Air Canada changed my flight for the 3rd time, I'm now landing in Toronto 1 hour AFTER my next flight departure.
Air Canada changed my flight for the 3rd time, I'm now landing in Toronto 1 hour AFTER my next flight departure.
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You’re entitled to a full refund for that at least, but getting it and rebooking a flight that works will be another annoyance.
They did that to me. Their policy was that if the new arrival time is within 3 hours of the old one, it is not their problem.
Eventually ended up just threatening with a chargeback until they relented and gave me a partial refund. Probably could have gotten more but... But that also only works if you don't regularly have to fly Air Canada
Policy doesn’t matter. The recent law overrides their policy.
Refunds — If the alternate travel arrangements offered don't meet your travel needs
If an airline (large or small) offers you alternate travel arrangements that do not meet your travel needs, you are entitled to a refund.
https://rppa-appr.ca/eng/right/flight-delays-and-cancellations
Good to be aware of but doesn't really work. Ignoring the grey area of "within the airline's control" being the kind of mess that is not worth fighting: The solution is "We'll book you on the next available flight". Which is already potentially the next day but also quite likely to break any connections you have.
As for a monetary refund? They are only required to do that if
- you were informed of the delay or cancellation 14 days or less before your original departure time
- you arrived late at your final destination by 3 hours or more, and
The former is already handled. And the latter is the three hour window that was mentioned.
“Within the airline’s control” is pretty clearly outlined in the law. It’s not a grey area.
The law also states that the new booking must be reasonable. And before you say that “reasonable” is grey, it gives examples of that. Missing the connecting flight would be unreasonable. So would missing the purpose of the trip. A refund would be pretty easy to ask for in this circumstance.
Their policy was that if the new arrival time is within 3 hours of the old one, it is not their problem.
I can see them now: "So, if we change OP's flight to the one we intend to put them on, according to company policy, we're liable. But if we do it incrementally, in multiple installments but changing it by less than three hours each time, we're fine!"
Wouldn't shock me in the slightest.
I've flown a decent number of budget airlines over the years. Mostly as "last legs" these days for when a smaller airport only really has coverage by them. Air Canada was the worst and most predatory by a large margin.
Like, RyanAir and the like, you can just throw them a hundred bucks the morning of and be fine. Air Canada seems hellbent on making your booking invalid and then charging you for a whole new one.
When there's no refunds in x period but no penalty to reschedule, so you reschedule and then cancel.
I try everything I can to not fly Air Canada or West Jet. To get from Nanaimo to Kelowna recently, I caught a float plane from Nanaimo to Vancouver and then flew Air North from Vancouver to Kelowna. It actually cost lest than any flights I could find from the other two.
It's alright, I'm sure they have a time machine to take you back at least an hour to catch your flight 🙃