Dealing with Air Canada travel cancellations? Learn the different options that may be available to you under various consumer protection laws.
General information
Currently, Air Canada says it will offer refunds and compensation for certain expenses.
- If your flight was cancelled by Air Canada, you likely have the right to a full refund under federal or provincial law if you wish to pursue a refund and are not seeking compensation for other expenses
- If you are seeking compensation for additional expenses, such as new flights or transportation you paid for out of pocket, accommodation, meals or other expenses, you may have options
- If you cancelled your own flight, you may not be entitled to a refund under certain consumer protection laws. In most instances, you are only covered if the airline cancels.
- If you choose to accept a voucher for future travel, in most cases it should not have an expiry date.
Seeking compensation for expenses or rebooked travel?
If your flight was cancelled by Air Canada and you want to pursue compensation for expenses, such as alternative transportation, accommodation, meals, or out-of-pocket expenses due to the disruptions, here are some options to consider.
Step 1: Contact Air Canada
Contact the airline and let them know you would like compensation for expenses, such as replacement transportation, accommodation and meals. At the time of publishing, there is a claim form available on their website for this purpose. Visit Air Canadaâs website to learn more and to fill out the claim form for out-of-pocket expenses.
Step 2: If that step is unsuccessful, consider other options
- The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), a federal organization set up to settle disputes between travelers and airlines. The CTA is also responsible for administering the Carriage by Air Act and the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, which outline airline obligations. Read the CTAâs advice for consumers with disrupted flights and explore their website to learn about their complaint process for compensation or refunds.
- International travelers who were impacted while travelling may have other rights:
- Air Canada passengers can claim compensation for both their added travel expenses and flight disruptions if their cancelled flight departed from the United Kingdom or European Union-member countries . That’s because passengers departing from those countries are covered by EU air passenger rights which offer different protections.
- Air Canada passengers flying through the United States may be eligible for compensation through the US Department of Transportation.
- As a last resort, consider independent legal advice for possible small claims, civil or class action lawsuits. Travelers may also be interested in seeking independent legal advice to see if other avenues might exist to pursue refunds, damages or compensation for costs incurred during the disruptions.
Seeking a refund for a flight cancelled by Air Canada?
If your flight was cancelled by Air Canada and you want to pursue a refund for the flight only and are not seeking compensation for additional travel costs, here are some options to consider.
Step 1: Contact Air Canada
Contact the airline and let them know you would like a refund for the flight(s) they cancelled. We understand itâs challenging to get through to Air Canada right now, so be persistent and try different avenues to reach them.
Step 2: If you are denied a refund from Air Canada, familiarize yourself with the applicable laws and decide which route to take.
If your flight was cancelled by Air Canada and they deny you a refund, you may have the right to a full refund under federal or provincial law.
- Federal laws: The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), a federal organization set up to settle disputes between travelers and airlines. The CTA is also responsible for administering the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, which outline airline obligations. Read the CTAâs advice for consumers with disrupted flights and explore their website to learn about their complaint process.
- BC consumer protection laws: If your travel plans were booked online or over the phone OR if you booked with a licensed BC travel agent, you may have options to pursue a refund under BCâs consumer protection laws. We enforce these laws in the province. Learn more about the options under provincial laws in the section below.
Your options under BC consumer protection laws
If your flight was cancelled by Air Canada and you booked online or over the phone OR if you booked with a licensed BC travel agent, you may have options to pursue a refund under the consumer protection laws that we oversee in BC. Please keep in mind:
- If eligible, these laws would entitle you to a refund for the cancelled flight, not for any out-of-pocket expenses due to the disruptions.
- Before you begin either of the steps below, you must first try to pursue a refund from Air Canada directly. If they deny you a refund, then you can proceed with the options below.
- These are legal processes that require specific steps, deadlines, and waiting periods. This means the process will take time. Do not delay â start following the steps right away to avoid missing deadlines.
If you booked online or over the phone
If you booked online or over the phone, you entered a contract with the airline for your travel services. Because they didnât fulfill that contract when they cancelled your travel, you may be entitled to a refund if you donât receive the services within 30 days of the original travel date. The process involves cancelling your contract with the airline once the date of travel lapses, requesting a chargeback from your credit card provider, and submitting a complaint to us if the airline or credit card provider does not provide you with a refund. Follow the steps on our Online Orders page to start the process and request a refund.
If you booked with a licensed BC travel agent
If you booked with a licensed BC travel agent and didnât get the travel services in your contract, you may be able to get your money back from the Travel Assurance Fund (TAF). The TAF is a fund of last resort, so all other options must be exhausted before making a claim. Claims must be received within six months of the date of loss. Follow the steps on the Travel Assurance Fund page to begin the process.
