Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press Published Thursday, June 30, 2022, 1:37 p.m. EDT Last updated Thursday, June 30, 2022, 1:37 p.m. EDT
MONTREAL – Consumer rights activists are urging Air Canada to compensate many of the hundreds of thousands of passengers whose summer flights have been canceled.
The country’s largest carrier said on Wednesday night that it would cut more than 15% of its flights in July and August as the country’s flight network collapses under a huge resurgence in travel.
With this move, more than 9,500 flights, or an average of 154 a day, will be dropped from the airline’s schedule – now operating at only 80% of pre-pandemic levels. The flights are mainly connected to the Toronto and Montreal hubs and run on domestic or Canadian-American routes. No international flights were killed, except for those to the United States.
“This weekend for Canada Day will be difficult,” CEO Michael Rousseau told staff in a note Thursday received from The Canadian Press.
“I wish I could promise you that the measures we are taking will mean a light summer ahead. Although they will certainly provide some relief, it will take time and effort and we will probably not see the full benefits until the second part of July.
Sylvie De Belfey, a lawyer with the Quebec-based advocacy group Option consommateurs, says many clients are entitled to “absolute” compensation under the Canadian Passenger Rights Charter.
The Passenger Protection Rules (APPR), which came into force in 2019, require compensation – other than a refund – of between $ 400 and $ 1,000 for cancellation or significant delay, which is “under the control of the carrier” if the passenger chooses to refuse re-booking, and in some cases when they accept it.
“I believe Air Canada’s decision is to cancel the battles,” De Belfeil said. “That’s why people should be entitled to compensation.”
While Rousseau apologized for the cancellation of flights and “lack of customer service”, the CEO also said in an email to passengers that the timetable reduction stemmed from tensions over the “global aviation system” – potentially beyond Air Canada’s control – calling them “Unprecedented and unforeseen.”
Gabor Lukacs, president of the Air Passenger Rights Advocacy Group, said the airlines had “resold their capacity” in an attempt to make up for two years of smeared results.
“Even if there were vacancies on the plane, there was no pilot, no flight attendant, no gate agents,” he said, adding that the shortage of federal security and customs officials posed even more. challenges.
“These are cancellations that are within the carrier’s control … Airlines may claim otherwise, but these claims are not valid.”
Air Canada said in an email that customers are notified of cancellations automatically, “and this process is underway.”
“Some we are able to book immediately, while for others we will continue to look for alternatives and advise them if options become available,” said spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick.
Customers can request a refund at any time, he said.
Air Canada did not answer questions about whether the timetable reduction was within its control, saying it would “fulfill its APPR obligations”.
Shares of the Montreal-based company fell 6.8% or $ 1.16 to $ 15.91 in mid-afternoon trading on Thursday, deepening the decline of more than $ 21 per share earlier this month.
Jacques Roy, a professor of transport management at HEC Montreal Business School, said the carrier’s revenue would be hit even if consolidating passengers on fewer flights increased efficiency.
“This is definitely not good news for Air Canada. This is their peak season – this is the most lucrative quarter of the year, and the last three years have been negative, “he said.
At least 400,000 passengers are likely to be affected, he added.
Cathy Gray booked a family trip to Scotland months ago and has already seen that her flight has been rescheduled once.
“We have booked and paid for car rental and accommodation and we are afraid of what we expect to happen with our August-September flight schedules and the domino effect on our plans,” she said.
“All this could have been avoided if the airlines had not been so greedy. It’s a disgrace. “
The extent of the passengers’ concern was evident on the Air Canada website, which was flooded by passengers checking the status of their summer flight.
“We are currently experiencing technical issues that may prevent you from withdrawing your booking online,” read a signal at the top of the airline’s homepage, posted Wednesday night.
According to federal regulations, if passengers have been informed more than two weeks in advance that their flight has been canceled or delayed by three hours or more for reasons under the control of the carrier, they are due alternative travel or refund – optional of the passenger. A rejected reservation carries a compensation of $ 400 in addition to the refund.
If the trip has been canceled within 14 days or less, passengers are owed $ 1,000 for a cancellation or delay of nine hours or more and between $ 400 and $ 700 for delays of three to nine hours.
The airline must endeavor to re-book passengers for a flight on its network that departs within nine hours of the initial departure time. If it cannot, it must offer to book them at another airline “as soon as possible”, free of charge, according to the passenger rights charter.
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