What To Do If You're A Traveler Affected By Air Canada Strikes

Air Canada suspended each operations Saturday morning aft much than 10,000 formation attendants walked disconnected nan occupation demanding higher salary and amended scheduling protections. The onslaught has upended recreation plans worldwide astatine nan tallness of nan summertime season.

The airline, Canada’s largest and nan country’s emblem carrier, estimates that pinch its astir 700 regular flights suspended, immoderate 130,000 customers will beryllium impacted each time nan walkout continues.

It's unclear really agelong nan onslaught will past aliases erstwhile a woody mightiness beryllium reached. Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr warned that moreover aft an agreement, it could return up to a week to afloat restart operations.

Air Canada is urging affected customers not to spell to nan airdrome unless they person a confirmed summons connected an hose different than Air Canada aliases Air Canada Rouge. Flights operated by Air Canada Express partners Jazz and PAL airlines are not impacted.

Passengers whose flights are canceled will beryllium notified. Here’s what travelers request to know:

Request a refund aliases credit

Customers who booked an Air Canada formation connected aliases earlier Aug. 15 for recreation connected Saturday aliases Sunday tin cancel for a afloat refund of nan unused information of their ticket, sloppy of fare type, done nan company’s website aliases mobile app.

Travelers whitethorn besides opt for a recreation in installments to usage toward a early Air Canada booking.

For different recreation dates, refundable summons holders tin petition a afloat refund pinch nary fees. Nonrefundable fares tin beryllium converted into in installments for early travel.

Air Canada tin rebook your flight

If you forgo a refund, Air Canada said it will effort to rebook you, including pinch different carriers.

But nan hose — which serves much than 180 airports successful Canada, nan United States and connected six continents — warned that seats are highly constricted during nan highest summertime season.

“Available capacity connected our hose and connected different carriers is constricted owed to nan summertime recreation peak, meaning nan anticipation of rebooking you wrong an acceptable timeframe is low,” Air Canada said successful a news merchandise connected Saturday.

Passengers tin besides rebook their flights for dates betwixt Aug. 21 and Sept. 12 astatine nary further cost.

Impact connected different airlines

Air Canada is simply a personnel of nan Star Alliance network, which includes 26 personnel airlines specified arsenic United and Lufthansa. This intends travelers connected partner airlines operating Air Canada flights could beryllium affected.

United Airlines said successful a connection that it is “working pinch customers to get them to their destinations and person issued a recreation waiver to make judge they person nan elasticity to negociate their recreation plans.”

Airport and agency response

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said that it is “fully prepared to support travelers and thief minimize disruptions.”

“Airport unit will beryllium on-site to assistance passengers, and we are moving intimately pinch Air Canada and our terminal partners to guarantee basal resources are successful place,” nan agency said successful a connection up of nan strike.

The Port Authority advised that travelers cheque their formation position straight pinch Air Canada earlier heading to nan airdrome and let other clip for travel.

The U.S. Department of Transportation did not rumor an charismatic connection connected Air Canada’s suspended operations and did not instantly return a petition for comment.