What Canadians can do if their flight gets cancelled due to an Air Canada strike
Canadians who have Air Canada flights booked this month could see their travel plans squashed by a possible strike.
The Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents the carrier’s flight attendants, announced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, that its members have voted 99.7 per cent in favour of strike action, if necessary.
The strike vote began on July 28 and ended on Aug. 5 after 94.6 per cent of members cast a ballot.
“While the airline continues to slap junk fees on flyers and gouge the public, they’re also exploiting their own employees by severely underpaying flight attendants or refusing to pay them at all for safety-critical aspects of our jobs,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of CUPE.
“Air Canada has raked billions in profits in the past few years. They can afford to pay us fairly without raising costs for the public.”
If a deal isn’t reached, workers could walk off the job as soon as August 16 at 12:01 a.m. EDT. The union represents over 10,000 flight attendants who work on Air Canada’s mainline and Rouge aircraft, which means if a strike does go ahead, Canadian travellers could feel the impacts on their bank accounts.
However, if you bought your plane tickets with a credit card that has travel insurance, it may save you some financial stress.
Daily Hive spoke with Natasha Macmillan, senior business director of everyday banking at Ratehub.ca, about what options travellers have to get their money back if their flight is cancelled by a possible Air Canada workers’ strike.
If an Air Canada strike does happen, what are customers’ options?
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The first thing passengers should know is that flight cancellations during an airline strike are considered out of the carrier’s control under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR).
Macmillan says that typically in these situations, airlines must automatically rebook affected passengers on another flight, whether it’s with them or another carrier. If the airline can’t do that, they must provide a full refund.
She says the other option travellers have is to look into what their credit card travel insurance covers.
“What we do recommend, depending on the type of card, is that it might be worthwhile calling your credit card provider just to see if you will be covered,” said Macmillan.
What is usually covered under credit card travel insurance?
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Macmillan says unforeseen events outside of the airline’s control, like flight cancellations due to a labour disruption, usually aren’t covered by credit card travel insurance.
“However, if it’s a delay that might happen because the plane hasn’t arrived yet, things like that typically are covered, especially after it hits a certain number of hours,” she explained.
The Ratehub.ca expert says some travel credit cards cover flight delays of over four hours or lost baggage.
“You are entitled to a certain sum of money to ease that burden, whether you need to get food, or stay in a hotel room, or if you need some additional essentials or clothes or toiletries if your bag is lost,” she explained.
If a flight cancellation causes you to miss a hotel booking or an event or attraction for which you had purchased tickets, Macmillan says the credit card company usually won’t cover the costs.
However, she says customers can call the hotel or business directly and explain their situation.
“At times, if you can show proof of the cancellation of your flight or travel, you are given that credit and refund, depending on the provider,” said Macmillan.
She says another avenue Ratehub.ca became aware of in discussions with major credit card companies is that holders can call their provider and say they were charged a “not-for-service fee.”
“So, you’ve been charged for something that you didn’t get a service for, and that is typically refunded to your credit card,” said Macmillan.
Although she says it’s likely still more effective to call the business directly and explain your situation to them.
How can travellers file their claims with their credit card provider?
You can file your credit card travel insurance claims online, or you can call the number on the back of your card.
“I would recommend calling in if you have questions about what you’re eligible for or what’s best to do, but typically, filing the actual complaint online is probably the best route to go,” explained Macmillan.
She adds that filing online will likely allow for easier payout.
How should Canadians prepare ahead of a possible Air Canada strike?
The expert says that carriers have actually pre-cancelled flights ahead of looming strikes and have automatically provided passengers with a refund.
“If it’s just kind of discretionary, you might be offered that full refund, and you can decide whether or not you want to travel anymore,” explained Macmillan.
Overall, she says it will be a bit disruptive to travel plans, especially during the summer.
“It is always good to ensure that you’re aware of what might be happening, and perhaps, pending that [the strike] is looming, be aware of alternative travel options,” added Macmillan.
She also suggests travellers find out as much as they can about their specific credit card travel insurance coverage.
This article was originally published on Aug. 1, 2025, and has been updated.