Community News
Air Canada’s policy, “Give me your money, and get lost.” Air Canada and The Jamaica Baggage Scenario
BY MICHAEL THOMAS
It has been brought to our attention that Air Canada has instituted a new policy that unfairly targets Jamaicans living in Toronto, Canada. This is in connection with Jamaicans who live in Canada, who travel back home, and the baggage limitations recently implemented by Air Canada.
A young lady whom I will call K had this to say about the airline’s new baggage rules, “I recently discovered when booking my 93-year-old father’s ticket home that Air Canada is now allowing passengers flying into Kingston only one checked bag, whether business, or economy, with no exceptions.”
If the passenger needs to take a second bag, they must send it via cargo. This policy came into effect on September 1st – the low season for tourism, but when many of us travel home to see our families. This time of the year is considered the low season when many Jamaican Canadians visit family and friends.
I know some readers might ask where this is going, let me enlighten you. These baggage restrictions only affect the people going to Kingston Jamaica, not Montego Bay. This in layman’s terms means that the Canadian Jamaicans are being singled out, while the tourists who frequent places like Montego Bay are not.
According to K, “Air Canada has decided to punish Jamaicans for Air Canada’s bewildering inability to staff and manage their baggage issues.”
It seems like Air Canada’s solution to this problem is, fewer bags = fewer bags to lose. However, there is no reduction in airfare. When folks are being asked to pay more for less, that’s when you know that good and fair business practices are on the way out in any company, and this includes Air Canada.
If you are traveling from Toronto to Kingston, Jamaica, the first checked bag will cost $30.00 CAD, the second bag $50.00 CAD, and be prepared to pay $225 CAD for each extra bag. The first checked bag, however, is free for flex, comfort, and latitude fares, and for customers who purchase an Air Canada vacation package.
Customers are taking to social media platforms like Twitter to call out Air Canada on what they perceive to be a cash grab. Here is some of what was said.
(Its Dreeeeneyyyy @dreneydreams)
“It is absolutely disgusting and discriminatory, given the fact that flights to Kingston are not cheap, ridership is usually at capacity or close. @aircanada could have placed a baggage capacity instead of price-gouging travelers on that route. We should #boycottaircanada.”
“So ridiculous. If you’re flying into Kingston, chances are you’re “going home. It’s not vacation so you have a lot of baggage. These prices are disastrous.”
“I can’t find any other destination Air Canada flies to that has the same pricing policy. Their “additional checked baggage fees” page says the highest priced additional bag to the Caribbean is $265.50. I’ve found one “baggage fee changes” page that singles out Kingston.”
Danica above has the receipts in her Tweets, case in point, she points out how baggage fees are significantly higher for folks flying into Kingston (Jamaica) in comparison to other cities like: Guangzhou, Delhi, and Tel Aviv…? Readers can visit her Twitter page and see for yourself.
As of January 17th, 2024, Air Canada has revised its baggage fees for travelers from Toronto to Kingston Jamaica. Bag number one is $30.00 CAN; bag number two is $50.00 CAN, and any other bag is $500. These baggage prices apply to basic, standard, flex, and comfort fares. If you think that it’s the end, think again. The fee is repeated on your way back. Translation baggage fees going and coming.
Here is a quote from an Air Canada official, “Customers historically bring more baggage than average, and this sometimes results in bags being left behind and needing to be delivered later, which, among other things, was inconvenient for customers,” the airline official said.
I contacted Air Canada to get them to shed some more light on this matter and here is what happened; after being put in a call back que for two hours a female staff told me she was not qualified to comment on such matters.
She then went looking for her manager, who she said told her that he would not speak to me unless I had an elite Aeroplan number, when I questioned the staff about her company’s lack of transparency, she hung up on me. Welcome to Air Canada, your friendly carrier: Jamaicans!!
Some time ago, Canada signed open skies air transportation agreements with Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The deals give airlines more flexibility in selecting new routes, schedules, and prices.
This is the hook right here. These deals give airlines like Air Canada the flexibility to money grab. In the future, the government of Jamaica might want to rethink who they sign up with to carry their citizens abroad and back home, find out how engaging and open these big airline companies are once they have your money.
The new baggage fees on Jamaicans have all the markings of price gouging written all over it, and Air Canada’s policy to me sounds like, give me your money, and get lost.