Air Canada offers rebooking flexibility for flights around possible pilot strike

Air Canada is offering passengers who have booked flights around the date of a possible pilot strike next month some increased flexibility in rebooking their travel.

The airline says progress has been made in its negotiations and hopes to reach a deal, but it still faces the possibility of a strike by its 5,400 pilots as early as Sept. 17.

“Air Canada’s intention remains to reach a negotiated settlement with its pilots, one that recognizes their professionalism and contributions to the airline,” Air Canada stated in a press release. “However, certainty about their travel plans is important to customers.”

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has not set a strike date, but the pilots have voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike mandate if an agreement on a new contract cannot be reached.

Under the airline’s policy, customers with tickets for travel between Sept. 15 and 23 can rebook on any other Air Canada flight with the same origin and destination up to Nov. 30 at no additional cost. Customers who want to cancel and rebook their travel after that date will have their change fees waived but will have to pay any fare difference.

Travellers with bookings during the affected period may also cancel their flight and receive a credit for future travel. 

Refunds will be available for customers with refundable tickets, but Air Canada says refunds will not be available for those with non-refundable tickets as the flights are scheduled to operate as normal.

The policy applies to all Air Canada-operated flights, including Air Canada mainline, Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz or PAL Airlines, and Air Canada Vacations.

Air Canada pilots to hold pickets at airports

The employees have been negotiating with Air Canada since June 2023, with a federal conciliator overseeing ongoing talks in Toronto hotels.

Air Canada pilots will hold “informational pickets” on Tuesday afternoon after they voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike.

Today’s pickets will be held at Vancouver’s International Airport (11 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT), Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport (2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET), Winnipeg’s International Airport (1 p.m. to 2 p.m. CT) and in Toronto at Pearson Airport’s Terminal One (2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET).

“Our goal is to reach an agreement; however, our employer continues to force us closer to a strike position by not listening to our needs at the negotiating table regarding fair compensation, respectable retirement benefits, and quality-of-life improvements,” said Charlene Hudy, chair of ALPA’s Air Canada Master Executive Council.

“After more than a year of negotiations, management must now realize that if they fail to reach an agreement, they will be responsible for us withdrawing our services.”

With files from The Canadian Press