The True Post(Web News)Air Canada passengers are facing difficulties as the airline has announced the cancellation of flights during the busy summer travel season. The move comes amid an ongoing labor dispute between the company and its flight attendants.
On Wednesday, the company said that in the coming days, it will gradually suspend flights operated by both Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge.
The situation arose after the flight attendants’ union issued a strike notice, prompting the company to respond with a lockout notice.
Travelers to and from Alberta are now worried about what will happen in the coming days.
Passenger David Corcoran said, “It’s an uncertain situation. We don’t know what will happen on Saturday. I’m not sure whether I should book another flight in advance or wait until the weekend.”
According to Air Canada, the first round of cancellations will begin on Thursday, with more expected on Friday.
Passenger Colin Dickie shared, “I have a flight on Tuesday, but I have no idea what’s going to happen. After that, I have three more Air Canada flights next week, and I’m not sure about them either.”
Some travel agencies in the province say they are receiving a large number of calls from worried travelers.
Zubair Siddiqui from Airline Ticket Centre said, “In just a few hours, we received around 30 to 35 calls.”
Air Canada has stated that passengers whose flights are canceled will be notified and given a full refund.
However, for passengers whose flights are connected to other transportation, such as cruises, a simple refund might not solve the problem.
Will McAleer, Executive Director of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada, explained:
“Individual trip cancellation insurance can help with missed connections, so that if you can’t travel, you can at least recover some of your money.”
Other airlines have also commented on the situation. Porter Airlines reported an increase in bookings in the near term, possibly linked to the “uncertainty in travel.” WestJet and Flair Airlines said they are closely monitoring developments.
Last week, Air Canada flight attendants voted 99.7% in favor of strike action, which will remain valid for 60 days.
The union says its main issues include “poverty-level wages” and unpaid time when the aircraft is not in the air.
Air Canada, a part of CUPE, and the airline have been in contract negotiations since the start of this year. After the mediation process failed, the decision to strike was made.
