The Quebec Court of Appeals is ordering Air Canada to pay the passengers more than $ 10 million in damage to a collective claim that claimed that they were charged higher amounts than the ticket price announced.
In a ruling on Tuesday, Judge Judith Harvie wrote that Air Canada showed “ignorance and laxity” when the airline concluded that it was exempt from a provision of the provincial consumer protection law.
The decision cancels a decision of the lower court that found that Air Canada had violated the law, but that was no damage, eliminating the need for punitive damage.
The 15 -year case was presented by a consumer defense group and a Montreal resident who said they charged $ 124 more in taxes, rates and surcharges than the price of the rate that appears during the first step of the process of purchase of tickets on the Air Canada website.
In their initial claim, the plaintiffs argued that the airline undermined the capacity of customers to make informed decisions and must reimburse sums that were charged above the announced price.
The judgment of the Court of Appeals is produced in the midst of a debate on whether the increasing rates of the airlines and rates classes are equivalent to the so -called junk rates or offer a greater option for travelers. Air Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
