Couple's Airline Credit Stolen, Used for Stranger's Luxury Flight — and Air Canada Blamed Them

A shocking incident has left an Ontario couple feeling flabbergasted and frustrated after their Air Canada flight credit was stolen and used to book a luxury business class ticket to Tokyo. The couple, Bill and Sandra Barlow, had spent over a year saving for their dream trip to South and Central America, which was a 75th birthday celebration for Bill.

The Barlows used travel points and cash — just over $5,000 in total — to book their return flights in business class. However, on November 17, just two days before they were scheduled to fly home, they got an unsettling surprise when they called Air Canada to check on their return flights. Someone had cancelled them.

"Absolutely flabbergasted," Sandra told Go Public. "How does something like that happen?" Even more baffling, they say the airline told them the theft was the couple's fault — claiming the couple's email had been hacked and that they had failed to secure their Air Canada Wallet, something they didn't even know they had.

The travel credit in that digital wallet was used to book a flight for a stranger who told Go Public the airline never contacted her during its investigation into the theft. Cybersecurity expert Claudiu Popa says the Barlows' experience suggests a potential weak spot in Air Canada's online security, and wonders how the airline can blame the couple when the credit was ultimately stolen from Air Canada's own system.

"It does sound like it was a co-ordinated and very well thought out attack," Popa said. "The fact that they blamed the couple for failing to secure their digital wallet is just ridiculous." The Barlows had no knowledge of the Air Canada Wallet and had never used it before.

Air Canada has refused to say how many customers have reported Air Canada Wallet-related fraud, or if it has tested its system for security flaws. The airline also didn't answer key questions from CBC News, including why stronger ID checks aren't required for password resets tied to stored credits.

The Barlows were left stranded in Central America with no choice but to buy new return tickets. With only two days until departure, they paid nearly $2,800 for economy seats — a far cry from the business class flights they'd originally booked. Those seats would have cost them close to $9,000 if they'd tried to rebook at the last minute.

The incident has left the couple feeling disappointed and frustrated with Air Canada's handling of the situation. "It's very disappointing," Bill said. "They took two months before responding to the complaint, so you would expect that if they'd taken all of that time, that they would have done some more thorough investigation."

Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC-TV, radio and the web. We tell your stories, shed light on wrongdoing and hold the powers that be accountable. If you have a story in the public interest, or if you're an insider with information, contact gopublic@cbc.ca with your name, contact information and a brief summary.