Canadian low-cost airline Flair Airlines boasts itself as the most on-time airline in the nation. To prove it can uphold this high standard for travelers, Flair’s new “On-Time Guarantee” will now compensate travelers if arrivals are behind schedule.
About Flair’s New “On-Time Guarantee”
Flair Airlines issued a press release last week detailing a brand new policy for delayed and canceled flights.
The new On-Time Guarantee (OTG) page states that passengers that get their flights delayed by one hour will get a $60 CAD e-voucher. The flight needs to arrive at the destination within an hour from the arrival time “as stated on your itinerary”. This voucher is good towards a future Flair booking.
Passengers can also obtain this e-voucher if their flight is cancelled within 72 hours before the time of departure.
Flair states that eligible bookings must come from a traveler that is over 18, sorry kids.
It will reportedly take up to 48 hours for passengers to receive their e-vouchers via email. Only one e-voucher can be used per booking, but the voucher is good for both one-way and roundtrip flights.
Flair also notes that the e-voucher can only be used with base fares. It can’t be used with extra expenses such as baggage fees. Also, the voucher can’t be gifted to another person and must be used by the customer that ordered the original flight booking.
Interim CEO of Flair Airlines Maciej Wilk shared his remarks in the new press release:
“Our commitment to passengers has never been stronger…With the OTG, we’re raising the bar in Canadian aviation. The guarantee is simple: if we don’t get you there on time, we’ll compensate you.”
“No other airline in Canada offers this level of accountability,” Wilk continues. “We’re confident in our operations, and we’re putting it all on the line for our passengers.”
VP of Ancillary and Digital Innovation Juliana Ramirez added that the new policy motivated the airlines to continue delivering the service that travelers deserve.
Critic Speaks Out On On-Time Guarantee
The airline posted a 49-second video reel on Instagram summarizing the “On-Time Guarantee”. The video stresses that there are no setbacks to this new policy, so travelers should be encouraged to book a Flair flight without any strings attached.
There is one restriction to the new policy; the voucher is only valid for 60 days. Air Passenger Right (APPR) President Gábor Lukács pointed this flaw out as a “trick” to make passengers potentially spend more on the airline after a disrupted flight. He also mentioned that passengers should be entitled to much more in compensation for a cancellation.
“If the airline cancels your flight that close to your departure date, they owe you way more than $60…Until such time as Flair is agreeing to provide $60 in cash, I would not take Flair’s offer very seriously. It comes across as a somewhat desperate move,” Lukács explained.
Flair Airlines will still reportedly uphold existing policies on canceled flights as stated on the company’s “Passenger Protection Regulations” page. For example, the airline may compensate passengers $400 if their flight is delayed by at least three hours.
