Should you accept the $60 Flair Airlines flight delay voucher?

Flair Airlines has introduced a new On-Time Guarantee for passengers with delayed flights, but critics say it could prevent customers from getting the full amount they are entitled to.

Canada’s ultra-low-cost airline announced its new offer on Wednesday, November 13, providing a $60 voucher to passengers whose flights are delayed more than 60 minutes from their scheduled arrival time or canceled within 72 hours before departure.

Passengers can reserve online for these details.

Travelers are automatically enrolled in the e-voucher program when they purchase tickets and do not need to apply. They must be over 18 years old to purchase tickets and receive them directly Flair online; The offer does not apply to standby tickets.

Eric Tanner, vice president of network planning and revenue management for Flair Airlines, told VIA that the airline is canceling significantly fewer flights than other airlines.

Flair was from Canada most reliable airline in October, completing 99.6 percent of flights, according to Cirium data.

Tanner said the airline is a “leader in on-time performance” in part because it is sticking to flights that offer nonstop service between destinations rather than connections.

The budget airline characterized its October on-time figures as “strong,” with 82 percent of flights arriving on schedule, “closely behind Porter Airlines (83.3%) and WestJet (82.9%),” but ahead of Air Canada .

Tanner added that the voucher “reflects a new page in Flair’s growth” and “reframes previous perspectives that are not aligned with what Flair is today.”

Under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), major airlines must offer travelers $400 if they arrive at their destination more than three hours but less than six hours late. However, no compensation will be granted for delays below this amount.

“We’re really just raising the bar,” he noted, noting that the difference between a one- and three-hour delay is significant.

Interim CEO of Flair Airlines Maciej Wilk echoed this sentiment, stating that “no other airline in Canada offers this level of accountability.”

How can I use Flair’s Time Guarantee voucher for my next trip?

Flair will email the vouchers directly to the passenger who booked the flight, although they may take up to 48 hours to arrive. Passengers who have booked tickets are responsible for sharing vouchers with all eligible travelers.

The vouchers can only be exchanged online at Fly flair.

Travelers must enter their unique voucher code on the payment screen (the final step of the booking process). Only one voucher can be used per booking.

The e-voucher applies to the base fare of the flight only (does not apply to taxes or airport fees) and is valid for one-way or round-trip flights. It does not apply to “extras” such as baggage or seat selection.

Only passengers over 18 years old are eligible for e-vouchers with On-Time Guarantee; children or minors are not eligible.

The vouchers are non-transferable and can be used for 60 days after issue.

Advocate for air passenger rights calls for e-voucher

Gábor Lukács, president and founder of the Air Passenger Rights group, remains skeptical of Flair’s commitment to passenger compensation.

“While Flair’s acknowledgment that it needs to deal with service reliability issues is correct, I have read Flair’s FAQ and am not impressed,” he told VIA.

Lukács said passengers could be misled into thinking the $60 voucher is all they owe for a delay, even if it lasts more than three hours. Many travelers are not informed about the APPR guidelines and the airlines do not compensate them fairly.

His skepticism extends to previous problems customers have encountered trying to get fair compensation from the budget airline, and to some of the verbiage previously reported on its website.

In February, Flair continued to list the rules for customer compensation Canada’s “small airline” guidelines on its website, despite achieving “major airline” status (carrying more than two million passengers annually) in the new year.

For example, a large carrier owes $300 for a three-hour delay, while a small carrier owes $125. It eventually changed the rules, saying it had adhered to guidelines from major airlines, but many customers had trouble receiving compensation.

Numerous passengers have also raised concerns about disruptions and cancellations of flights in Vancouver, some of which remain stranded at the eleventh hour or need turn to the media to receive compensation.

Lukács said customers should remember that they will owe “much more” if the flight is canceled within 72 hours, including:

• rebooking the passenger on another flight, even if it is on a competing airline (Flair is a major airline)
• standardized compensation of up to $1.00 per passenger in cash (no vouchers) depending on cancellation reason

Lukács also noted that Flair’s decision not to cover children “makes no sense”. Tanner told VIA it was dealing with regulations regarding the issuance of vouchers to children, but did not provide further details.

The air passenger rights campaigner says the voucher “feels like a ploy to get passengers to spend even more money” despite disrupting their journey.

“It comes across as a somewhat desperate move.”

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