Air Canada Flight Attendant Strike: Your Rights, Compensation, and Travel Insurance
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Air Canada is continuing to resume operations and expects to restore nearly its entire network by August 22, 2025. To accommodate travellers affected by disruptions that occurred between August 15 and 23, the airline has expanded its goodwill policy. In addition to the flexible booking policy already in place, Air Canada will now cover reasonable additional costs related to travel interruption, such as accommodation, meals, ground transportation, and other essential expenses incurred by customers and their companions, upon presentation of receipts. Refunds will be processed as quickly as possible, although the delay may be four to six weeks due to the high volume.
The special policy is in addition to the option to change, free of charge, any booking originally scheduled between August 15 and 18, 2025 (tickets purchased no later than August 13), to postpone travel to between August 21 and September 12, 2025. For those whose flight was cancelled and who could not be rebooked quickly, Air Canada will also cover transportation costs incurred with other airlines, rail, sea, or coach carriers, provided the alternatives were booked at a reasonable fare and in an equivalent or lower cabin.
In the event of a cancellation, Air Canada commits to finding a solution on the next available flight, relying on its partner network. However, the peak summer season limits seat availability. For customers who wish to cancel as a precaution, travel credits remain usable, but a full refund is only available if the flight is cancelled by Air Canada. This policy applies only to flights operated by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge.
While strikes are (rather) common in Europe, an Air Canada flight attendant strike or lockout is threatening Canadian passengers, and we may not be very familiar with our rights in the event of a strike.
First, you should know that a flight attendant strike is considered outside an airline’s control, but customers shouldn’t have to pay for a conflict between the airline and its employees’ unions. As a result, you are entitled to a refund if your flight is cancelled, or to have your itinerary completed, but your rights and compensation vary depending on your itinerary.
While we’re hearing about a possible Air Canada flight attendant strike, the following also applies to other carriers in the country.
Flight attendant strike – When travelling within Canada
Flight attendant strikes are considered by the Canadian Transportation Agency to be « outside the carrier’s control » for flights departing from and arriving in Canada. Therefore, under the APPR regulations, in the event of a flight attendant strike, you would be entitled to:
- A new booking at no cost on another flight, even if it’s with a competitor.
- A full refund of any unused portion of the flight, in the original form of payment, if you decide not to travel anymore.
Flight attendant strike – When travelling internationally from Canada
If a flight attendant strike affects you, according to the Canadian Transportation Agency, you can expect the airline to ensure:
- That your itinerary is completed
- Or that you are provided a refund
Flight attendant strike – Departing from the European Union
If you booked a flight departing from a European Union airport to Canada and the airline cancels it due to a flight attendant strike, the airline should comply with all of the following, in accordance with EU261/2004 law, since it would be considered to be under the airline’s control:
- Offer a new flight to your destination or a return to your point of origin.
- Offer cash compensation of 400 euros if the disruption delayed you by less than 4 hours, and 600 euros if it was longer.
- Offer a full refund if you decide to return to your point of origin.
- Provide meals, accommodation, ground transportation, etc.
Flight attendant strike – Travel insurance and coverage
Although the Montreal Convention and EU 261 laws cover basic expenses such as meals and accommodation for itineraries within Canada, you may be out of luck since a flight attendant strike is not under the airline’s control according to the CTA. You’ll need to turn to your travel insurance; read your certificate carefully and you may find passages like this one from the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card:
Flight/trip delay insurance provides coverage to reimburse reasonable meal and accommodation expenses in the event of a delay for a valid reason (e.g., extreme weather conditions, an unexpected equipment failure, a strike or other labour action, etc.) and reasonable ground transportation expenses.
Even if laws protect your flights, it’s not useless to have additional insurance, just in case—especially since some credit cardholders benefit from excellent coverage. It’s important to remember that airline compensation is not the same thing as insurance.
If a flight attendant strike can affect your trip, many other things can happen too, and regulations don’t always cover them. For example, you could break a leg a week before your long-awaited trip to Patagonia, or your son’s appendix could burst the day before you leave for your all-inclusive vacation.
Since we can assume most people book their trips with a credit card these days, you need to make sure you’re using the right card. We often get questions in our community about which card will offer the best return on travel purchases, but insurance shouldn’t be overlooked.
If you want to make the most of it, you can apply for a new credit card with excellent insurance and unlock a fantastic bonus with your trip spending! The following cards offer generous bonuses and excellent travel insurance:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $799 | |||
| $399 | |||
| $0 | |||
| $150 |
Conclusion
Employees in all sectors have the right to demand pay raises and better working conditions; a flight attendant strike is therefore not surprising. As we’ve seen in recent months, the tourism industry has changed: there’s a staff shortage everywhere and demand keeps rising, which means more work and stress for those who remain on the job. Ground staff could also go on strike—who knows?
Thanks to legislation and appropriate travel insurance, you may at least be able to be compensated if you face a flight attendant strike in the coming months.
Finally, if you want to benefit from your credit card insurance, make sure it remains open and active during your trip and throughout the entire duration of your claim process!
