Edmonton-based carrier Flair Airlines has introduced a new On-Time Guarantee (OTG) scheme becoming the first airline in Canada to do so. The scheme offers passengers compensation should their Flair service be delayed by more than 60 minutes. In a bold move previously unseen in the Canadian domestic air travel market, the low-cost carrier says it is “raising the bar” with the introduction of the new program, through which it hopes to attract passengers away from less punctual competitors.
The budget carrier is already a leader in on-time performance and flight completion rates among Canadian airline companies. On November 4, the airline issued a statement highlighting that it was the most reliable airline in Canada in October 2024. The low-cost carrier boasted that it had 82% of its flights arrive on time in the month, beating Air Canada (Canada’s largest airline) but falling just behind boutique operator Porter Airlines at 83.3% and fellow low-cost carrier WestJet at 82.9%.
Flair also had a 99.6% completion rate for October 2024, beating its main competitors. Air Canada, Porter Airlines, and WestJet trailed at 98.4%, 99.2%, and 98.6%, respectively.
However, unsatisfied with not coming top of the airline punctuality list, Maciej Wilk, Flair’s interim CEO said that 82% was not good enough and the airline needed to strive for more. Hence the introduction of the OTG scheme. Under the rules of the scheme, passengers booking through the airline’s website directly will receive a $60 travel voucher if their flight is more than 60 minutes late arriving at its destination or is canceled within 72 hours of its scheduled departure time.
“This isn’t just about punctuality – it’s a promise that Flair values passengers’ time and trust,” said the airline in a statement.
“Our commitment to passengers has never been stronger,” said Wilk. “With the OTG, we’re raising the bar in Canadian aviation. The guarantee is simple: if we don’t get you there on time, we’ll compensate you. No other airline in Canada offers this level of accountability. We’re confident in our operations, and we’re putting it all on the line for our passengers.”
“The OTG is our pledge to deliver the service passengers deserve. We are determined to earn our customers’ trust,” added Juliana Ramirez, VP of Ancillary & Digital Innovation at the carrier.
Flair Airlines is fighting hard to compete in a Canadian air travel market that has seen casualties in the last couple of years with both Canada Jetlines and Lynx Air ceasing operations and WestJet winding up its in-house ultra-low-cost operation Swoop. Flair currently operates a fleet of 18 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and two 737-800s and operates 63 routes to 36 destinations across five countries including Canada, US, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.