Air Canada Adds $30 Fee for New Bookings Made by Phone

October 22, 2026 — Air Canada now charges a non-refundable $30 per passenger for new flights booked by telephone. Bookings made on its website or app are not affected.

What changed

The fee was reported on October 21, 2026 as already in effect. It applies to each passenger on a new booking made through Air Canada’s call centres.

Item	Detail
Fee	$30 per passenger, non-refundable
Applies to	New flight bookings made by phone
Not charged	Bookings on aircanada.com or the Air Canada app
Exempt	Help with an existing reservation; customers with accessibility needs; passengers hit by delays or cancellations
Effective date	In effect as of October 21, 2026 (exact start date TBA)

Air Canada says steering bookings online cuts call-centre wait times and frees agents to help customers who need specialized service. WestJet and Porter Airlines already charge similar fees for phone bookings, according to the report.

What it means for non-revs

Buy positioning tickets online. If you purchase a paid Air Canada ticket to reach a pass trip, use the website or app to avoid the $30 charge.
Disruptions are exempt. If a delay or cancellation forces you to call, you should not be charged.
Staff travel is not mentioned. The report covers customer bookings only and says nothing about employee or interline listings.