Air Canada fee for extra storm service 'reasonable,' transportation agency rules

The Canadian Transportation Agency has rejected a challenge to a controversial Air Canada program, which provides enhanced customer service to stranded travellers who have paid an advance fee.

The Montreal-based carrier in April announced the On My Way program, which provides waylaid travellers with a dedicated customer service line that can arrange complimentary accommodation, car rentals and meals. The service, priced at $25 for short-haul flights and $35 for longer ones, must be ordered when tickets are first purchased.

The Ottawa-based Public Interest Advocacy Centre had filed a complaint with the CTA, saying the program was discriminatory and unreasonable. PIAC argued Air Canada was trying to turn what should be an obligation to all customers into profit-making venture.

PIAC also suggested passengers who didn't purchase the service would be at a disadvantage in the rebooking process.

The CTA dismissed the complaint in a ruling released Monday.

"The agency finds that Air Canada’s provisions covering its OMW program are just and reasonable, and are not unduly discriminatory," the CTA said in its ruling.

"A term or condition would be discriminatory if it singled out a particular category of passenger for different treatment for reasons that could not be justified.

"In this case, Air Canada's OMW program is available to every passenger to purchase and the terms and conditions governing the program apply equally to all passengers who purchase the service."

Air Canada introduced the new service following a difficult winter that left many travellers stranded with hundreds of flights cancelled at airports across the country.