How to claim flight delay compensation from Air Canada?
After a flight delay with Air Canada, you have a few alternatives for getting your compensation.
You can contact Air Canada’s helpful customer support staff by email or phone. This path is particularly challenging since it is long and convoluted.
Air Canada’s average claim processing time in 2018 was 65 days. It took them a full quarter of a year in 2019.
Air Canada has a history of trying to get out of paying for delays and cancellations by providing flimsy excuses.
Air Canada Flight Delay Compensation
When may I receive a payment if an Air Canada flight is delayed?
You are legally entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed by more than three hours. Both European Union and Canadian laws are relevant here. If your Air Canada flight leaves from an airport in the European Union, the rules of the EU will also apply to you.
The cause of the delay must be beyond the control of the airline. If the delay was due to something out of the ordinary, like:
For instance, inclement weather, security issues, medical emergencies, and safety concerns.
Airline companies can typically be held responsible for delays. They will either have too few workers on hand, force flight cancellations, or perform routine maintenance at inopportune times. Because of the trouble, this causes, they should compensate you monetarily.
Please be aware that claims cannot be submitted for flights delayed more than a year ago. The statute of limitations for filing a claim for flight delay compensation is one year.
How much may I be compensated for my Air Canada flight’s delay?
When calculating compensation for a delayed flight, several criteria must be considered. As a first consideration, the answer will change based on whether or not your claim is being filed under the updated Canadian air regulations or the older EC261 regulation.
Since most Air Canada flights are over 3,500 kilometers long, passengers whose flights were delayed or canceled and originated at an EU airport will receive compensation of €600. There will be a 50% reduction to €300 if the delay lasts between 3 and 4 hours.
Air Canada flights not departing from an airport in the European Union fall under Canadian law.
You will receive compensation proportional to the length of the delay.
Three to six hours for 400 Canadian dollars.
For 6-9 hours, the cost is $700 Canadian. is
9+ hours is $1000.
The time you’ll be late to your destination is determined by when you get there. They will keep track of how many hours you were delayed from the scheduled arrival time.
Can I obtain a refund if my Air Canada flight is delayed?
Flight delay reimbursement is possible, yes. Suppose your replacement flight is more than three hours later than your initial flight. In addition to a refund for your ticket, you should also be compensated for the trouble the delay caused.
If Air Canada cancels my flight, what happens?
The terrible news that your Air Canada flight has been canceled has finally reached you.
So, what happens next?
To start, Air Canada needs to provide you with the option to change your flight or get a full refund. You get to decide which of these two choices suits you best. Even though Air Canada will immediately rebook you, you are under no obligation to accept their new flight selections. Instead, you have every right to demand a full refund on your ticket purchase.
Contact an Air Canada representative if your flight is canceled at the airport.
You are also entitled to financial compensation if your rescheduled flight is expected to arrive more than three hours after the original arrival time. If your flight gets canceled and you want to file a compensation claim, you can do so via ClaimCompass. If your flight was delayed by more than 3 hours and you decide to take the other flight, you are still entitled to compensation.
When am I eligible for a canceled flight compensation from Air Canada?
You might be eligible for compensation if you were advised of the flight cancellation fewer than 14 days before your scheduled departure. If you canceled your ticket or were advised of the cancellation more than 14 days in advance, you will not be entitled to a refund.
You are eligible for compensation if your arrival time is more than three hours later than planned.
If you choose not to take Air Canada up on their offer of a rerouted flight, you can still file a compensation claim. They owe you $400 in addition to the price of the ticket that was refunded to you.
How much can I get in compensation for my canceled Air Canada flight?
It will depend on how long the delay was and how big the airline is to determine how much compensation you will receive. According to this definition, Air Canada qualifies as a major carrier.
What you are entitled to be as follows:
To be late by three to six hours: CAD 400
Get there six to nine hours later than expected: CAD 700
If you’re going to be more than nine hours late: CAD 1000
The delay duration is determined by the difference between your actual arrival time and the scheduled departure time. If you were supposed to land in Los Angeles at 2 p.m. on a flight from Toronto and didn’t arrive until 6 p.m., you would be compensated CAD 400.
If your flight originated at an airport in the European Union, you have the option of filing a compensation claim following EU Regulation 261/2004.
If your flight is canceled, you may be eligible for compensation based on the duration of your trip and the time you are delayed arriving at your destination compared to when your original flight was scheduled to arrive.
You will be eligible for reimbursement if your rescheduled flight is more than three hours late.
Here’s what you’re entitled to if your flight fits the criteria:
The base fare for flights under 1,500 kilometers is 250 Euros.
International flights beyond 1,500 kilometers and domestic flights within the same municipality cost 400 euros.
Over a 3,500-mile flight will cost 600 euros.
Remember that if your flight is more than 3,500 kilometers long but is delayed by less than 4 hours, you will only be eligible for half of the amount (€300).
What happens when Air Canada overbooks a flight?
