Air Canada flyers can rebook flights for free ahead of possible pilots strike
If you’re worried about the possible Air Canada pilot’s strike next month, the airline has introduced a policy to give customers flexibility with their travel plans.
On Tuesday, Air Canada issued an update on its ongoing contract negotiations with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).
“During the talks, there has been significant progress and the three-week cooling off period gives the parties more than sufficient time to address any outstanding issues,” reads a news release. “Air Canada is fully committed to bargaining meaningfully throughout the period.”
As federal conciliation with ALPA ends, we remain committed to a negotiated settlement and are providing our customers flexibility with their imminent travel plans.
More information here: https://t.co/uYu9XsPIwg pic.twitter.com/OTu1QxxTde
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) August 27, 2024
However, the carrier acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding travellers’ plans, so it has introduced a “goodwill policy” to give people options for their upcoming flights.
Starting today, customers who have bought Air Canada flights of any fare type between September 15 and 23, 2024, can change any bookings already purchased at no additional cost.
You have the following three options that you can do in anticipation of the possible pilot’s strike:
A) Rebook to any other Air Canada flight with the same origin and destination up to November 30, 2024.
“Change fees and any other fees or fare difference will be waived, meaning such changes can be made at no cost for customers who choose to travel the same route in the same cabin,” reads the update.
B) Cancel your flight and retain the residual value on a future travel credit.
According to the airline, refunds will be available as per fare rules for customers with refundable tickets. For customers with non-refundable tickets, refunds are not available as flights are scheduled to operate as normal.
C) Cancel your flight and rebook for after November 30, in which case change fees will be waived, but the customer will have to pay the fare difference, if any.
The carrier says this policy applies to all of its operated flights, including mainline, Rouge, Express flights operated by Jazz or PAL Airlines, and Vacations, although an additional fee may apply for hotels.
It notes that Express flights operated by Jazz or PAL Airlines are not operated by Air Canada pilots, so they won’t be affected by a possible strike.
In addition, the airline says certain special services will be temporarily unavailable to give customers with special requests visibility.
“These include services such as the Unaccompanied Minor Program, special request baggage services for items such as bicycles and hunting equipment, and the Meet and Assist Program in Japan,” reads the update.
If you have a flight between September 15 and 23 that you want to change, you can do that on the airline’s site, through its mobile app, a travel agent, or by calling an Air Canada Contact Centre.
This “goodwill policy” comes after Air Canada pilots voted “overwhelmingly” to authorize a strike last week.