Air Canada vowed yesterday to be more up front about ticket prices as it prepares to weather consumer backlash over the rapidly escalating cost of air travel.
“We’ll see how much the customer can absorb and still plan on travelling,” president and CEO Montie Brewer told reporters after Air Canada’s annual meeting in Montreal.
He indicated the dramatic jump in oil prices has hammered Air Canada’s operating costs and hinted consumers can expect to pick up at least part of the tab.
Air Canada came under fire this month for the way it discreetly tacked on a fuel surcharge to its tickets prices. While rival WestJet took out newspaper advertisements to inform its clients of a similar new charge, Air Canada buried the surtax on its website.
Brewer said fuel surcharges will now be included in new advertisements for the airline.
