---
title: "Air Canada serves free alcohol in economy as passengers balk at airline fees"
description: "MONTREAL, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Air Canada AC.TO is betting on free beer and wine at the back of the plane to help fill more seats, an executive said on Wednesday, as North American airlines face passenger pushback over fees for extra baggage to legroom."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-10-02-air-canada-serves-free-alcohol-in-economy-as-passengers-balk-at-airline-fees/"
published: "2025-10-02T05:06:09"
updated: "2025-10-02T05:06:10"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 259
---

# Air Canada serves free alcohol in economy as passengers balk at airline fees

> MONTREAL, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Air Canada AC.TO is betting on free beer and wine at the back of the plane to help fill more seats, an executive said on Wednesday, as North American airlines face passenger pushback over fees for extra baggage to legroom.

By Reuters · Published 2 October 2025, 07:06 SAST · Updated 2 October 2025, 07:06 SAST

## Key points
- In a bold bid to keep spirits high amidst rising baggage fees and passenger grumbling, Air Canada has emerged as the last bastion of free booze in economy class, proving that sometimes a complimentary glass of wine is the best way to smooth over turbulence in customer satisfaction.
- Air Canada is now the sole North American legacy carrier offering complimentary alcohol in economy class on all flights.
- The airline's VP highlighted that food and beverage significantly influence customer satisfaction compared to other services.
- Following passenger backlash over fees, Air Canada is focusing on free drinks rather than eliminating baggage charges, which are harder to waive.
- Despite a decline in transborder travel, Air Canada aims to attract U.S. passengers flying to Europe and Asia through its unique offerings.

## Content

Montreal-based Air Canada is now the only North American legacy carrier offering free alcohol in economy class on all flights, Scott O'Leary, vice president of loyalty and product, said in an interview.

"Food and beverage just tend to have a disproportionate impact on customer satisfaction, more than any other attribute of our products and services," he said.

Following an outpouring of anger by passengers on social media, lawmakers in Canada and the United States [criticized airlines](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL6N3NE0M9&linkedFromStory=true)last year, including Air Canada, for levying additional fees on luggage and seat assignments in certain economy classes.

Waiving charges for beer and wine is more affordable than cutting baggage fees which offset handling costs, O'Leary said.

"That's just not something that's easily waived or given to everybody without having to have some impact on ticket price," he said of baggage fees.

While transborder travel is down from Canada to U.S. leisure destinations due to trade tensions, O'Leary sees the free drinks helping with so-called sixth freedom flights that take U.S. passengers to Europe or Asia via the airline's home country.

"Our ability to offer a degree of differentiation that sets us apart from literally every other airline that we're competing with on those routes was very important to us," he said.

Canada's largest carrier [said in September](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL3N3VB1FE&linkedFromStory=true) it expects a hit of C$375 million to its operating income, and provided a revised outlook for 2025 results, citing labor disruptions, after its flight attendants went on a four-day strike in August.

(Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Richard Chang)