Nunavut airline raising baggage fees on most flights

Most economy flyers on Canadian North will soon have to pay a $35 for their second checked bag and bags exceeding 50 lbs will be charged for excess weight. The current weight allowance is 70 lbs. (FILE PHOTO)

If you’re planning to travel on Canadian North in the near future, you may want to pack light.

Canadian North announced new baggage restrictions May 31 that will lower the maximum checked baggage weight to 50 pounds from the current 70 pounds, and apply extra fees for the second and subsequent bags depending on the type of flight you book.

On flights booked on or after June 15, for travel on or after July 15, those who book the more expensive flights such as Super-Flex and Flex will still get the first two bags free, with Super-Flex getting a third bag free as well.

Those who fly on Saver and Pivut flights, and those who book through Aeroplan, Air Miles and Aurora rewards, will get the first bag free but will pay $35 for the second bag and $75 for the third bag.

When those bags exceed 50 lbs, customers will be charged an extra $25 overweight fee.

Some seat sale flights which are highly discounted will offer no free bags at all. In that case, the first bag would cost $25, the second would be $35 and the third, $75.

Everyone will pay $100 for the fourth bag, no matter what type of flight you book.

“Canadian North recognizes that there is a diversity of requirements amongst customers when booking travel. The new checked baggage policy addresses the need for different fare products, ranging from the ‘all-included’ Super-Flex fares to highly-discounted, ‘à la carte’ seat sale fares,” said a May 31 Canadian North news release.

“It is expected that these revisions will lead to an overall decrease in checked baggage handled, enabling Canadian North to improve cargo capacity, lessen the occurrence of delays associated with excess baggage, decrease the amount of fuel burned and substantially reduce the risk of employee injuries resulting from handling heavy checked items.”

The news release said the changes were part of the airline’s “strategy to improve it’s long-term sustainability through streamlined operations and new efficiencies.”

The airline added that these fees are in line with most other major airlines which have implemented similar baggage restrictions and fees in the past few years.

There is no word yet on whether Canadian North’s codeshare partner, First Air, will follow suit and make similar changes.

But a background document outlining the new fees says if Canadian North is your first flight in a series of connecting partnered flights, that the same fees would be charged on all subseqent flights.

For more information, you can call 1-800-661-1505 or visit canadiannorth.com/baggage.