Air Canada is offering to reimburse passengers left stranded by last week’s flight attendant strike, as the airline works to restore services across its domestic, U.S. and international network.
The walk-off saw all Air Canada and Rouge flights grounded for several days in the peak of the Northern Hemisphere summer, disrupting travel for thousands, including Australians heading to or transiting through Canada.
The airline now says it will cover “reasonable transport costs” for customers whose flights were cancelled between 15 and 23 August and who had to find their own way to their destination.
Eligible claims include flights on other carriers, buses, ferries or even car hire, provided travel occurred within five days of the original departure and in the same or lower cabin class.
Only those who booked directly with Air Canada can access the new online reimbursement form, a move that has raised questions from consumer advocates.
Passenger rights campaigner Gabor Lukacs said Air Canada failed to meet its legal duty under Canada’s Airline Passenger Protection Regulations, which require airlines to rebook travellers within 48 hours, even on competing carriers. “We’ve heard from passengers who were told there were no alternatives, but then went and bought tickets themselves — often at much higher prices,” he said.
Flights began resuming on Tuesday after Air Canada struck a tentative deal with the union representing more than 10,000 cabin crew. As of mid-week, around 90% of domestic flights and 95% of U.S. services were operating, though less than 60% of international routes, including those critical to long-haul travellers from Australia, were back on schedule.
The airline has warned it may take up to 10 days before its network fully stabilises, with aircraft and crew out of position and grounded planes needing safety checks.
For Australians heading to Canada or connecting via Vancouver, Toronto or Montréal, that means lingering delays and the possibility of further cancellations in the days ahead.
Those who were caught out by the strike can now claim back extra costs, but only if their tickets were bought directly with Air Canada.
