Air Canada’s newly announced On My Way program sure sounds all sugar ‘n spice on the face of it, but bloggers are having a field day slamming this new customer service offering. In brief, the program offers travelers the option of paying an additional fee ($25 or $35, depending on flight length) that, in the event of flight delays caused by problems beyond the airline’s control, entitles them to complimentary hotel accommodations, meals, etc. and rebooking on the next available flight, Air Canada or otherwise. Like I said, sounds good at first, right?

Upon closer inspection, On My Way sounds like it should be named Pay or Stay Put. While Hartford Courant writer Jeanne Leblanc laments the program’s “preferential treatment for basic services that should be covered in the cost of the ticket and provided on a first-come, first-served basis,” A View from the Wing’s Gary Leff argues that the program amounts, at best, to the same sort of gamble consumers make when they buy extended warranties from places like Best Buy. The bottom line? Not only is the program, in many ways, a slap in the face to travelers, it’s a pretty bad financial deal for most of us.