The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to review a class-action lawsuit accusing Air Canada of overcharging passengers beyond the advertised ticket prices. The case, initiated by a consumer advocacy group and Montreal resident Michael Silas, alleges that the airline failed to include all additional fees in the online ticket prices, violating a consumer protection law enacted shortly before Silas purchased his ticket in 2010.
Silas claimed that he was billed $124 more for taxes, fees, and surcharges compared to the fare displayed during the initial step of the ticket purchase on Air Canada’s website. In a previous judgment, the Quebec Court of Appeal directed Air Canada to compensate passengers with over $10 million in damages in relation to this matter.
The Court of Appeal criticized Air Canada for its “ignorance and laxity,” noting that the airline wrongly believed it was exempt from a provincial Consumer Protection Act clause due to the federal oversight of air transport. Both parties have been granted the right to appeal to the Supreme Court, although a hearing date has not yet been scheduled.