Beware of basic airfare: Vancouver dad out thousands after daughter breaks leg, can't travel
A Vancouver father is pleading with Air Canada for a compassionate exemption to its strict flight change and cancellation rules, after his young daughter broke her leg, making it impossible to take their long-awaited flights to the U.K. over spring break.
After the pandemic scuttled plans for the trip to London to visit family in 2020, Newell Cotton re-booked the round-trip flights for March 21, buying tickets on Air Canada for himself, his wife and their two kids.
“We were really looking forward to it and really excited about it,” said Cotton. He bought a non-refundable fare, so he also got a quote for trip cancellation insurance.
“It was sitting in my inbox and we were literally going to call on Monday and get that done,” he said.
But that weekend, Cotton’s seven-year-old daughter Gemma broke her leg skiing. She’s now in a cast that stretches from her hip to her ankle, immobilizing her right leg. She gets around using a walker or a wheelchair, but would not be able to travel overseas.
“Her leg is straight out, so she wouldn’t fit in a typical airline seat,” said Cotton, who added his daughter also has a can’t-miss appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon in the period they would be away.
So Cotton contacted Air Canada about re-scheduling the flights, only to learn he had booked a non-refundable and non-changeable airfare.
Air Canada began selling basic airfare in 2018. The flights are cheaper, but have zero flexibility. It’s something Cotton, who hasn’t travelled since basic fares were introduced, said he didn’t realize when he bought the tickets.
“I’ve never seen that before. I’ve always heard people say, oh, you just pay a change fee and postpone it, book another date,” he said.
In a statement to CTV News, Air Canada said its website makes it clear that basic fares don’t allow for changes, and that the “terms and conditions are acknowledged by passengers prior to ticket completion.”
Cotton knows he made a mistake, but he’s hoping Air Canada will see the special circumstances of his case and allow him to pay a fee to re-book.
“If they do decide to do nothing for us, I guess we have to live with it and save up more money and book another trip and lose nearly $4,000 in airfares,” he said.
Passenger rights advocate Dr. Gabor Lukacs says he feels for the Cottons, but doesn’t think the airline will make an exception.
“When you deal with large volume, you have to have some rules. It’s very unfortunate individually, but you have to have some sort of uniformity in how you handle millions of passengers,” Lukacs said.
Cotton said he’s learned that lesson the hard way, and has advice for anyone considering booking the cheapest airfare, or putting off buying trip cancellation insurance.
“Read everything before you book. And if you do book the basic, get trip insurance right away. Immediately.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Man convicted of involuntary manslaughter in father's drowning, told police he was baptizing him
A Massachusetts man who told police he was exorcising a demon and performing a baptism when he shoved his father's head under water multiple times has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.