An Ontario couple, Bill and Sandra Barlow, claim Air Canada failed to protect their booking and then blamed them when their return flight was mysteriously cancelled and their $5,000 business class ticket credit was used by a stranger to fly to Tokyo.
The Barlows, celebrating Bill’s 75th birthday, were preparing to return from South and Central America when they learned their tickets were voided. Air Canada alleged the couple’s email was hacked and their Air Canada Wallet compromised — a feature they were unaware of.
The airline insists it bears no responsibility for personal email security. Cybersecurity expert Claudiu Popa questioned Air Canada’s defense, suggesting the breach likely occurred within the airline’s system and highlighting a lack of transparency.
The Barlows say they were given no meaningful answers, and Air Canada declined to provide evidence supporting its claims. Go Public tracked down the woman who used the stolen credit, who admitted she flew to Tokyo via a travel agent but was never contacted by Air Canada during the investigation.
Popa warns the airline’s digital system may pose risks to other customers due to weak safeguards and past breaches, including incidents in 2018 and 2023.
Source: Swifteradio.com
