Air Canada and CUPE, the union that represents Air Canada flight attendants have not been able to come to terms on a new contract and as such the union issued a 72 hour strike notice. In response, Air Canada issued a 72 hour lockout notice which allows the airline to take actions to try to mitigate the impact on customers by suspending flights ahead of time. This news from both parties does not affect Air Canada Express flights.
Should the union go ahead with the strike it can start early in the overnight period on August 16th and running until August 18th.
Air Canada will be contacting travellers who are set to fly on those flights being proactively cancelled for refund and/or re-booking options.
Air Canada has posted the following details on their site in regards to re-booking and refunds:
If you are booked to travel between August 15 and August 18 and would like to make alternate travel arrangements, you can change your flight for free if:
- You purchased an Air Canada ticket or redeemed points for an Aeroplan flight reward no later than August 13, 2025
If you’re scheduled to travel during this period, you can retrieve your booking to change your flight, for free, to another date:
- between August 21 and September 12, 2025
If you purchased a non-refundable fare, you may cancel your itinerary and receive the value of your ticket in your AC Wallet or as a Future Travel Credit to use on your next Air Canada booking.
If your flight is cancelled, we will do our very best to rebook you on the first available flight, exploring options with over 120 international and domestic carriers. As we are in peak summer travel season, we know that space will still be very limited. If your travel is disrupted, you can always choose a refund.
You also may be able to receive compensation for travel cancellations or interruptions if you have a credit card that provides trip cancellation and/or trip interruption coverage. For example, you may get a full refund from Air Canada but that may mess up a cruise, hotel booking etc. that you may not be able to get a refund for in which case you’ll want to use your credit card coverage.
Click here for more details about this news and for Air Canada flight cancellations
