Jana Fatovic would rather purchase her WestJet tickets over the phone in order to guarantee a seamless experience. However, an attempt to reserve tickets for a family vacation to Arizona recently proved unsuccessful.
She heard from a recorded message that WestJet now charges $25 for phone reservations for economy fares while she waited to talk with an agent.
Fatovic, who resides just outside of Edmonton, said, “I was fuming.” “I just feel like it’s a big cash grab.”
There are always airline costs. However, a few large airlines have angered passengers by charging for services that were previously free, such phone reservations and overhead space for carry-on luggage.
Airlines frequently contend that by only charging for the extra services that passengers desire, they are able to maintain cheap base fares. However, a lot of travelers argue that since they already pay a lot for their flights, they shouldn’t have to pay any more.
Reluctantly choosing to book her vacation online allowed Fatovic to avoid paying the WestJet phone cost. “It’s just pricing people out of being able to fly,” she said. However, she points out that clients who are apprehensive about using computers might not be able to do that.
“So now they get nickel and dimed?”
An email from Madison Kruger, a representative for WestJet, stated that the airline has updated its website to make it easier for users to book and modify trips.
Fees for phone reservations, she added, are “a standard industry practice.”
Only Flair, an extremely low-cost airline, is another significant Canadian airline that charges for the service.
When Air Canada added a new price for choosing a seat during economy check-in in April, it also drew criticism from passengers.
Air Canada’s fee vanished after social media protests, but not for long.
In an email, airline representative Peter Fitzpatrick stated that the fee was “paused for operational reasons” and would be reinstated at a later time.
Customers reacted negatively to WestJet’s earlier-this-month introduction of new guidelines and charges for its lowest-cost option, which is now known as UltraBasic.
When Taryn Zielke, a passenger on WestJet, learned about the cost, “I did laugh,” she said. “It was almost like a parody.”
First off, there is no overhead space for a carry-on bag on UltraBasic flights.
Carry-on bags are still permitted for travelers, provided they upgrade to a higher class of service, which costs $30. They can check a bag as well, but doing so would set you back at least $45 for domestic travel, which is $10 more than what you would pay for an economy ticket.
Additionally, UltraBasic travelers board the aircraft last and are assigned to the rear (unless they choose a different seat).
