By Maksim Koval, 6 July 2024
Air Canada signature sales and promotions
Air Canada offers a spectrum of promotions and sales, especially to its focus destinations. You can browse all live promotions in the popular ATC directory.
Here’s a list of recurring types of promotions that have historically been part of the airline’s marketing strategy:
- Seasonal Sales Air Canada rolls out seasonal promotions that align with popular travel periods, like spring break or the end-of-year holidays. These sales are generally across the board but are often more generous for long-haul international flights.
- WebSaver Deals A weekly feature on their website, WebSaver deals offer reduced rates on specific routes. Geared towards travelers comfortable with quick, online booking, these deals refresh every week and offer a selection of both domestic and international destinations.
- Aeroplan Member Exclusives Exclusively for Aeroplan members, these promotions offer bonus Aeroplan points or discounts on point redemptions for flights. This promotion enriches the Aeroplan membership by extending the purchasing power of points.
- Youth and Student Promotions Aimed at individuals under 25 or those with a valid student ID, these promotions offer discounted flights and additional benefits like free date changes. A valid student card or proof of age is required for booking.
- Family and Group Rates This offer targets families and large groups traveling together by providing discounted rates and additional baggage allowances when booking a certain number of seats.
- Black Friday Sales An annual event, the Black Friday sale features substantial discounts on a wide range of routes and is open to all customer segments, including economy and business class passengers. These promotions are time-sensitive and usually extend through Cyber Monday.
When does Air Canada have sales?
Air Canada typically has major sales and offers discounted fares during periods outside the peak travel season. Additionally, you may want to keep an eye on special sale events that can occur anytime.
- January It’s not a popular time for most people to travel, so to incentivize travel and keep planes full, Air Canada usually runs major sales campaigns.
- March–April The spring season, particularly March and April, is considered a “dead zone” for travel when most airlines offer discounted fares to boost demand. Air Canada often use a spring sale to encourage early bookings for summer vacations.
- September–October These months, just after the summer peak season also see great, low fares as the Canadian carrier tries to stimulate decreasing demand.
- Black Friday/Cyber Monday This shopping holiday in late November is one of the biggest sale periods for most airlines.
- Mid-November Air Canada may run sales around 1-2 weeks before Black Friday in mid-November. This allows them to get a head start on other carriers that typically have big sales around Black Friday.
- Special sales The airline sometimes celebrates its anniversaries with special promotions. Travel Expos and fairs, where the airline participates, are also opportunities for the company to run exclusive sales, often only available to attendees.
- Last-minute deals These occasional deals are much less predictable. The airline can put some seats on sale for dates just before departure, but these are typically for unusual times and unpopular places.
- Flash sales These spontaneous, short-term sales are often one of the best ways to save on flights. Flash sales can happen at any time and are often announced with little notice. They typically last only a few hours to a couple of days.
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To take advantage of these sales, it’s essential to stay subscribed to the airline’s newsletter and follow its social media channels. The best strategy is to be flexible with your travel dates and look for off-peak times.
A quick guide to Air Canada promo codes
Air Canada promo codes are one of the best ways to save money when flying with the airline. They usually come in the form of alphanumeric strings such as SUMMER25, STUDENT10, EARLYBIRD, SEATUPGRADE, etc.
You can browse the latest promo codes in our directory.
How much can I save?
The amount you can save on Air Canada flights can vary — discount codes typically reduce airfare by 10-25%. Occasionally, promo codes offer savings of up to 50%.
Where to enter Air Canada promo code
To book a flight with a promo code, enter it during the booking process on the Air Canada website. Locate the designated field — usually labeled “Promotion Code” or similar — at the checkout screen. You will see the new price (the discount will typically apply to the pre-taxed base fare), and a success message.
The fine print
Most promo codes come with conditions, such as limited validity periods and blackout dates during peak travel seasons. Additionally, they cannot be combined with other discounts or used for bookings made through call centers or at airport counters.
Why don't OTAs
have promo fares?
When you search for flights on OTAs like Expedia, KAYAK, or Skyscanner, you’re accessing data from Global Distribution Systems (GDS) like Amadeus and Sabre, the New Distribution Capability (NDC) system, and direct airline partnerships.
These sources mainly provide standard airfares found on airlines’ websites—which explains why flights have always very similar prices across all OTAs.
However, airlines often reserve their most aggressive or enticing promotions for their own direct sales channels—primarily their websites. These special fares are not fed into GDS systems, and, as a result, OTAs usually don’t include exclusive sales and promotions.
How to keep track
of airline promotions then?
The best way is to take advantage of Air Traveler Club membership, which gives you access to the largest directory of current sales and promotions from more than 150 airlines. The offers are gathered, curated, and published daily.
