Following a change to Aeroplan re: how members earn points and elite status, Air Canada is cancelling flights as flight attendants are poised to walk off the job.
As of 12 p.m. on August 15, 2025, a total of 294 flights have been cancelled and 55,726 people impacted due to the impending strike.
Air Canada has stated that customers whose flights are cancelled can choose between a full refund, to change their travel plans without a fee.
According to a report by CTV News, passenger rights expert Gabor Lukacs advises that travelers whose Air Canada flights are cancelled should not accept a refund, as doing so could let the airline avoid its obligation to rebook passengers on another flight.
What am I entitled to if my flight is cancelled?
According to Lukacs, under the Canadian Transportation Agency’s regulations, the airline is required to cover the cost of a new ticket on another airline for passengers with already booked and paid tickets.
Even during a strike, classified as outside an airline’s control, Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations require carriers to provide a new reservation on the next available flight, including flights operated by competing airlines, to get passengers to their final destination.
Air Canada’s offer of a refund could leave customers paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars more for replacement travel.
Ticket prices are rising sharply ahead of the weekend, with a roundtrip from Toronto to Vancouver on Aug. 15–22 offered by Flair Airlines for about $1,300, compared with as little as $273 for the same route in early September.
Lukacs notes that last-minute pricing and sudden spikes in demand are driving these high fares. He emphasizes that if a cancelled flight could be replaced with a more expensive competitor flight that gets passengers home sooner, the airline is obligated to provide that option.
Passengers who purchase a replacement ticket on a competing airline because Air Canada refuses to rebook can submit the bill to Air Canada for reimbursement.
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