Air Canada, Westjet accused of bag fee collusion
Sunday, 28 Sep, 2016
0
Canada’s big two carriers WestJet and Air Canada could face a possible class action lawsuit alleging collusion over baggage fees.
According to a report by CBC, the airlines ‘colluded to fix the price;’ after they each introduced fees for first checked bag within days of each other.
WestJet announced a $25 checked bag charge on September 15, which came into effect the following month.
Air Canada announced a similar fee only three days later, on September 18.
"It doesn’t seem fair and it doesn’t seem right," said Lorne Hoedel, who is acting as the lead plaintiff.
The lawsuit was filed at the Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan and is awaiting approval.
If it is granted class action status it would apply to all Canadian passengers who flew on domestic or US flights after October 29, 2014 and paid the fees.
"We think we can establish they were acting in concert," said attorney Tony Merchant.
Merchant says due to the two airlines’ dominance, they can operate ‘without any worthy competition to keep them in check.’
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026