All airline promotions, sales, and discounts can be viewed in one place:
Where to find Air Canada promotions?
Stay in touch with the airline. The primary source is Air Canada official website with the dedicated Flight deals and great fares page. The airline’s social media channels are also excellent resources for current promotions. Additionally, subscribing to Air Canada newsletter can give you access to exclusive offers and early notifications about upcoming sales.
Does Air Canada have student discount?
Student discounts are a standard offering from Air Canada. The airline offers significant price reductions to young people, particularly those enrolled in educational institutions. The “Student offers” page provides the key details:
Air Canada also rolls out occassional promotions for young travelers. These varied promotions often feature “youth fares” designed for passengers below a certain age threshold (typically between 18 and 25 years old). These promotion fares are particularly prevalent for flights originating from the airline’s main airport hub (Montréal–Trudeau International Airport YUL
), bound for either academic centers or popular vacation destinations.
Additionally, Air Canada sometimes partner with Canadian educational institutions, as well as travel platforms like IYTC, ISIC, StudentUniverse, and STA Travel, to offer discounted fares to students. After confirming student status (via educational email addresses or student ID), students are granted access to an exclusive, discounted flights from Air Canada, with fare reductions generally spanning from 5% to 20% off standard prices.
Find out which airlines have active student discounts right now.
Child promo
Do kids fly free?
Air Canada discounts for children
Air Canada doesn’t offer regular free or discounted flight tickets for kids. However, infants can travel for free if they don’t occupy a seat. According to the airline’s policy, children under 2 years old can travel for free on the lap of an accompanying adult passenger on domestic flights. For international flights, fees may apply, typically amounting to 10% of the adult ticket price.
For a detailed explanation, check out the ‘Children and Travel’ section on the airline’s website.
In the world of commercial aviation, the notion of “free flights for kids” is largely a myth — airlines don’t like to give away seats for children who are too old to sit on your lap for the entire journey. However, discounted fares for young travelers are much easier to find.
Air Canada occasionally offers promotions where children can fly for a fraction of the adult fare. They typically target children aged 10 to 12 and below, offering savings ranging from 25% to 75% off the ticket price. But there’s a catch — these promotions are often timed to avoid peak travel seasons like school holidays and may be restricted to specific, less popular routes.
Family discounts and promo tickets
Air Canada offers special travel perks and benefits explicitly crafted for family travel. With a targeted approach to this vital demographic, the airline helps lower travel costs for families with children.
For a complete rundown of the offers and discounts, visit the “Family Travel” webpage:
From time to time, Air Canada unveils seasonal campaigns that feature all-inclusive family vacation packages, often in partnership with renowned resorts and sought-after travel locales. Special fare promos targeting families are more likely to appear during school breaks and holiday seasons, complemented by advance booking incentives. However, these family-oriented promotions are not part of the airline’s regular offer.
Although not explicitly designed for families, Air Canada Economy Plus seating is a popular choice among family travelers for its additional legroom and favorable location near the aircraft’s front. The package may also feature dedicated overhead storage and priority boarding.
List of current family discounts across airlines.
Vacation packages
Holiday deals and special offers
from Air Canada
Air Canada often runs special promotions on its holiday and vacation packages. During these sales, you can receive not only price discounts but also extra amenities like free airport transfers, dining credits, or activity vouchers. Special rates are often available for off-peak seasons or holidays like Christmas, New Year’s, or school vacations.
Additionally, holiday packages often include flights, hotels, and sometimes car rentals and activities bundled together. Even with no current promotion, these bundling services result in a lower overall cost than booking each component separately. packages usually come with the added benefit of Air Canada customer support to assist with any issues during your trip.
For the most current information, visit the official page ‘Air Canada Vacation’.
Exclusive promotions
Aeroplan — loyalty program promotions
Air Canada frequently rolls out seasonal promotions and special offers dedicated exclusively to members of its loyalty program, Aeroplan. They offer opportunities to boost your points balance with extra points (miles) and accelerate your progression through the program’s elite tiers. During promotions, members may purchase additional miles at a discounted rate, earn them faster, or redeem flights at significantly discounted mileage rates.
Periodic promotions may include partnerships with hotels and car rental companies, offering members exclusive discounts or additional points when booking through Air Canada partners.
Even without ongoing promotions, Aeroplan offers substantial value to loyal customers. Program members get access to numerous benefits, such as: arning points on flights, car rentals, and hotel stays, redeeming miles for flights and cabin upgrades, access to exclusive Maple Leaf Lounges, priority check-in and boarding, as well as partner offers with select retailers and credit cards
Visit the official “Aeroplan” page for more details:
Business class promotions
In the competitive world of commercial aviation, Air Canada deploy an array of marketing strategies to entice business class passengers. It frequently offers attractive promotions for business class seats — aimed at filling seats and solidifying long-term relationships with customers. Regularly, the carrier rolls out percentage-based discounts for its premium cabin, which can range from 10% to as high as 25%.