When an Air Canada flight is oversold, the customer service representatives will first ask volunteers to give up their seats.
It is strongly advised that you do not voluntarily give up your seat, as doing so will result in the forfeiture of any compensation you might have been entitled to.
You will be paid if you were involuntarily denied boarding due to an oversold flight.
How much can Air Canada compensate me for being denied boarding?
You are entitled to €600 in denied boarding compensation for an Air Canada trip that departs from an EU airport and has a travel distance greater than 3,500 kilometers.
If your new flight arrives between three and four hours after your original one, you will only have to pay €300 instead of €600.
When it comes to compensation, Canadian law takes a slightly different approach.
If a passenger is denied boarding for no apparent reason, they are entitled to the following monetary damages:
If travelers are more than six hours late, a $900 fee will be assessed.
If the passenger is more than six hours late, they will be charged CAD 1,800.
If the passenger is more than nine hours late, they will be charged CAD 2,400.
Please be aware that if your Air Canada flight originated from a European Union airport, you would need to decide whether you will file your claim under the old European Union rules or the new Canadian rules. You can’t work for both of them and get paid.
Are the taxes, fees, and other costs I paid for my ticket refundable?
Based on the following, some taxes, fees, and charges are refundable:
- Your choice of refundable or non-refundable tickets
- Whether the ticket was utilized completely or in part
- laws of the nation where the ticket was purchased and/or the nation of departure
Examples of tickets that were never used at all:
| Taxes, fees, and additional charges | Refundable ticket | Non-refundable ticket |
| CA– Air Travellers Security Charge – Canada | Refundable, within 24 months of ticket issuance if no Canadian departure has occurred
The following taxes are also refundable if they were applied to the Air Travellers Security Charge:
|
Refundable, within 24 months of ticket issuance if no Canadian departure has occurred.
The following taxes are also refundable if they were applied to the Air Travellers Security Charge:
|
| Notwithstanding, the refundability rules mentioned above, Air Canada will exceptionally refund the Air Travellers Security Charge outside the 24 months limitation for eligible tickets only (ticket with travel dates on or after February 1, 2020 and purchased before April 13, 2021). | ||
| SQ – Airport Improvement Fee – Canada | Refundable
The following taxes are also refundable if they were applied to the Airport Improvement Fee:
|
Refundable
The following taxes are also refundable if they were applied to the Airport Improvement Fee:
|
| RC – Harmonized Sales Tax – Canada | Refundable | Refundable only if they were applied to the Air Travellers Security Charge (CA) and Airport Improvement Fee (SQ), and the CA and SQ are refunded. |
| XG – Goods and Services Tax – Canada | Refundable | Refundable only if they were applied to the Air Travellers Security Charge (CA) and Airport Improvement Fee (SQ), and the CA and SQ are refunded. |
| XQ – Quebec Sales Tax – Canada | Refundable | Refundable only if they were applied to the Air Travellers Security Charge (CA) and Airport Improvement Fee (SQ), and the CA and SQ are refunded. |
| US – Transportation Tax – U.S | Refundable | Non-refundable |
| XF – Passenger Facility Charge – U.S. | Refundable | Non-refundable |
| ZP – Flight Segment Tax – U.S | Refundable | Non-refundable |
| AY – Passenger Security Fee – U.S. | Refundable | Refundable |
| XY – Immigration Fee – U.S | Refundable | Refundable |
| YC – Customs Fee – U.S. | Refundable | Refundable |
| XA – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) User Fee – U.S. | Refundable | Refundable |
| FR – Civil Aviation Tax – France | Refundable | Refundable |
| O4 – Air Passenger Solidarity Tax Surplus – France | Refundable | Refundable |
| QW – Passenger Service Charge (domestic flights) – France | Refundable | Refundable |
| QX – Passenger Service Charge (international flights) – France | Refundable | Refundable |
| IZ – Solidarity Tax – France | Refundable | Refundable |
How Much Flight Compensation for Air Canada?
| Distance | Compensation |
| All flights under 1,500 km | Up to €250 per person |
| Internal EU flights over 1,500 km | Up to €400 per person |
| Non-internal EU flights between 1,500 – 3,500 km | Up to €400 per person |
| Non-internal EU flights over 3,500 km | Up to €600 per person |
FAQS
Will Air Canada give me my money back?
Where do I send my money back to? If you paid by credit card, Air Canada will put the refund back on that card. Contact the bank immediately if your new credit card is issued by the same company; the funds may have been transferred there already.
Can I claim a refund and compensation for a delayed flight?
If both of the following apply and the airline is at fault for the cancellation, you have a right to financial compensation: Because of the reroute, your arrival time has been pushed back by at least two hours. We regret to inform you that due to the cancellation of your flight fewer than 14 days before to departure.
How much does an airline have to compensate you?
If your checked bag is delayed, damaged, or lost on a domestic flight in the United States, the airline will only be responsible for up to $3,500 (indexed every two years for inflation).
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