Update, April 13: Air Canada announced that they will allow refunds for tickets purchased before today for travel on February 1, 2020 or later, even on flights that operated. The refund policy covers tickets or vacations that were voluntarily cancelled by passengers for any reason. You can contact your point of purchase to obtain the refund. Refunds must be requested by June 12, 2021.
Air Canada also said that going forward, flight changes of more than 3 hours or cancellations will be eligible for a refund or for conversion into Aeroplan miles with a 65% bonus. Air Canada will also allow a free change for any reason on tickets bought by May 31st.
Originally posted on April 12:
Air Canada has been one of the worst actors with COVID-19 refunds.
While other airlines were stingy, they generally paid up when a passenger filed a DOT complaint for a refund due to a flight cancelled by the airline. Air Canada on the other hand has resisted refunds even when faced with DOT complaints. The Canada Transportation Agency also punted on enforcement.
Air Canada announced today that they have come to a bailout agreement with the Government of Canada. It includes a provision saying Air Canada agrees that, “Beginning April 13, 2021, offering eligible customers who purchased non-refundable fares but did not travel due to COVID-19 since February 2020, the option of a refund to the original form of payment. In support of its travel agency partners, Air Canada will not retract agency sales commissions on refunded fares”
Air Canada also agreed to resume service to nearly all communities where service has been suspended due to COVID-19.
Those issues were used as key negotiating tools to get a government bailout, which Air Canada admitted last month:
If Air Canada cancelled a flight they will clearly provide a refund starting tomorrow, but it’s unclear what will happen if a passenger cancelled a ticket before their flight was cancelled or if the flight still operated. I’ve reached out to Air Canada for comment and will update this post if they respond.
Have you been waiting for an Air Canada refund?
HT: chff
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13 Comments On "[Refunds Available On Voluntarily Cancelled Flights] Finally! Air Canada Will Provide Refunds For Passengers Who Didn’t Travel Due To COVID-19!"
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Separate, but related, we purchased tickets from Southwest for Pesach 2020 and cancelled due to Covid. I waited to see if SW would cancel but they did not. Can we get a refund or use the funds for something other than air travel?
I cancelled an Air Canada flight last year in March and was originally told I would only get credit towards another flight or I could choose to get miles. A few weeks ago I went to claim the money and was pleasantly surprised to see there was a new option to select a refund to my original form of payment. I chose that and received the full amount back on my credit card.
Good to hear. Where in AC site did you find that option? AC cancelled my flights Aug 2020.
I looked up my reservation and after it found it the different refund options were given.
I already received a travel voucher (since they refused to refund on cancelled flight). Can that be exchanged for a refund now?
It’s worth noting that AC didn’t stubbornly refuse every refund request, I got refunds for all my clients (requested in June, via email and DOT complaint, received them in Oct)
Anyone know if AA has offered refunds?
Only on cancelled flights
No if I could only get refunds from Porter
What is the rate that they pay in aeroplan miles before the 65 percent bonus?
Purchased an AC ticket for May 2020 and cancelled in March 2020. Contacted Chase Travel (i.e. Expedia) today and (after being on hold for like an hour) they refused to do it and insisted on the travel credit. This might be an epic battle for a refund…
HUCA. My rep is doing it.
Dan do you know if AC will honor vouchers that were set to expire during the pandemic (March 2019?) Also do you know how to contact them. Their customer service is horrendous…