‘Nickel and diming a consumer to death’: Is air travel in Canada affordable?

Ben Berland, who has seen the rise in airfares first hand, said that all the add-ons, tend to add up very quickly, essentially “nickel and diming a consumer to death.”

WestJet has introduced a new UltraBasic fare option, where the base fare is cheaper, but there’s a hitch, you’re not allowed to bring a carry-on and if you want to bring a checked bag, the price goes up to $45 dollars.

To address affordability, WestJet has recommended implementing a freeze on mandatory government fees as well as reviewing the user pay model used in Canada for aviation.

“What they’d love to see is for the government to get away from the current model, which is essentially a user pays model, so that people who use the air sector, people who travel by air, the money that they pay essentially go to cover the cost of security, the cost of air traffic control, the cost of airport infrastructure. The question is always, are they going to pass those savings on to consumers through lower prices? And I don’t know if we see a lot of evidence of that being the case.” – Taylor Bachrach, MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, NDP Transport Critic

With a major grip on the industry, there is little incentive for airlines to reduce fares, meaning that passengers will have little alternatives, but the conversation around making air travel more affordable, will be ongoing.

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X: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com