Shocked by new Canadian North prices? It’s just a ‘clerical error’
Mistake is being fixed and refunds will be issued, spokesperson for airline says
Canadian North is fixing an error that made flight prices appear as double of what they are on the airline’s website Monday, says a Canadian North spokesperson. (File photo)
Alex McConnachie couldn’t believe his eyes: When he checked Canadian North’s website Monday morning, it said the price of a one-way ticket from Ottawa to Iqaluit had more than tripled to approximately $2,000.
“I’m a hostage to these fares,” said McConnachie, who lives in Iqaluit and shares custody of his 12-year-old son with his ex-wife, who lives in Halifax. Under their custody agreement, McConnachie has to pay for the plane ticket for his son to travel to visit his mother regardless of how much the ticket costs.
“So if they say that flight is $9,000, I have to pay it,” he said, adding that a drastic increase in Canadian North prices would mean that simply fulfilling his duties as a father might drive him deep into debt.
Turns out, it was all a false alarm.
A “clerical error” led to one-way tickets — which usually sell for approximately $500 — being listed for $1,800 to $2,000 on Canadian North’s website Monday, said Lauren D’Oliveira, an airline spokesperson.
D’Oliveira said it might take some time for the website to update, but early Monday afternoon it still listed the wrong prices.
“We can confirm a configuration error during a recent system update did affect fares that would have been visible on our website,” said Pam Plaster, vice-president for investor development for Exchange Income Corp., the airline’s owner.
She said fares are not being increased.
Plaster said Canadian North will contact passengers, such as McConnachie, who already booked flights at the incorrect prices to issue “appropriate refunds.”
D’Oliveira said she didn’t know the exact number of passengers who will receive a refund or when the incorrect prices first appeared on the website.
Canadian North was recently acquired by Exchange Income Corp. Its chief executive officer, Mike Pyle, promised the sale would not drive up the airline’s fares.
News that the price hike was an error came as relief to McConnachie.
He said the panic he and other Nunavummiut experienced reminded him of a long-running joke that the North’s dominant airline’s motto should be: “Canadian North — what are you gonna do, walk?”
“It’s not like we have other options,” McConnachie said.
Doubling the price of tickets would have contravened the orders of Transport Canada, the federal department responsible for national transportation policies and programs.
In 2023, the department announced conditions for Canadian North’s 2019 merger with First Air that included a 25 per cent cap on annual fare increases. The conditions remain in effect until June 30, 2026.
“Transport Canada monitors Canadian North’s compliance with the terms and conditions and will take the appropriate actions should they not be complied with,” Hicham Ayoun, spokesperson for Transport Canada, said in an email Monday.
Lets look at a one way flight from Kugluktuk to Edmonton.
Lets see:
Friday August 1 – Saver LOWEST FARE – $1,709.42
Sat August 02 – Saver LOWETS FARE – $2,397.05 – Super Flex Fare $2,907.77 ONE WAY
Sun August 03- Saver LOWEST FARE -$1,709.42
We are soon going to be walking over here in the West.
i m sure , the company cant wait to jack up the price and get its investment back, we all know , they didn t buy the airline to help us northerners out
Wait EIC will teach you all a lesson in business, and the prices are all going up, no matter what their spin doctors says, they are owned by a group of lawyers, and they will do what they want, good luck complaining
You have no options.and book your aeroplan at least a year ahead
Wow, $500 one way from Ottawa to Iqaluit. That’s a good price. I wish we could fly from Rankin to Winnipeg for that.
That’s only Ilak. I have never seen it actually at that price. Unless booked months in advance.
A clerical error at Canadian North is the regular price on Air Inuit.
So Nunavut.
How long before any at Canadian North noticed? 🤣🤣🤣🤯
Even though this was just a clerical error, let’s be real, with new ownership, fare increases are likely within the next few months. They’ll need to generate profit eventually, and sadly, we Northerners don’t have many other options.
Wait and see if, or WHEN, they cut back on the free travel their staff get, and that food allowance.
Priced a flight from Halifax to pond inlet to visit the national park.
Aug 13 saver fare is $1902.64
Aug 12 saver fare is $3987.02
How is Nunavut going to be attractive as a tourism destination with this exorbitant prices?
High prices to go see ice, rocks and snow.
Better prices, even lower, going to resorts else where.
“WTF are you doing in Nunavut?”
“Being punished for shoplifting.”😂
The courts should list that as “community service” where white collar folks get to spend $25,000 voluntarily, get dropped off in Canada’s north 50 miles from the nearest community of their choice or go to prison.
Make sure Churchill is prominently listed…lol. Polar bear capital of Keewatin…
How about from Kimmirut to Iqaluit visa versa. One way for 30 minute flight.
Saver $1,093.93
Flex $1,214.14
Super Flex $1,394.45
I always say that these are outrageous (robbery) fares and I really think Competition Bureau Canada should do something about it, they are the ones that approved the amalgamation of the First Air & Canadian North. Competition Bureau also commented that in order to see competition airline business – see lower airfares etc., is to see airline competition. Kenn Borek operates the air service with the twin otter and CN sells the tickets which for sure makes the fare more expensive, I wish CN can purchase their own aircraft.
Please write letter of complaints to your MLA! And keep hasseling them until flights are affordable again! Canadian North should be ashamed of themselves but they are not!!
I would hate to see your business model, not sticking up for the airlines but employees need to make a living wage too, remember it’s nobody wants to work a strenuous job and not get paid decent.
Maybe the company was simply experimenting with future air ticket prices?
Because July 2025 is the Government date for airlines to start blending Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with aviation fuel. SAF is made from corn and soybeans.
The European Union is also starting in July with a SAF 2% blend with aviation fuel, then increasing the SAF percentage yearly.
Now that our identity has moved from… “There is no core identity, no mainstream in Canada’’. To… We are the most European of non-European countries. Canada probably will start around this 2% blend target with a goal in 4 and a half years to reach 10% and beyond.
SAF is expensive to make. Costing double, triple or more than that of aviation fuel, meaning air ticket prices and freight charges will increase yearly.
(Gas for cars and trucks will also increase because of the mandatory blending of ‘clean fuel’, starting in 2025, and increasing yearly.)
Over $7.5 million has gone into government funding a SAF production plant in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Growing concerns the loss of valuable farmland for food production and animal feed, because farmland will be used to grow crops only for SAF. Causing fear of food shortages and food prices will increase. A quadruple-planned whammy… Air-travel, freight, land-travel and food increase.
On Sunday June 20 they charged my partner over 2000 from Ottawa to Iqaluit and she is an NTI beneficiary. That was just one way.
It’s not an error. I’ve paid a return trip from Gjoa Haven to Inuvik for $4,442.00 I have the receipt in my email. They set the prices however much they want and can get away with it because there’s no other competition. Greed has consumed this company. We now have to weigh our carryons when we didn’t have to. Maybe the should charge overweight for passengers? I won’t be surprised if they start doing that… Cancel North needs to be their new name too because most flights get cancelled…
So you want to travel across the country out of a small community that rarely ever fills a plane (other then with medical travel) and expect to travel for relatively cheap and you most likely booked last minute rather then in advanced? OK bud, again not sticking up for the airlines but come on be realistic here.
So you complain about cancelled flights while it’s most likely due to weather? Your region is prone to such bad weather, in other words you don’t care about safety?
Toronto to Whitehorse only $250. More than triple the distance of Ottawa to Iqaluit.
WYF is GN giving green light and its blessings to Canadian North to keep ripping us off?
How is it the responsibility of the GNU to say what airlines should charge? Use some common sense here. You seriously think the airlines are making alot of money flying into such remote communities?