BC Ferries is lowering its vehicle booking fees, while increasing the cost of cancellations.
As of April 1, customers who book a week in advance will pay a $10 fee, rather than $15.
For bookings made between six days and one day before travel, that fee will drop to $17 from $18.50.
Same-day booking fees will fall by a dollar to $21, and the fee to change a reservation will fall from $9 to $5.
In another cost-saving change coming April 1, BC Ferries is also reducing the number of people needed to get a group rate from 16 to 10 persons.
On the other hand, cancellation fees on all northern routes will be doubled in April.
For private vehicles travelling between Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii, the cost to cancel reservations within 30 days of travel will go up from $15 to $30.
On the Prince Rupert-Port Hardy route, the same fee will go from $30 to $60.
People booking a commercial vehicle on either route will face a cancellation fee of $200 (up from $100) if they cancel within five days of travel.
Also, the regular fare for any commercial vehicle that takes up two lanes (meaning it is 13 feet or wider) is scheduled to go up from $6.50 to $13.24 per foot.
BC Ferries says while it tries to keep its fares and fees as low as possible, the company needs to cover operating costs and replace one ship per year on average to maintain a safe, efficient, and reliable service.