Air Canada review: Change fee and website

On Tuesday October 17 we were informed that my brother, who my father was planning to stay over the next few days with after his stay with me, tested positive for COVID. As a result, my father asked that he fly back to Toronto as soon as possible. He was originally booked to return to Toronto on Monday October 23.

I went to the "manage my bookings" section of the Air Canada website to change his Premium Economy (flexible) booking. I was presented with flight options from Friday October 20 to Friday October 27. This represents a week (3 days before and 3 days after the original booking). Despite my wishing to book him on a flight the next day (Wednesday October 18), flights earlier were not presented as a booking option.

I had to book him on a Saturday October 21 (confirmation email time stamped 2:30PM 17 October 2023), as there were no suitable seats in the Premium Economy cabin for my father on Friday October 20. Note that Premium Economy (flexible) was not an option and he was booked in "Premium Economy (lowest)". I attempted to speak with an agent about the booking to see if an earlier (Wednesday or Thursday) flight was available, but after being placed on hold for 30 minutes, I had to attend to other business and was unable to attempt a call again that day. I was charged no change fee, just a fare difference and taxes (total CA $316.4).

The next day (October 18), I had some free time and decided to see if I could rebook him earlier than the Saturday October 21 flight. Again, I went to the "manage my bookings" section of the Air Canada website to change his Premium Economy (flexible) booking. This time I was presented with flight options from THAT DAY (Wednesday October 18 - Wednesday October 25). I found a suitable seat in the Premium Economy cabin for AC 186 departing today (Thursday October 19) and rebooked him in Premium Economy (flexible) (confirmation email time stamped 11:48AM 18 October 2023). I was charged a $100 change fee, a fare difference and taxes (total CA $397.76). I called the reservations number immediately afterwards and amazingly had an agent on the line in 3 minutes! I asked the agent about the issue of not being able to book the flight of my choice on line the day before, and she suggested I contact Customer Service.

It would appear that on line one cannot rebook a flight earlier than 3 days before or after the original flight date. Nowhere have I been able to find in the original Premium Economy (flexible) fare rules that one cannot rebook a flight earlier than 3 days before the original flight date. This is obvious, since when I rebooked yesterday, I was presented with flight options right up to that day.

What I was requesting, is that one of the rebooking fees be refunded and preferably the one totalling CA $397.76 for the second rebooking. That one includes the change fee, since when I made his original booking he was on a select Premium Economy (flexible) fare.

I got this reply back from Air Canada Customer Care:

"Please be assured Mr. McGowan that you were presented with the flight options that were available as well as, charged the lowest fare for the available flights at the time when the itinerary was rebooked as not only our fares work on a first come, first served basis but, as many customers make new bookings or changes to existing ones, whereas some flights may be available on a particular day, they may not be available on another. "

This is not true. For some reason, the online "change flight" options only present you with flights 3 days before and 3 days after the original booking date.

Has anyone else on this site come across this?