There were a lot of unhappy Canadians when WestJet unveiled its new UltraBasic fare on Tuesday.
Replacing the Basic fare, and effective immediately, travellers purchasing tickets with the airline’s newest low-cost fare will no longer get a carry-on, pre-assigned seat and more.
Air Canada responded with a significant announcement of its own on Wednesday, but Canada’s other major airline took it in a slightly different direction.
Instead of downgrading a fare, Air Canada announced upgrades to the Economy experience with premium complimentary snacks, complimentary beer and wine, and $5 spirits.
This tasty offering will be in place for all North American flights through the end of the year, the airline said.
Cheers to summer! We're giving our Economy Class experience an upgrade with free beer, wine and premium snacks on flights within Canada and the U.S. 🍻🍷
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) June 5, 2024
Dig in for more details at: https://t.co/7Ei6mIxisv pic.twitter.com/gnDZsUPdWh
"We're thrilled to continue elevating the Economy travel experience in North America, and we're proud to spotlight Canadian brands with this thoughtfully curated lineup of complimentary snacks and beverages, in time for your summer travels," said Scott O'Leary, vice president of loyalty and product at Air Canada.
"This builds on our recent industry-leading food and beverage upgrade to make travel better for all customers, including 100+ new rotating seasonal recipes."
As you might expect, the move announced by Air Canada on Wednesday received the opposite reaction to the one unveiled by WestJet a day earlier.
“Very good timing on this announcement given that other airline’s recent basic fare changes,” on X user responded to Air Canada’s post.
“Nice move,” said another. “With WestJet implementing their underwhelming ‘no frills’ seats without a significant discount, I’ll gladly fly Air Canada and pay more for the value being offered.”
To learn more details about this latest Air Canada offering, click this link.
