I’m often invited in the media as a travel expert, and this time, it was by a Québec radio station to discuss the Air Canada strike. This interview was in French, so I’m sharing the text version, including essential information if you have a flight scheduled for September.
I remind you that we have a guide with everything you need to know about the Air Canada strike, it’s the best way to see your options and what you should do in a simple way.
And we’ll have more step-by-step tips for if your flight is canceled if cancelations really start Sunday (join 100,000+ savvy travelers who receive our free newsletter).
Here’s the translation of my interview on Cogeco Radio.
Text version of Air Canada strike interview
Catherine (Cogeco Radio): I absolutely wanted to give you an update today on this possible strike starting this weekend at Air Canada because I’ve seen you reacting; I’ve received emails, messages, people asking questions, especially those who have flights scheduled with Air Canada in the next few days, the next weeks, those who may also be planning a trip and are thinking “Wow, what should we do?”.
We often have a lot of questions when this kind of situation happens. So I told myself we were going to get a specialist to explain all this to us, and one of the cofounders of Flytrippers, Andrew D’Amours, is with us. Mr. D’Amours, hello.
Andrew (Flytrippers): Hello.
C: Well, people are wondering, and some are worried, which is perfectly normal. What’s the first piece of advice you’d give to people who are listening to us, who are getting ready to leave?
A: It’s really about finding out what your options are because if you’re flying in the next week, there are a lot of people who will cancel their flights themselves or accept Air Canada’s refund. And by doing that, you give up all your rights.
The passenger protection system in Canada is really weak, we’ll all agree on that, but at least it exists; we have some rights. The rights only apply if the airline cancels your flight. So if the airline doesn’t cancel your flight or if you proactively change it, well then, you won’t be entitled to either a full refund or even to be rebooked on another airline completely free of charge.
A lot of people don’t know that. So, it’s the first thing. However, the downside of this is that if you’re entitled to a rebooking on another flight, on another airline, it can take some time, because there are 100,000 passengers a day flying with Air Canada.
C: Exactly.
A: So, it’s clear that a rebooking won’t necessarily be immediate. That’s why, if you really need to be somewhere, personally, I suggest buying a backup flight right away, not waiting until the last minute and, at worst, assuming the cancelation fees to cancel it if you don’t end up needing it. Often, it’s about $150, which is a bummer but a lot cheaper than having to pay for a same-day flight when everything’s going to be $1,000 to go anywhere.
C: OK. But this means — I just want to make sure I understand you well — this means that for “I’m not canceling my flight right now”, I shouldn’t do it of my own volition?
A: Right. That’s it. It really has to be the airline that cancels the flight to be entitled to a full refund or re-booking on another airline.
C: OK. Perfect.
A: And just to clarify, because sometimes, we’ve seen people on our website asking questions about flights in February. There’s no stress there. It’s really about next week and the one after. And even starting this weekend, cancelations could start.
And people know that the strike will not last excessively long. Either there will be an agreement, or the government will intervene because it’s 100,000 passengers per day, and it will be a catastrophic disruption. It’s certain that it’s not going to last 2 months.
C: No, no, that’s right. I wouldn’t think so, either. There were listeners who sent us questions in the last few days because I was reading, among other things, Mr. D’Amours, and you’ll correct me if I mention anything incorrect, that Air Canada has an obligation to offer a new flight within 48 hours or to refund your ticket.
However, people had questions. Someone who has booked a flight, obviously, is going to X destination because he’s visiting friends, he’s going to a concert, or he’s getting a hotel. So, obviously, what happens to everything other than the flight that is non-refundable?
A: The answer: passenger rights are a complex world. The answer is that it depends on where it is.
C: Oh yes?
A: Meaning that on international flights, we have more rights, ironically thanks to a rule called the Montreal Convention, but it doesn’t apply to domestic flights in Canada. So ideally you have international flights, because then, you have more rights indeed.
