Quebec’s shopper safety workplace is warning travellers to be careful for web sites promoting aircraft tickets at costs that appear too good to be true.
The Workplace de la safety du consommateur says it has seen an increase in complaints from individuals who booked low-cost airline tickets, solely to find their reservations weren’t upheld.
The workplace says some customers had been knowledgeable days earlier than their journey that the unique value gained’t be honoured and had been provided new tickets at a better value. It says some had been additionally informed that the unique tickets can’t be refunded, or that a big cancellation penalty will apply.
The workplace says the issues contain companies that act as intermediaries and don’t have a sound journey agent allow in Quebec.
It notes that British-based Flights & Holidays UK Ltd. was fined greater than $6,000 in 2024 for violating Quebec shopper safety legal guidelines that bar sellers from charging prospects a better value than what’s marketed.
Sara Eve Levac, a lawyer and analyst with shopper safety group Choice consommateurs, mentioned her group has additionally obtained complaints in regards to the difficulty, though she hasn’t seen a rise in latest weeks.
“Individuals will e book their journey on an internet site, like a platform that reserves journey, they usually get knowledgeable that aircraft ticket can’t be honoured, they will’t give them the journey,” she mentioned. “After which they cost them further or they provide one thing else, but it surely’s rather more costly.”
She mentioned the platforms are sometimes foreign-based, which makes it more durable for travellers to hunt recourse.
The Quebec shopper safety workplace means that consumers confirm that the websites they’re utilizing have a Quebec journey agent allow, which implies consumers could possibly be eligible for reimbursement from a compensation fund if they’re overcharged. They are saying consumers whose reservations aren’t honoured may provoke a chargeback on their bank cards and may attain out to the workplace for steering on how one can get their a refund.
Levac says some on-line retailers have the Quebec journey agent certification, although many don’t. Another choice is to e book immediately with the airline, which supplies customers some safety below air passenger rights guidelines. She additionally suggests that individuals ought to second-guess any value provided on-line that appears unnaturally low.
“If one thing appears too good to be true with the costs, it may be an indication that you must examine a bit extra details about the service provider,” she mentioned.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed April 23, 2026.