Air Canada is blaming a computer glitch for temporarily slashing prices on its pricey business class packages, but irate customers who cashed in on the deal say it’s not fair the airline won’t honour it.
Ardarsh Pallian said he couldn’t believe his luck when he logged onto Air Canada’s website Wednesday and discovered its 10-flight Western Canada Flight Pass was listed for a bargain-basement price.
Instead of the package costing the usual $8,000, the website listed it as $800 – a 90 per cent discount.
Pallian, who saw the deal posted on Facebook, quickly snapped it up. But despite receiving a confirmation email, the purchase wasn’t listed on his Air Canada account when he logged in the next day.
He’s not the only one. Air Canada says it isn’t intending to honour the majority of deals.
The airline sent an email to CTV Vancouver blaming a computer malfunction for the price discrepancy, and saying: “Air Canada is contacting purchasers to apologize and provide a refund. However, any flight pass credit bookings already made using the passes will be honoured."
But that answer isn’t enough for outraged customers, who say they want what they paid for. Some cite U.S. airlines like Delta that have honoured mistaken prices – and even free flights – during similar computer glitches.
Several customers even tweeted that the airline’s own terms include a clause that guarantees the price.
Some, like Pallian, are already mulling legal action against Canada’s largest airline.
“I’m not going to let it sit,” Pallian said.
Many hours after Air Canada announced its policy, CTV Vancouver found the airline’s website still promising locked in prices for its Flight Pass program.
The airline has not specified how many of the cheap passes were sold before the error was corrected
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Penny Daflos
