I actually ran into this exact situation earlier this year when I booked an Air Canada Basic fare without realizing just how restrictive it is. With Basic Economy, you don’t get the same flexibility as Standard or Flex tickets—no free seat selection, no upgrades, and most importantly, very limited changes. At first, I thought I was stuck completely, but I learned there
are ways around it if you act quickly.
Here’s how it worked for me: I had to change my flight date due to a work conflict. When I tried online, the system gave me errors since Basic doesn’t allow free changes. I ended up calling
(877)-764-3622, which honestly saved me a lot of stress. The rep explained step by step:
- You can’t modify a Basic ticket online—you need to call.
- You’ll usually have to cancel and rebook, paying the fare difference plus any applicable fee.
- If you call within 24 hours of booking, you can cancel completely with no penalty and rebook the right fare class.
For me, it was worth paying a little extra to upgrade into Standard so I wouldn’t get stuck again. Lesson learned—always double-check fare rules before hitting purchase!
