Air Canada Introduces "Cancel for Any Reason" Option through Collaboration with Hopper

Those choosing to travel with Air Canada will now benefit from a “cancel for any reason” policy.

Air Canada has initiated a new service in collaboration with Hopper, a Montreal-based app-only online travel agency, allowing travelers using AirCanada.com in Canada to cancel non-refundable fares for any reason, subject to a fee.

This marks the first instance of an airline partnership involving these fintech offerings from Hopper. The agency provides various other fintech products besides the "cancel for any reason" feature, such as fare freezing, flight changes, and a flight disruption guarantee. However, Air Canada has opted to adopt only the "cancel for any reason" component.

For instance, on a CA$881 standard economy fare from Montreal to Paris, Air Canada has provided the option to add the "cancel for any reason" benefit for CA$227 per traveler, granting an 80% refund, or CA$273 for a full 100% refund. Passengers can make cancellations up to 24 hours before departure through the website's "My Booking" page, with immediate refunds.

The fees for this feature are variable and depend on factors like flight specifics and demand. This service complements Air Canada's standard refund and cancellation policy and may enhance its competitiveness against U.S.-based airlines like American, United, and Delta, known for their more lenient cancellation policies. Air Canada aims to strengthen its presence on routes to Europe, India, and East Asia.

Hopper boasts several distribution partnerships of this nature, including collaborations with Capital One and Uber. The agency envisions expanding its airline-related business, with more airline partnerships in the works according to a spokesperson.

Source: skift.com