and usually have a few vouchers on the go, so it doesn't bother me, but it is a limitation if one doesn't fly frequently. BTW I'm not 100% sure of the 2nd-ticket-with-no-2nd-change-fee end game. I think I have been charged a 2nd fee, as a "reissue fee" in this instance, but I'm not sure.

sokolov wrote: ↑ OP, how did you book your ticket in the first place? If you did not book directly on the Air Canada website, you have to talk to your travel agent.

Indeed. From the phrasing of the question, I assume they did buy from AC, but if not -- their agent should be able to provide them cancellation policy info too.

I did purchased my tickets on Air Canada website. I tried using the cancel page on Air Canada website (without completing it) and it states that I will only get $125.90 back. The two one way tickets cost was $584.72. For standard economy the change fee should be $100 per ticket. So shouldn't I get $384.72 back ($584.72-$200)? Thanks so much for your help.

Please see screen shot of Air Canada cancel booking page in the image below

treksub wrote: ↑ I did purchased my tickets on Air Canada website. I tried using the cancel page on Air Canada website (without completing it) and it states that I will only get $125.90 back. The two one way tickets cost was $584.72. For standard economy the change fee should be $100 per ticket. So shouldn't I get $384.72 back ($584.72-$200)? Thanks so much for your help.

Please see screen shot of Air Canada cancel booking page in the image below

So, it looks to me that you had a fully non refundable ticket.
You did not make a change, you cancelled completely. Changing is different than cancelling.

Pete_Coach wrote: ↑ So, it looks to me that you had a fully non refundable ticket.
You did not make a change, you cancelled completely. Changing is different than cancelling.

On the Air Canada website, I just saw an icon for cancel but didn't see anywhere I can do a change. 
How does a change work? Can I also change my destination as well?
Thanks so much. 

treksub wrote: ↑ On the Air Canada website, I just saw an icon for cancel but didn't see anywhere I can do a change. 
How does a change work? Can I also change my destination as well?
Thanks so much. 

You gotta call them. No other way.

Thanks for your help. Is it possible to change my destination as well or am I only allowed only to change the date not the destination?
Thanks again.

treksub wrote: ↑ Thanks for your help. Is it possible to change my destination as well or am I only allowed only to change the date not the destination?
Thanks again.

It depends on the type of ticket you bought. Most normal Standard Economy ticket booked on the Air Canada website result, when cancelled, in a credit good for a new booking of your choice with Air Canada.

sokolov wrote: ↑ It depends on the type of ticket you bought. Most normal Standard Economy ticket booked on the Air Canada website result, when cancelled, in a credit good for a new booking of your choice with Air Canada.

"Economy Basic fares:

When purchasing an Economy Basic fare, it’s important to remember that it comes with the following restrictions:

No flight changes or cancellations
No refund after 24 hours
No credit for future travel"
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/hom ... tions.html

Pete_Coach wrote: ↑ "Economy Basic fares:

When purchasing an Economy Basic fare, it’s important to remember that it comes with the following restrictions:

No flight changes or cancellations
No refund after 24 hours
No credit for future travel"
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/hom ... tions.html

Indeed. Don't buy Basic. Buy Standard. Then what I wrote about Standard applies, and then some.