Airlines must reimburse for losses incurred, up to $10,000. Though, the big downside is that the federal government doesn’t enforce the rules. So, airlines aren’t necessarily very easy to deal with to make claims. They’ll always try to make it complicated. It’s not necessarily easy, but according to the regulations, it’s very clear that yes, they’re supposed to refund all losses if the flight is international.
C: OK. So, it’s surprising that it’s called the Montreal Convention and that it doesn’t apply here. It’s a bit ironic, like you said?
A: Yes, it is.
C: OK. But then, from what I understand, it’s that in Europe, with European legislation, we’re more protected. That’s what I understand.
A: Yes, indeed. I try to keep it a bit simple because it’s a complex world. But I’ll add another level: if Air Canada cancels the flight before the strike, well, that’s a big distinction. And they’ve said we’re going to start canceling before. And if they do a lockout instead of letting the strike happen, then you’re even entitled to monetary compensation for the cancelation because it’s under their control. It’s them who decide to cancel before the strike occurs. It’s them who decide to lock out pilots.
So then, that’s up to $1,000 per passenger. Again, there are a lot of people who don’t know that. The airline will — and it’s not just Air Canada, just to be very clear, WestJet did the same thing during their strike this summer — say no, no, it’s out of our control. Then they know that I’m going to estimate 90% of people are going to stop fighting, and they’re just going to let it go. So that’s what they’re hoping for. But if you fight, you’re even entitled to monetary compensation. But that’s only if it’s before the strike. So, still another important point.
C: OK. Mr. D’Amours, this kind of strike, as you said, I wouldn’t expect it to last 2 months. The longest a strike has lasted, do you know?
A: No, honestly, because it’s very rare in Canada.
C: It’s rare, yes.
A: In Europe, they’re more fond of strikes. It happens a little more often, but then again, it rarely lasts very long. So, what I tell people is that if your flight is in September, it’s problematic, but even from October onwards, I wouldn’t be too stressed. Unless, of course, it’s really early early October. If so, keep yourself informed. Then, look at your rights and your options like passengers in September should do.
On our website, we’ve put together a nice guide with your options. If you want to deal with the situation, book a backup flight if you want to be sure to get where you want to be.
Otherwise, Air Canada is offering to change your flight dates for free or give you a voucher. But that is only for flights from September 15 to 23, for now. So if you have a flight from September 15 to 23, they’ll let you change your dates for free or get a voucher. That can help. But at the same time, not everyone wants to change their trip completely. So those are some of the options out there.
C: OK. In terms of, well, obviously, Air Canada, you’re talking about 100,000… Basically, it’s 100,000 travelers, right?
A: Yes. 100,000 people per day. It’s a lot, a lot of travelers.
C: Let’s say, when we look at the other airlines, how does that compare? Who’s second in Canada in terms of travelers?
A: It’s WestJet. But the simple answer it’s that Air Canada has 43% of the market, it’s almost half. So, as I was saying, it’s really… and I don’t use the term lightly, it’s catastrophic, the impact if Air Canada stops all operations.
C: OK.
A: It’s almost 1 out of 2 passengers in Canada who need to be rebooked on other airlines. So, if you do some quick math, it won’t work. There aren’t enough flights for everyone if the strike happens.
C: No, that’s right.
A: Some will just have to cancel their trip or postpone.
C: Mr D’Amours, that answers our questions. Thank you for being here. Have a nice rest of the day.
A: Thanks, you too.
C: Okay, bye-bye. Andrew D’Amours, co-founder of Flytrippers, who was with us to answer these questions. So, thank you for sending us all that. Our goal, of course, is to answer them. So we’re always looking for the best because we can ask ourselves a few questions. So, I think this answers what we were wondering about Air Canada. We’ll keep you posted, of course, on the situation.
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Summary
I was invited by Cogeco Radio to give an update on the Air Canada strike, which could lead to catastrophic disruptions as early as this weekend. I answered some questions from their listeners to give essential information about options offered to them if they have flights in September.
What would you like to know about the Air Canada strike (that is NOT in our guide)? Tell us in the comments below.
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