Canadian airlines race to launch 'all-in' fares

Air Canada and Porter Airlines have begun advertising all-inclusive airfares that include taxes, fees and surcharges months before Ottawa drafts legislation making the practice mandatory.

After years of delays,Canadas airline industry agreed with Ottawa two months agoto make it mandatory for domestic carriers to display all-inclusive ticket prices.The new regulations will likelynot take effect until late 2012.

Air Canada, Canadas largest airline, says its print advertisements, online ads, and website will all prominently show the single fare beginning immediately.

"Our all-in price advertising initiative is our response to our customers increased desire for transparency and simplicity when shopping for air fares," Craig Landry, Air Canadas Vice President of Marketing said in a statement Wednesday.

Toronto-based Porter Airlines also announced Wednesday that it will begin showing all-in airfares in its advertisements and on its website.

Beginning February 10^th, Porter will "show one price for the customer without highlighting fees and taxes separately," said Robert Deluce, Porters chief executive officer, adding the approach will make it "easy to immediately understand how much a flight costs by showing one number."

Porter Airlines is based out of Torontos downtown island airport, and offers short-haul flights to Eastern Canada and the Northeast U.S. WestJet, Canadas second-largest airline, began advertising all-inclusive fares in newspapers in early January.

The Calgary-based company announced today that its employees endorse managements plan to create a regional subsidiary that will offer short-haul flights beginning in 2013.