Senior citizen discounts and promos
Air Canada typically does not offer specialized senior citizen discounts for flight tickets. Nevertheless, the airline periodically rolls out special promotions and sales events that may include discounted fares to select groups of passengers — including senior citizens.
Such promotions may not always be publicly advertised and may not be available for all routes. Instead, senior travelers must inquire directly with the airline or through the reservations team to see if a specific route offers any discounts for older travelers.
Discounts for military personnel and veterans
)
To honor the service of both active-duty military personnel and veterans, Air Canada offers discounted flights to those in uniform. The extent of the discount varies based on several factors, including the route, seat availability, and whether the travel is for official duty or leisure.
For current information about military discounts, visit the ‘Military Policy (PDF)’ page on the aircanada.com website:
In addition to discounted fares, military personnel and veterans can benefit from perks like priority boarding, flexible ticketing, and waived baggage fees — essential for active-duty members with gear that surpasses standard limits. These advantages often extend to their families as well.
To access these special rates and perks, travelers need valid ID such as military IDs, discharge papers, or other official documents confirming active-duty or veteran status. While military-specific discounts aren’t usually listed online, they can be obtained by contacting Air Canada or authorized agents directly.
Rewards from co-branded credit cards
Air Canada co-branded credit cards provide a fast track to travel rewards, exclusive perks, and premium services. With generous sign-up bonuses (sometimes sufficient for a round-trip domestic flight), cardholders can quickly earn Aeroplan points redeemable for flights, seat upgrades, and more. Moreover, cards typically come with robust travel insurance, such as trip cancellation insurance and baggage loss reimbursement.
As with any financial product, the key is in the details. Check out the airline’s official website to scrutinize the terms and conditions:
Air Canada corporate deals
For large businesses and corporations, Air Canada offers a comprehensive range of services that go beyond mere transportation. From customized fare packages, corporate rewards, and priority services to dedicated support and travel data analytics — the focus is on making corporate travel efficient, comfortable, and easy to manage.
FAQ
Can I get discount on Air Canada?
Yes, Air Canada offers a spectrum of promotions, seasonal sales, and discount codes throughout the year. You can find them all in the directory created and maintained by Air Traveler Club.
How can I get notified about upcoming Air Canada promotions?
Air Traveler Club has the option of email or mobile app notifications for promotions run by Air Canada (and over 150 other airlines). Alternatively, you can subscribe to the airline’s newsletter, or follow them on social media.
Do Air Canada flights ever go on sale?
Yes, Air Canada flights often go on sale during off-peak travel seasons. The airline also participate in major sale events like Black Friday and sometimes offer flash sales or last-minute deals with little notice. To catch these offers, it’s best to subscribe to their newsletter, follow their social media channels.
How to use Air Canada flight coupon?
Air Canada flight coupon is a physical or digital voucher that has a certain monetary value or specific offer attached to it. Flight coupons may be issued as compensation for delayed or canceled flights, as part of a loyalty program reward, or may be distributed during special promotional events. They can also be purchased for future use or given as gifts. Flight coupons can be applied to various aspects of your travel experience, from ticket fares to seat upgrades and even in-flight amenities.
Like promo codes, these coupons may have specific conditions such as route restrictions, blackout dates, or a minimum booking value.
Is Air Canada promo legit?
Yes, all Air Canada promotions, promo codes, and discounts listed in our directory are legit. We only publish offers that are available on the official website, or through airline marketing channels such as newsletter, social media accounts, etc.
Are Air Canada promo tickets refundable?
All Air Canada discounted tickets are non-refundable, unless otherwise stated.
User Review
3.5 (900 votes)Air Canada sales & promotions
Air Canada offers various promotions and sales to cater to customer needs. One of the most straightforward ways to secure a deal is through promo codes and flight coupons, often distributed via email newsletters or select partnerships.
The airline periodically rolls out special promotions and sales events that may include discounted fares to select groups of passengers — families, students, young travelers, etc. In addition to discounted fares, Air Canada customers may benefit from perks like priority boarding, flexible ticketing, and waived baggage fees. It’s worth noting that many of these promotions come with specific conditions attached — such as route restrictions, blackout dates, or a minimum booking value.
About the author
Maksim Koval
Aviation industry expert, digital editor at Tiket2 since 2010, and the pioneering founder of the Air Traveler Club.
Maksim is a Bali-based seasoned travel writer, avid flyer, tinkerer, photographer, motorbiker, animal lover, and the truest evangelist of the company. His dedication to providing valuable insights and engaging content has established him as a trusted voice in the industry.
You can contact him via email at maksim[at]tiket2.com.