More than half a million passengers have been hit by Air Canada aircraft cancellations as the hostilities between the carrier and the cabin crew continue. British travelers pay thousands of pounds extra to get home on alternative means.
In response to a strike call from members of the Canadian Association of Public Employees (Cupe), the Canadian national airline began ground -related flights on Thursday 14 August. On Saturday, August 16, Air Canada had imposed “a complete cessation of flight”.
The government then ordered the cabin crew to return to work and accept binding arbitration. Originally, Air Canada said aircraft would start to resume at 1 p.m. 14 Sunday, August 17th.
This plan was abandoned because flight persons refused to return to work. Air Canada says the union “illegally instructed its flight members” to defy the order.
The airline then said it intended to resume flight in the evening of Monday, August 18. But Cupe’s national officers said the cabin crew would not obey the back-to-work order.
The airline is currently saying: “All flights in Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge remain suspended.” It makes “rolling” cancellations, with all flights canceled until at least 16:00 EDT (21:00 BST) Tuesday 19 August.
For passengers trapped in the middle. The chaos continues.
These are the most important questions and answers.
What is the dispute about?
Members of the Canadian association of public employees who work as a cabin crew for the airline are involved in a long and bitter salary. The Union says it is fighting for “abuse of unpaid work and poverty wages for flight persons”. The cabin crew voted 99.7 percent in favor of beating for better wages as well as insurance on wages while he was on duty on the ground. Cupe says, “Unpaid work is an unreasonable practice that permeates almost the entire airline.”
Air Canada says it has offered “a total increase in compensation of 38 percent over four years” and insists that arbitration is the most fair solution to the dispute.
But the union says, “With regard to Air Canada’s latest offering: It is during inflation, below the market value, under minimum wage.”
Cupe’s national secretary and treasurer, Candace Rennick, said Air Canada is a “wildly profitable employer” and that the predominantly female workforce had to fiight tooth and nails for a path out of poverty “.
Cancellations affect passengers on both Air Canada and its cheap subsidiary, Rouge. But Air Canada Express, the regional carrier, continues operations as usual.
How does it affect passengers?
Air Canada flies about 130,000 passengers a day in August – more than 5,000 of them to or from the UK. The airline’s largest British airport is London Heathrow with additional flights to and from Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh. The most important Canadian destinations include Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
Currently, Air Canada says all four flights from Toronto to London Heathrow are going out on Monday night departing on time. The corresponding four departures from Heathrow back to Canada’s largest city on Tuesday will also be shown as operation. But it seems unlikely that they will move on. The independent Calculates that so far over half a million passengers have had their flights canceled.
In addition, many thousands of British travelers are stranded in Canada due to previous cancellations.
What is Air Canada doing for passengers?
The carrier says: “Customers will be notified of alternative travel options identified to them. Given that other carriers are already very full due to the summer travel top, it will take time to ensure such capacity and in many cases will not be immediately possible.”
Air Canada says it “has made agreements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide customers with alternative travel options as far as possible”.
But the evidence suggests that the airline does not find solutions. A group of passengers – De Deing and Robinson families from East Yorkshire – were booked to fly from Calgary to London Heathrow Friday night. After their flights were canceled, they were told, “We are very bored, but after searching for flights of over 120 airlines for three days before and your canceled flights, we have not been able to OPBOOK you.”
As they told The independentToday’s daily travel podcast they were offered a refund. It took about five minutes for them to find alternative flights, although this was for a complicated journey via Seattle at a fare, what they originally paid.
What are my rights if my flight is canceled?
It all depends on where you should start.
From Britain or EU
If your flight should start in the UK or the EU and cancel, Air Canada should find an alternative way to get you to your destination as close to the original timings as possible.
The obvious transatlantic replacement would be on British Airways, Air Transat or Westjet between Britain and Canada if there are seats. But it is more likely that travel from Britain to Canada will be via the US – which requires you to go through the heavy business of getting an ESTA permit and clearing the US limit of the hour or two you want to use there between flights.
While passengers are waiting to be flown wherever they should be, they can expect to be provided with hotel stays and meals if necessary.
From Canada – or other places outside of Europe, such as USA
If your journey begins in Canada, Air Passenger Protection Rules (App) applies. For cancellations that are the airline’s responsibility, travelers would be entitled to compensation as well as hotels and meals as needed. However, unlike European air passengers’ rights rules, the Canadian rules apologize to airlines a care if the cause of disturbance is beyond its control.
According to the Approme, “a labor disorder within the carrier” is considered as in addition to an airline control. So there is no right to care.
The Canadian Transport Agency specifies that “the airline driving the flight must ensure that passengers end their journey”. The hope is that a flight may be available within 48 hours, but if it is not, the passenger can choose between a refund or “Book the passenger on a flight operated by any airline”. Unfortunately, no strict time frame is given.
Air Canada tells many travelers to cancel and take a refund – leaving them high and dry to find and pay for a replacement flight.
From the US and other places, passengers have no significant rights.
I’m on a parcel holiday – does it make a difference?
Yes. You have additional protection. According to the package travel regulations, the tour operator (the company that puts together the holiday) is responsible for the actions of the airlines it uses. The rules determine: “If any of the travel services are not carried out in accordance with the package contract, the organizer must remedy the lack of conformity”. In connection with the Air Canada, it would mean finding alternative flights and paying for hotels while travelers are waiting.
A spokesperson for ABTA, the Travel Association, said: “While the strike is clearly out of control of the packing organizer, the organizer must nevertheless provide help with the travelers and cooperation with Air Canada to find the best solution to get travelers home.
“If travelers have to spend the night and if Air Canada has not made agreements, the organizer must arrange and pay for accommodation for up to three nights where needed.”
Could travel insurance aid?
For further expenses incurred as a result of the strike that cannot be covered by anyone else, you may require travel insurance. However, you are expected to go to the airline first before claiming your pocket expenses.
Do i get compensation?
Yes, for a canceled Air Canada flight leaving from a British (or EU) airport where the alternative flight (if any) cannot get you to your destination within four hours of the original timing. For flights over 3,500 km covering all Air Canada departures from the British airports, the dilapidated compensation is £ 520.
Airlines have previously claimed that strikes constitute “extraordinary circumstances” in addition to the carrier’s control, which would excuse them from paying.
However, by 2022, appeal law judges in a case between Ryanair and Civil Aviation Authority gave up that “strikes in relation to pay and employment” is associated with operating an airline.
“A strike on wage or employment will not be ‘extraordinary circumstances’, regardless of whether the employees’ demands are seen as reasonable or achievable,” the judges concluded.
Canada’s Inside claims that strikes are beyond Air Canada’s control and that no compensation is paid.
How long will this continue?
It’s difficult to say. Air Canada loses estimated C $ 50m (£ 27m) per Day in revenue while the strike continues. It also maintains significant reputation. The airline hopes the cabin crew will return to work over the next few days. Even if it happens – and rage among union members suggest that it may not be – it will be days before the operation is back on the field.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast