Air Canada has unveiled a new collaboration with the travel technology company, Hopper, aiming to provide increased flexibility for its customers.
When booking flights on aircanada.com, travellers can opt for the “Cancel for Any Reason” feature, allowing them to make changes to their travel plans on selected non-refundable fare types, for an added fee.
The “Cancel for Any Reason” option powered by Hopper, lets passengers cancel their flights up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure. Based on the purchased coverage, travellers can get either an 80% or 100% immediate refund of their original booking value. This refund is directly processed to their preferred payment method, with no delays. The feature is available for specific fares, including Standard, Flex, Premium Economy Lowest, and Business Class Lowest.
“Offering the best selection of flights at appealing fare levels is a cornerstone of Air Canada’s commitment to its customers. Through our partnership with Hopper, an innovative Canadian travel tech partner, we are extending the ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ feature, ensuring our customers have added flexibility and peace of mind when booking,” said Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning in a statement on Monday.
According to Air Canada, an example shown for an Economy – Standard flight and getting 80% of your refund is a $15 per traveller fee, while 100% flight cost covered is $20 per traveller. Essentially, this is like travel insurance to cancel your flight, but you can get your money back instantly if you choose to pay the fees and not have to deal with contacting your insurance company.
“We are thrilled to partner with Air Canada, an industry leader in introducing innovative features in line with modern travel needs. Through our B2B initiative, Hopper Cloud, we offer a seamless integration of our ancillary products, which not only caters to travellers but also promotes business growth,” said Dakota Smith, Hopper’s President and Co-Founder.
To access this feature, travellers simply need to select an eligible fare on the Air Canada website, and the “Cancel for Any Reason” plan option will be automatically presented. If a cancellation is needed, the process is straightforward via the My Bookings page on Air Canada’s site, following stipulated terms and conditions. This offering is in addition to Air Canada’s standard Refund and Cancellation Policy.
Hopper is a subsidiary of publicly-traded Stack Capital, based out of Toronto, Ontario.
Recently, Air Canada added Apple TV+ content to its in-flight entertainment library.
