Air Canada suspended all operations Saturday morning after greater than 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job demanding larger pay and higher scheduling protections. The strike has upended journey plans worldwide on the peak of the summer time season.
The airline, Canada’s largest and the nation’s flag provider, estimates that with its roughly 700 each day flights suspended, some 130,000 clients shall be impacted every day the walkout continues.
It is unclear how lengthy the strike will final or when a deal may be reached. Air Canada Chief Working Officer Mark Nasr warned that even after an settlement, it might take as much as per week to totally restart operations.
Air Canada is urging affected clients to not go to the airport except they’ve a confirmed ticket on an airline aside from Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge. Flights operated by Air Canada Specific companions Jazz and PAL airways aren’t impacted.
Passengers whose flights are canceled shall be notified. Right here’s what vacationers have to know:
Request a refund or credit score
Clients who booked an Air Canada flight on or earlier than Aug. 15 for journey on Saturday or Sunday can cancel for a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket, no matter fare kind, by means of the corporate’s web site or cellular app.
Vacationers may additionally go for a journey credit score to make use of towards a future Air Canada reserving.
For different journey dates, refundable ticket holders can request a full refund with no charges. Nonrefundable fares might be transformed into credit score for future journey.
Air Canada can rebook your flight
For those who forgo a refund, Air Canada mentioned it would try and rebook you, together with with different carriers.
However the airline — which serves greater than 180 airports in Canada, the USA and on six continents — warned that seats are extraordinarily restricted in the course of the peak summer time season.
“Obtainable capability on our airline and on different carriers is restricted because of the summer time journey peak, which means the potential for rebooking you inside a suitable timeframe is low,” Air Canada mentioned in a information launch on Saturday.
Passengers can even rebook their flights for dates between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12 at no further price.
Affect on different airways
Air Canada is a member of the Star Alliance community, which incorporates 26 member airways comparable to United and Lufthansa. This implies vacationers on companion airways working Air Canada flights could possibly be affected.
United Airways mentioned in an announcement that it’s “working with clients to get them to their locations and have issued a journey waiver to verify they’ve the flexibleness to handle their journey plans.”
Airport and company response
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey mentioned that it’s “totally ready to help vacationers and assist decrease disruptions.”
“Airport workers shall be on-site to help passengers, and we’re working intently with Air Canada and our terminal companions to make sure obligatory sources are in place,” the company mentioned in an announcement forward of the strike.
The Port Authority suggested that vacationers examine their flight standing straight with Air Canada earlier than heading to the airport and permit additional time for journey.
The U.S. Division of Transportation didn’t challenge an official assertion on Air Canada’s suspended operations and didn’t instantly return a request for remark.
The Related Press contributed.
