Air Canada Will Help Crowdfund Your Vacation

Got an itch to travel but are low on recreational funds? Air Canada might be the ticket. (Literally.) The airline’s new Embarq program, described as a Kickstarter for airfare, will allow Canadian travelers to create fundraising campaigns for the express purpose of seeing other parts of the world.

Here’s how it works: Once a would-be passenger signs up on the Embarq website, they can create a “wish” destination along with an explanation of why the trip is important to them. All of the money contributed will be relayed to the traveler in the form of an Air Canada gift card, which is good for airfare and other airline-related purchases.

Roughly 800 people currently have profiles on the site, which is accessible only to those with Canadian IP addresses. The campaigns currently lean heavily on trips to London, Tokyo, Paris, Vancouver, and Toronto. But not all of the vacation itineraries are completely frivolous: According to Air Canada, some members are using the service to be able to volunteer in foreign countries or compete in sporting events.

Unlike other crowdfunding platforms, Embarq doesn’t charge fees and will let users keep any and all money they collect, even if they don’t reach their final goal amount. The service is currently only available to Air Canada customers.

[h/t Condé Nast Traveler]