New compensation rules for flight delays, cancellations

[tjthemanto]

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5395120

Passengers delayed more than 9 hours will get $1,000 in compensation.

$400 for delays between three and six hours

[tjthemanto]

How does it work?
Does it apply only to Canadian airlines?
Does it only apply to flights originating in and out of Canada?

So if I take an American Airlines or British Airways flight from Toronto to London, am I covered? Or does it have to be Air Canada or WestJet or something?

What about a Air Canada flight from New York to Orlando? Am I covered? Airline is Canadian but flight originates & ends in US.

Too confusing - different countries, different airports, different airlines, different jurisdictions!

[Ciel]

Airlines will have to start providing food and drink and means of communication, like free Wi-Fi after a two-hour delay. If the delay is overnight, the airlines are on the hook to pay passengers' hotel or other comparable accommodations.The airline also has to ensure passengers reach their final destination.

The new rules also stipulate that airlines have to, at no extra cost, help seat children under age 14 near their parent, guardian or tutor.
The regulations define situations outside the airline control as war or political instability, sabotage, weather, security threats, medical emergencies and labour disruptions.

I did see Gabor Lukacs comment that the rules don't really change the situation for air travellers.

I don't see mention of bathroom access at all, an issue that is big for those stuck in a plane on tarmac in different kinds of weather.

September 2019 story about how difficult it was to get compensation-the airline treats a change as one kind of situation, while customers understood it as another. Battle of words to exclude compensation claims? https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/wes...ions-1.5287307

[Ciel]

From https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/air-passen...ons-highlights

Application

To ensure robust passenger protection, the regulations apply to all flights to, from, and within Canada. This includes connecting flights.The regulations also apply to both large and small airlines. However, different requirements for compensation and rebooking apply to small airlines, given their unique operating circumstances. Large airlines are those that have transported at least two million passengers in each of the two preceding years. All other airlines are considered to be small.
The vast majority of passenger flights to, from and within Canada are operated by large airlines. Small airlines offer important services to remote, regional and northern areas of Canada, as well as low-cost services.

[tjthemanto]

I think if there are technical difficulties or things beyond the airlines control, passengers won't be covered.

Most genuine cases will be now disguised or lied to as technical or safety issues or weather related issues or airport issues, and not really an airline issue to avoid compensation!I

Kind of hard for passengers to prove what really caused the delay and pretty much you have to believe the airline.

They can say, Oh some minor medical issue took place with the staff, hence the delay.

I think most delays are caused by under staffing and over booking by airlines to maximize their profits at passengers cost.

Even airports are notorious for under staffing counters.

The power tripping CBSA people are not much different either. Once I saw 4 CBSA guys giggling and laughing during their work shift, leaving their counters unmanned, while a line of more than 200-300 people had built up. Some had connecting flights to catch.

These guys had absolutely no concern or care for old people standing in line, mothers with babies in their arms - they were busy chilling & relaxing & cracking jokes in a huddle totally ignoring all the passengers.

[tjthemanto]

So my friend is flying from Dubai to London to Canada on Emirates airlines.

His flight & connecting flights have been delayed for at least 36 hours due to torrential rains in Dubai & airport being flooded.

Is he entitled to a compensation?

Or because it is natural cause and/or foreign airlines, he will get nothing.

He will miss lot of things in Canada due to that. Was supposed to land in Canada on Sunday and start work on Monday. But now won land till at least Tuesday!

So will miss couple of days of work. Plus now more tired and jet lagged than before. So maybe can't go to work on Wednesday either!

[lizzie bargain]

I don't think he will get anything as weather related delays are not covered. We just applied for compensation for our daughter after a 16+ hr delay last week and they said it was a security issue? I don't really know so have passed it onto the feds for their read on it.

[Ciel]

So my friend is flying from Dubai to London to Canada on Emirates airlines.

His flight & connecting flights have been delayed for at least 36 hours due to torrential rains in Dubai & airport being flooded.

Is he entitled to a compensation?

Or because it is natural cause and/or foreign airlines, he will get nothing.

He will miss lot of things in Canada due to that. Was supposed to land in Canada on Sunday and start work on Monday. But now won land till at least Tuesday!

So will miss couple of days of work. Plus now more tired and jet lagged than before. So maybe can't go to work on Wednesday either!

Hope your friend had some kind of lounge membership and put it to use if there was disembarking and allowance to get back into the secured part of the airport. But if the passengers were stuck on-board or in an in-transit area without access to restaurants or services in the secured area, he'd best be using social media channels to raise some awareness of his situation.

[Shwa Girl]

I don't think he will get anything as weather related delays are not covered. We just applied for compensation for our daughter after a 16+ hr delay last week and they said it was a security issue? I don't really know so have passed it onto the feds for their read on it.

We were flying just after this rule started. They closed the whole airport. The airline put us in a 'hotel' overnight and gave us a $40 food voucher. We flew the next afternoon when they were able to clear backlogs and runways. Worked out to about $300 US.