Judge orders major airline to pay $10 million to passengers for damages following class action lawsuit

A Quebec court has ruled that Air Canada will be required to pay out $10 million to passengers as part of a class action lawsuit for inaccurate pricing.

Customers of the airline accused Air Canada of charging them a price for their ticket, higher than the one that was presented to them during the purchasing process.

Who could be compensated?

The plaintiffs have been waiting 15 years for this decision, and it comes after their claim for damages was initially denied by a lower court, though their argument that the company acted improperly was upheld.

However, Justice Judith Harvie disagreed with that lower court’s ruling, writing that the company acted with “ignorance and laxity” when it acted in ways that were not compliant with the Quebec Consumer Protection Act. The fact that the suit was brought under the QCPA means that only those within the territory qualify for compensation. The territorial limits of the law will save Air Canada money, but raise important questions about the pricing practices within the airline industry.

What the ruling means for the airline industry and passengers

The plaintiffs brought the suit believing that the company avoided including the amount a customer would pay in tax and other fees to obscure the true price of the ticket. Consumer rights advocates argue that these practices, which are rampant within the industry, in and outside of Canada, make it harder for shoppers to accurately compare prices and thus limit their ability to make informed buying decisions.

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