It’s called UltraBasic, and it is.
Airlines have already stripped services to bare bones–even making customers pay for printing out a boarding pass or booking a flight online–so what else can they eliminate? Well, it seems Canadian airline WestJet is now sucking out the marrow, too.
WestJet, the second-largest airline in Canada, has introduced a fare worse than its basic fare. It’s called UltraBasic. And it is. This no-frills fare gets passengers just entry into the aircraft—that’s it. There is no carry-on bag, no points to their loyalty program, and no priority boarding.
This new UltraBasic fare replaced the Basic fare. For a domestic flight, passengers will get an assigned seat at the back of the aircraft and will board last; they get one personal item that they can store under the seat. Tickets can’t be changed or canceled. On transatlantic and transpacific routes, passengers can bring a carry-on.
Should a passenger wish to check a bag or select a seat, they can choose an add-on for an additional price. But don’t worry, the WestJet website assures passengers that they’ll still receive “the same friendly service, onboard food and beverage offerings, and access to the WestJet Connect inflight entertainment and connectivity system as before.”
WestJet called it an “innovative, cost-effective solution.” John Weatherill, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer, said in a statement, “With UltraBasic, guests can tailor a travel experience that meets their needs without paying for additional services they don’t value. We are delivering on our low-fare promise and believe UltraBasic will give more Canadians the opportunity to fly.”
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That’s not all—WestJet is the airline that now charges $25 to book a flight by phone.
As expected, this move didn’t go down well with travelers. Disgruntled customers expressed their frustrations on X (formerly Twitter) about the basic fares that are still so high. For example, a return flight from Toronto to Calgary costs $650 this summer, even with the UltraBasic fare.
A Reddit thread, “WestJet announces SuperUltraBasic fare where customers just stay home and give them money,” started a conversation on all the other ways the airline might be able to extort money from passengers–perhaps $40 for oxygen?
I mean, c’mon @Westjet. It’s sitting right there and you went with the “UltraBasic”?
Hear me out: The Nothing fare. You get nothing. No seat. No airplane. No destination. Even imagining a vacation is extra.
I mean a whole hit show was about nothing. Make it a Nothing fare. pic.twitter.com/lMABiBueIC
— Tinnitis Emeritus (@pbontoast1) June 5, 2024
A day after this new fare launch, Canada’s flag carrier Air Canada, along with Porter Airlines, announced that they’re giving economy class passengers flying within the country and the U.S. free beer, wine, and premium snacks.
Cheers to summer! We’re giving our Economy Class experience an upgrade with free beer, wine and premium snacks on flights within Canada and the U.S. 🍻🍷
Dig in for more details at: https://t.co/7Ei6mIxisv pic.twitter.com/gnDZsUPdWh
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) June 5, 2024
However, passengers might not be impressed with this marketing ploy by the airline because Air Canada doesn’t exactly have a good reputation, either. A Reddit user @Zee705 went as far as to comment, “Congratulations, WestJet. You were somehow able to make Air Canada look good. Quite the achievement.”
Multiple other Reddit threads discuss Air Canada’s poor customer service. The airline also announced that it will charge economy passengers to change their seats. Earlier this year, Air Canada claimed that the airline wasn’t liable for incorrect information that its AI chatbot gave to a passenger. However, a court ruled that it wasn’t the customer’s responsibility to double-check information and asked to refund the customer.
Unfortunately, it looks like Canadian passengers are between a rock and a hard place this summer.
Related: Airline Blames Passenger for Believing the Information on Its Website
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZvZG9ycy5jb20vd29ybGQvbm9ydGgtYW1lcmljYS9jYW5hZGEvZXhwZXJpZW5jZXMvbmV3cy93ZXN0amV0LWludHJvZHVjZXMtYS10aWNrZXQtcHJpY2Utd2l0aC1uby1sdWdnYWdlLW5vLXBvaW50c9IBAA?oc=5
2024-06-21 11:00:15Z
CBMifmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZvZG9ycy5jb20vd29ybGQvbm9ydGgtYW1lcmljYS9jYW5hZGEvZXhwZXJpZW5jZXMvbmV3cy93ZXN0amV0LWludHJvZHVjZXMtYS10aWNrZXQtcHJpY2Utd2l0aC1uby1sdWdnYWdlLW5vLXBvaW50c9IBAA
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