Air Canada is launching a pilot project in Hamilton and Waterloo Region that will allow travellers to check in at local airports before before being whisked off to Toronto Pearson Airport in the “luxury” of a bus.
While the service will not be available from Hamilton International Airport and Waterloo International Airport until May, Air Canada says passengers can now book the new service.
A spokesperson for Air Canada could not provide an exact price for the service, noting that it will be a apart of the fare.
“The pricing will be included in the overall fare, so there is not a flat rate,” the spokesperson said in an email. “It will be as if you just buy a normal airline ticket with a connecting flight and pay one total price.”
Air Canada is offering the service in partnership with a company called Landline. The company currently has partnerships with United Airlines in Denver and Sun Country Airlines in Minnesota, according to its website. It also runs shuttle services in those areas.
“Air Canada is focused on improving regional services and through this innovative partnership with The Landline Company, we are connecting communities and extending our network by offering customers a convenient, stress-free multimodal option,” said Alexandre Lefevre of Air Canada.
“We will look to further expand our regional network in Canada through our Landline partnership, as it also advances our sustainability programs by potentially removing tens of thousands of vehicles from the road each year.”
The buses, which will be fully decked out in Air Canada branding, will travel six times daily between Toronto and Hamilton as well as between Toronto and Breslau.
Air Canada says that passengers will check in at the airports, including their baggage. They will then travel on the 36-seat motorcoach to Pearson, where they will immediately go through security while having their bags sent along to their connecting flights.
The airline says that if there are delays, they will extend the same protection as its other customers.