In case you fly with Air Canada, one characteristic out there to many passengers is same-day airport modifications, which lets travellers take a special flight than the one you initially booked with out paying a fare distinction.
Not like same-day airport standby, Air Canada same-day airport modifications are confirmed seats on completely different flights that may be earlier than or after your authentic flight.
Fortuitously, same-day airport modifications can be found to all passengers with eligible Air Canada fares, and so they can give you larger flexibility together with your travels at a really affordable price.
What Are Air Canada Identical-Day Airport Adjustments?
Air Canada same-day airport modifications are a characteristic out there to Air Canada passengers on most fares bought instantly by Air Canada.
In case you verify a same-day change, you’ll fly on a special flight than the on one which you had been initially meant to journey, with out paying a distinction in fare. Nevertheless, most fares cost a nominal price for same-day modifications, which we’ll go over intimately under.
If out there, same-day modifications end in a confirmed seat on a brand new flight on the identical day of departure, however the brand new flight might be earlier or later than your authentic flight. In case you verify a same-day change to a special flight, you’re not confirmed in your authentic flight.
The next guidelines summarize what you may and may’t do with Air Canada same-day airport modifications:
- There have to be out there seats on the brand new flight(s) within the cabin class that you simply initially booked, and the flight(s) should not be oversold
- In case your authentic flight was direct, it’s essential to change to a different direct flight (you may’t add connections)
- In case your authentic flight has connections, it’s essential to change to a routing with the identical variety of connections (you may’t change to a direct flight or to 1 with extra/fewer connections)
Once you request a same-day change, that you must maintain your origin and vacation spot the identical. This implies which you could’t use a same-day change to fly out of a special metropolis, or to a special vacation spot.
The one exception to that is in case your vacation spot has co-terminal airports, equivalent to New York Metropolis (LGA, JFK, and EWR), Toronto (YYZ and YTZ), and many others. Nevertheless, you’ll have to course of your request via an agent on the airport to vary your co-terminal vacation spot.
For instance, you may make a same-day airport change request to fly from Montreal (YUL) to Toronto Pearson (YYZ) when your authentic ticket was booked to Toronto Billy Bishop (YTZ).
To be eligible for Air Canada same-day modifications, you will need to have a ticket that was issued by Air Canada, with a ticket quantity that begins with 014. In case your ticket doesn’t begin with these numbers, you aren’t eligible for same-day airport modifications.
Eligible tickets booked with money, Aeroplan factors, or Flight Passes are all legitimate for same-day airport modifications.
You may solely request same-day airport modifications on Air Canada flights, which implies that in case your itinerary has a phase with a companion airline, you aren’t in a position to request a same-day change with the companion airline.
Relying on the fare you bought and your vacation spot, the next charges apply to same-day airport change requests:
Premium Economic system (Versatile) | ||||
Enterprise Class (Versatile) |
There’s a decreased change price of $100 (CAD) for flights between the next cities on Economic system (Normal) fares:
You’ll need to pay any relevant charges every time you make a change, not per phase.
Which means if you happen to make a same-day airport change to each flights on a Vancouver–Toronto–Halifax itinerary, you’d solely pay the change price as soon as (if relevant).
Tips on how to Request an Air Canada Identical-Day Airport Change
In case you’d prefer to submit a request for a same-day airport change, you are able to do in order quickly as your flight is on the market for check-in at 24 hours previous to the departure of the primary flight in your itinerary.
Identical-day airport change requests might be submitted till check-in closes, which is both 45 minutes or 60 minutes previous to departure, relying in your vacation spot.
You may submit a same-day airport change request on the Air Canada web site, the Air Canada app, or with an agent on the airport.
In case you verify in on-line, maintain a watch out for the “Change flight” button on the primary check-in display.
Click on on “Change flight”, and then you definately’ll see a listing of flight choices out there in your complimentary same-day change. You must see all flights on the identical day of departure with out there seats.
Merely choose a flight, after which click on “Verify” on the backside of the web page. If there’s a change price concerned, will probably be displayed right here, and also you’ll have to enter in your fee data. Be aware that there received’t be any fare distinction right here – only a change price (if relevant).
In case you verify in via the Air Canada app, it’s a really comparable course of. Once you go to verify in in your flight, search for the “Change flight” button on the “Handle your journey” menu.
The following display will show a listing of accessible flights which you could verify a same-day change.
Merely choose the flight to which you’d like to vary, after which click on on “Verify” after including your fee data (if relevant).
Identical-day airport modifications can’t be requested via the usual Air Canada or Aeroplan name centres; nonetheless, the Concierge name centre ought to be capable to deal with same-day airport change requests (if you happen to’re eligible to make use of the Concierge service).
You probably have a confirmed eUpgrade in your authentic reserving, it received’t port over to a flight for which you’re requesting a same-day change. There’ll should be open seats out there within the authentic class of service you booked (economic system or premium economic system), and also you’ll need to re-request the eUpgrade.
In different phrases, if you happen to had a confirmed eUpgrade to Air Canada enterprise class on a ticket that was initially in economic system, you’ll be seated in economic system in your new flight (except your new eUpgrade request is confirmed by waitlisting).
Are Air Canada Identical-Day Airport Adjustments Helpful?
Whereas utilizing Air Canada same-day airport modifications doubtless isn’t one thing that almost all travellers benefit from, it’s actually value understanding the way it works, as you could possibly leverage it in your favour.
The most important profit to creating a same-day change is that there’s no fare distinction concerned, be it in money or factors. If there’s a change price concerned, it’s fairly nominal most often, and it might very nicely be a lot lower than reserving in your desired flight within the first place.
One of the best use of same-day airport modifications is on fashionable routes which have a number of flights per day.
For instance, Air Canada operates roughly 11 flights every day between Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Vancouver (YVR).
When searching for fare choices, you would possibly discover greater fares on flights at extra fascinating instances than flights with much less fascinating instances.
One approach to leverage the same-day airport change characteristic may be to guide a flight that prices the least in money or factors in your required class of service. Then, so long as there’s an open seat in the identical class of service while you verify in, you must be capable to request a same-day change to a extra fascinating flight time, which can include a price (relying on the fare you booked).
Within the above instance, if you happen to had been to guide the most affordable flight in enterprise class for 46,100 Aeroplan factors, you can (in concept) make a same-day airport change request when it’s time to verify in.
If there’s room in enterprise class on one other direct flight, you must be capable to swap to it at no cost, since home flights on Enterprise Class (Lowest) fares don’t have a same-day airport change price.
After all, you ought to be ready to take your authentic flight, since there’s no assure that there shall be an open seat out there when check-in opens. Nevertheless, that is when maintaining a tally of flight availability, maybe through the use of a device equivalent to ExpertFlyer, might show useful to the savvy frequent flyer.
Conclusion
In case you’re travelling with Air Canada on a ticket issued by the airline, you’re doubtless eligible for same-day airport modifications.
By requesting and confirming a same-day airport change, you’ll journey on a special flight than the one you initially booked, with out having to pay a distinction in fare. There could also be a change price concerned, relying on the fare you booked.
In case you’re searching for some further flexibility in your subsequent Air Canada flight, you’ll want to maintain a watch out for the “Change flights” button throughout or after check-in, and use the flexibleness in your favour.