Air Canada's pending strike: What passengers need to know
Brooke Thio, Content Specialist
Editor's note: This post was updated on October 10, 2024, following the ratification of Air Canada's tentative agreement with the the Air Line Pilots’ Association (ALPA) on September 15, which narrowly averted a potential strike or lockout. Of the Air Canada pilots who voted, 67 per cent were in favour. The new agreement grants a 41.7 per cent cumulative wage hike over four years, beginning retroactively from September 2023.
If you have upcoming travel plans that involve flying with Air Canada, you may have already heard of a possible suspension of operations, with reductions in flights starting as early as September 15, 2024. This job action could affect an estimated 110,000 passengers a day.
Whether you’re flying with Air Canada soon or worried about future travel plans, here’s what you need to know:
Key takeaways
- On August 27, Air Canada pilots voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike. If no agreement is reached by the end of the 21-day cooling off period, a lockout or strike may occur. A strike notice could be filed on September 15, and the strike would officially begin on September 18, 2024.
- Passengers can expect 12 to 24 hours’ notice before a flight is cancelled. Air Canada has announced that affected passengers meeting certain conditions will be able to change their flight for free, even if they have not received notice of a cancellation.
- Most credit card travel insurance will not cover trip cancellations and interruptions caused by this airline strike, but anyone with a cancelled flight is entitled to either 1) a re-booking on any airline or 2) a refund, according to Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR).
- UPDATE: A tentative agreement has been reached between Air Canada and its pilots. Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge will continue to operate from September 15. Customers who used the airline's labour disruption goodwill policy to change their flights originally scheduled between September 15 to 23, 2024, to another date before November 30, 2024, can change their booking back to their original flight in the same cabin at no cost if there is space available.
Who is going on strike?
The Air Line Pilots’ Association (ALPA) is a union which represents more than 5,200 of Air Canada’s pilots. On August 27, 2024, 98% of the airline’s pilots voted in favour of a strike after labour negotiations stalled. Negotiations have been ongoing since June 2023.
After the 21-day cooling off period mandated by Canadian law, a strike or lockout may officially take place on September 18. The next steps would be filing a 72-hour strike notice: in that case, flights operated by Air Canada and its subsidiary Air Canada Rouge will gradually be suspended from September 15 onwards.
Once a strike takes place, Air Canada anticipates it will take seven to 10 days for normal operations to resume.
Why are Air Canada’s pilots going on strike?
According to the ALPA, Air Canada members’ wages are falling behind other North American pilot groups and have not kept up with inflation. In March 2023, Delta Airlines negotiated a 34% wage increase for pilots over four years. Similarly, in May 2023, WestJet negotiated a 24% pay increase over four years.
In contrast, Air Canada pilots have received a 2% increase on average each year since 2014, lagging the rate of inflation. Air Canada pilots have not had a contract since their last 10-year contract ended in September 2023.
At the time of writing, an agreement has yet to be reached between Air Canada and the ALPA.
What to do if you have upcoming flights on Air Canada
According to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), job action is not compensable under its Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) as it is deemed “out of airline control”. This means that you will not receive any monetary compensation, nor will you be reimbursed for expenses such as accommodation, meals, and ground transportation.
That said, Air Canada is responsible for re-booking you on another flight within 48 hours. If they are unable to re-book you within 48 hours, you have the right to ask for either a refund, or re-booking on any other airline.
Air Canada has announced that passengers can change their flight for free if the ticket was purchased no later than September 9, 2024 for travel between September 15 and September 23, 2024.
If you have flights on Air Canada from September 18 and onwards, be sure to call the airline early to determine what changes you can make to your flights. This is especially important if you’re already abroad and scheduled to fly back to Canada. Air Canada aims to provide 12 to 24 hours’ notice for any cancellations.
What to do if your flight was booked using Aeroplan miles
Aeroplan, Air Canada’s frequent flyer program, is one of the most popular airline loyalty programs in Canada. If you booked your flight using Aeroplan points, they are also considered a form of payment. Therefore, you will be able to reschedule your flight or get a refund too.
Will having travel insurance help?
While comprehensive, the travel insurance offered with most credit cards does not cover strikes. If you have purchased additional travel insurance, it may cover travel interruptions caused by strikes. In this case, you could file a claim for any additional expenses incurred due to the strike, such as meals and accommodation while you’re overseas and waiting to return to Canada on a re-booked flight.
While some travel insurance companies allow you to purchase a policy mid-trip, you should not buy travel insurance now if you’re potentially affected by the Air Canada strike. As a general rule, if you purchase an insurance policy after a known event, claims related to the known event are not covered.
This is why, in addition to your credit card travel insurance, you may want to consider purchasing additional travel coverage in the future for more important or high-value trips.
How this impacts you if you’re not travelling
The Air Canada strike doesn’t just affect passengers — as Canada’s largest airline and flag carrier, Air Canada’s reduced operations will impact the economy. For starters, the strike means thousands of jobs will be affected, as other flight and operations crew won’t be able to work either.
Investor-wise, Air Canada’s stock price dropped to its lowest since the pandemic, hitting $15.13 per share on September 10, 2024.
The bottom line
The Air Canada pilot strike will affect you if you’re scheduled to fly with them in the next few weeks, but don’t worry: you can contact Air Canada to reschedule your flight or get a refund on your ticket if it falls within the strike period. However, you will not be compensated for additional expenses resulting from rebookings or cancellations.