About Consumer Protection BC
We are not-for-profit regulator responsible for overseeing certain industries and specific consumer transactions in British Columbia. If your concern is captured under the laws we enforce, we will use the tools at our disposal to assist you. If we canât help you directly, we will try to offer a referral to a relevant organization, if one exists. Other times, court or legal assistance may be the best option. Explore our website at www.consumerprotectionbc.ca
I don’t like the “Air Canada says it will try to rebook travelers with other carriers and if thatâs not possible, they will offer refunds.” Comment. It ignores the fact that they MUST rebook you of you want them to. I don’t want a refund. I still have to get home. If i could find a flight home, so can they
Hi Carrie, we’ve been updating the blog as new information becomes available. That section was pulled from Air Canada’s website. The CTA says they must offer those two options. There’s a whole new section in the post about your options if you’re looking for compensation for rebooked travel! I hope that helps!
So appreciate the this information. I am in an interesting predicament. My flight was canceled and there was NO effort on Air Canada’s part to rebook me on another airline even though I saw tons of flights. Because of the timeline of trying to get to my brother’s wedding and not being able to get through to them, I had to rebook a ticket through another airline. How do I go about the compensation for that? I didn’t accept a refund from Air Canada yet until I know my rights. I had to spend over a $1000 to get home in time. I wouldn’t go after them if they even attempted to get me on another airline.
Hi Iran, there’s a new section in the blog post that talks about your options if you’re seeking compensation for rebooked travel!
How about other expenses that we didnât get refunded for?? For example we booked Airbnb and we didnât get refund because we had to cancel since our flights was cancelled!! How we can claim those costs that caused by AC flight cancellation!!
Hi Mary, there’s a whole new section in the post about your options if you’re looking for compensation for rebooked travel! I hope that helps!
Hi. What happens in the case that I was cancelled on Aug 17th and then rebooked by Air Canada for August 26th. I have booked my own flight back home because I could not stay until 26th. Do I ask for refund and compensation for the extra costs of my flights home?
Hi Maria, it looks like Air Canada has some a claim for expenses that occurred because of the disruptions. Here’s a link: https://accc-prod.microsoftcrmportals.com/en-CA/refund-assistance-labour-action/. There’s also some information in the post itself!
My situation is convoluted. I had a 2200 dollar voucher with Air France. Air France is partners with many other airlines. I decided to go to California last week for 5 days. Air France booked me a premium/first class ticket direct to California and my return flight also premium/first class Direct to Vancouver (I have medical issues that make it difficult to fly) with United Airlines. The flight was actually operated by Air Canada. I arrived in California with no problems on August 13th . On the 14th of August I got an email from Air Canada saying my flight might be canceled. The next day i missed out doing things with my boyfriend and best friend because I had to stay at the hotel to try and contact Air Canada to find out if my flight was canceled or not. I called repeatedly (no call queue, just told to callback), tried to use their website (kept freezing) and their app (kept crashing). I spent over 7 hours trying to contact Air Canada. I finally called United Airlines since the booking was associated with them and they confirmed my flight was in fact canceled. They could not find any direct flights for the 17th (my departure date). They suggested I contact Air France to see if they have more options. Air France finally found me a flight for the 17th via WestJet but it wasn’t direct and it was to Abbotsford and not Vancouver. I flew first class to Calgary and had a 2.5 hour layover. The second flight from Abbotsford held maybe 20 to 30 people. All seats were economy and there was only one bathroom. Thankfully, the flight was just under 2 hours. I had to get a family member to drive over an hour to pick me up, pay for their gas, the airport parking and something to eat as it was 9pm (original flight arrived at 422pm at YVR). I didn’t get home until 11pm.
I also had to buy another piece of luggage because WestJet’s allowances are different than Air Canada’s.
My trip was only for 5 days and I paid a lot for it. I ended up wasting a day and a half trying to get a flight home and Air Canada said nothing and did nothing.
Hi Paula, it looks like Air Canada has some a claim for expenses that occurred because of the disruptions. Here’s a link: https://accc-prod.microsoftcrmportals.com/en-CA/refund-assistance-labour-action/. There’s also some information in the post itself!
From what I have readâŠAir Canada will not pay for rebooked flights if the original booking was done through Aeroplan. They quickly refunded the points and fees but I still had to get home from Calgary to Nanaimo. Do I have recourse if the readon for denial is because of original booking through Aeroplan?
Hi Philip, the laws we oversee are limited to the section entitled “BC consumer protection laws”. For compensation for rebooked flights, there’s a section in the blog that outlined your options. Including an Air Canada claim form for expenses that occurred because of the disruptions. Here’s a link: https://accc-prod.microsoftcrmportals.com/en-CA/refund-assistance-labour-action/. There’s also some information in the post itself!