Air Canada on Wednesday announced a partnership with Hopper that gives the airline’s customers the option to purchase “Cancel for Any Reason” policies on eligible non-refundable fares booked on the Air Canada website.
Hopper says this is the launch of Hopper Cloud for Airlines, giving carriers access to its full travel inventory and fintech products. Hopper Cloud, the company's B2B product, launched in 2021 with Capital One as its first partner. Since then travel companies such as Trip.com, Amadeus and Uber and banks including NuBank and Commbank have signed on.
The cancellation policy allows Air Canada customers to cancel flights up to 24 hours before scheduled departure. Depending on the level of coverage purchased, refunds of 80 or 100% will be issued immediately.
“A cornerstone of Air Canada’s customer promise is to offer the best selection of flights at appealing fare levels,” said Mark Galardo, executive vice president for revenue and network planning for Air Canada. “We do this by providing a menu of branded fares, each with its own attributes so customers can design their travel to suit their needs. But we also know that travel plans can change, so we are pleased to partner with an innovative Canadian travel technology partner such as Hopper to offer ‘Cancel for Any Reason,’ giving customers added flexibility and peace of mind when booking.”
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When customers select an eligible fare on Air Canada’s website, they automatically will be offered the option to choose a “Cancel for Any Reason” plan for eligible fare types. Should they later need to cancel the trip, they can do so on the “My Bookings” page of the airline’s website and receive their refund subject to applicable terms and conditions. The feature is offered in addition to the standard Air Canada refund and cancellation policy.
Dakota Smith, president and co-founder of Hopper, said the company was thrilled with the partnership: “Through Hopper Cloud, our B2B initiative, we can offer Air Canada a seamless integration with our ancillary products that not only benefit travelers but drive business growth.”
Hopper's fintech products, which it also offers directly to consumers through its app, were stated as a factor when Expedia Group announced last month it was pulling its hotel and vacation rental supply from Hopper. In a statement from a company spokesperson, Expedia Group said that as Hopper’s product had evolved, “we have determined that its features exploit consumer anxiety and confuse customers, leading them to purchase services they neither need nor fully understand.”
In response, a Hopper statement said Expedia had been motivated by Hopper’s growing success: “Given Hopper’s rapid growth in direct-to-consumer market share, the success of Hopper’s fintech products and Hopper’s growing B2B business, Expedia clearly views Hopper as a significant competitive threat.”