With Air Canada preemptively cancelling flights ahead of a possible strike by 10,000 flight attendants this weekend, passenger rights expert Gabor Lukacs is warning travellers not to accept a refund. He says doing so could allow the airline to sidestep its legal obligation to rebook passengers on the next available flight — even if that flight is with a competitor and costs more.
Under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, large airlines must rebook passengers “on the next available flight operated by any carrier” when cancellations are outside their control, such as in the event of a strike. This means Air Canada is required to cover the cost of a ticket on a rival airline like WestJet or Flair if it gets passengers to their destination sooner.
Air Canada has said customers whose flights are cancelled will be eligible for full refunds, but Lukacs warns that could leave travellers paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars more to secure last-minute tickets themselves. With demand surging ahead of the potential strike, prices have spiked — a Toronto–Vancouver round trip departing Aug. 15 and returning Aug. 22 is currently about $1,300 on Flair Airlines, compared to $273 for similar dates in September.
Lukacs advises that if Air Canada offers a later flight but an earlier one is available on another airline, passengers should insist on being rebooked. If the airline refuses, travellers can purchase the alternate ticket themselves and then send the bill to Air Canada for reimbursement.