The Supreme Court of Canada has approved the review of 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 listed prices, thereby violating a consumer protection law enacted shortly before Silas purchased his ticket in 2010.
Silas claimed that he incurred $124 in extra charges for taxes, fees, and surcharges compared to the initial fare displayed during the ticket purchase process on Air Canada’s website. Last year, the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the passengers, ordering Air Canada to compensate them with over $10 million in damages.
The Court of Appeal criticized Air Canada for demonstrating “ignorance and laxity” in assuming exemption from a provincial Consumer Protection Act provision based on federal jurisdiction over air transport. Both parties have been granted the right to appeal to the Supreme Court, although a hearing date has not yet been scheduled.