Couple’s airline credit stolen, used for stranger’s luxury flight — and Air Canada blamed them

An Ontario couple’s dream trip to South and Central America turned into a nightmare when their return flights were mysteriously cancelled and their credit was used to purchase a business class ticket to Tokyo for a stranger. Bill and Sandra Barlow, from Milton, Ont., had saved for over a year to celebrate Bill’s 75th birthday with this trip, using travel points and cash totaling just over $5,000 to book their flights in business class.

Just two days before they were set to fly home, the Barlows discovered that their return flights had been cancelled. When they contacted Air Canada for answers, they were shocked to learn that someone had accessed their travel credit and used it to purchase a luxury flight to Tokyo for a person they had never met. The airline then proceeded to blame the couple for the theft, claiming that their email had been hacked and that they had failed to secure their Air Canada Wallet, a feature they were unaware of.

Despite their frustration, the Barlows were unable to get any answers from Air Canada regarding the steps taken in their case or how they were being held responsible for the theft. The airline’s explanation that the couple’s personal email had been hacked did not sit well with cybersecurity expert Claudiu Popa, who pointed out that there was no proof of such a breach and that the credit was ultimately stolen from Air Canada’s own system.

When Go Public investigated further, they discovered that the stolen credit had been used to book a flight to Tokyo for a woman in Las Vegas. However, the woman claimed that she had paid for the flight through a local travel agent and that no one from Air Canada had contacted her regarding the stolen credit.

The Barlows were left stranded in Central America and had to purchase new return tickets at an additional cost. They ended up paying nearly $2,800 for economy seats, a far cry from the business class flights they had originally booked. Despite the airline’s refusal to answer key questions about the security of their systems, the couple remains disappointed in the lack of transparency and accountability displayed by Air Canada throughout this ordeal.