Air Canada refunds for cancelled, postponed flights on the way: Unifor

Air Canada has agreed to refund passengers who had their flights cancelled or postponed during the pandemic, according to Unifor.

“The company (Air Canada) has agreed to Ottawa’s crucial demand to repay the many customers who weren’t reimbursed for their plane tickets,” a Unifor representative tells 680 NEWS.

When asked for comment, Air Canada did not confirm the news, a spokesperson for the airline referred to a Feb. 12, 2021 statement that indicated discussions with the federal government are ongoing.

Unifor represents airline workers at Air Canada as well as other airlines in the country and has been pushing for an aid package for the Canadian airline sector.

The issue of passenger refunds has been a key part of those talks, with Ottawa saying that any financial support is contingent on refunds.

In December, the federal government directed the Canadian Transportation Agency, which oversees issues related to passenger rights, to strengthen rules that require airlines to refund travellers for cancelled flights.

However, those rules would have only applied to future cancellations and would not be retroactive.

Consumer rights group Air Passenger Rights has estimated that as of Sept. 30, around 3.9 million air passengers including those with Air Canada have been denied a refund for flights they did not take.