In a surprising turn of aviation events, Air Canada is offering free beer and wine to all economy class passengers across all routes. While this might seem way too altruistic for an airline without the best customer service reputation, there is more to do than meets the eye.
This isn't a limited promotion or a marketing stunt. It isn't even exclusive to long-haul or international flights. Let's unpack this gesture from Air Canada to see if we can get to the bottom of it. Then, you can decide whether it's enticing enough to help you forget about all your bad experiences with Air Canada.
Food and Drink Impact the Travel Experience
Air Canada clearly recognizes the value that food and drink have to its passengers, especially those who have experienced long delays or a less-than-perfect flight. Air Canada's strategy to offer free booze to economy class passengers might actually be more cost-effective than other perks like waiving baggage fees or a class upgrade.
There seems to be a financial component to Air Canada's latest and most surprising perk, which isn't too surprising. Either way, you can enjoy a free glass of beer or wine, even if you have the worst seat next to a crying baby in the lowest cabin.
A Reprieve from a Fee-Heavy Industry
Airlines love their fees so much that it's shocking when passengers aren't charged a few bucks for every safe landing they get to enjoy. That's why Air Canada's new booze policy feels like such an outlier, as airlines rely partly on the sale of in-flight food and beverages to stay afloat.
Most U.S. airlines outlaw free alcohol in economy class for long- and short-haul flights. This is standard for most global airlines, too, so the idea of getting value as a low-end airline passenger feels foreign or even wrong.
All this means is you should enjoy a glass of white wine and not be worried about receiving a surcharge or fee, or having to confirm if this perk applies to your section or route.
Air Canada's Broader Customer-Experience Enhancements
This act of generosity reflects Air Canada's efforts to improve its customer experience. Alongside the free alcoholic beverages, the airline has also introduced premium Canadian-made snacks, like oat bars and pretzels.
As Air Canada navigates a competitive market, ongoing labor disruptions, and projected quarterly hits to its revenue, they are trying to win consumer loyalty and fill seats without having to lower their prices. Air Canada hopes this will reinforce their brand appeal and paper over many of their blunders from the last decade. It's up to their customers to decide if it'll work.
Air Canada offering free alcohol to economy class won't make your vacation any cheaper or enjoyable. What it does is remind us that airlines can put even their lowest-tier passengers first, and make them feel a little luxury while they sail through the skies. It'll be interesting to see how long this perk lasts, and if it's successful, it might give way to more similar ones.
