What a possible Air Canada flight attendant strike could mean for travellers

CTV News

4 days ago

A person watches as an Air Canada plane lands at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on Sept. 13, 2024. (Christinne Muschi / The Canadian Press)
With a possible strike by Air Canada flight attendants delaying or cancelling flights next month, a travel expert is advising Canadians to be 'proactive' and have a backup plan.
'My biggest tip for travellers … be as proactive as possible,' Jennifer Weatherhead, a Toronto-based travel expert and founder travelandstyle.ca, said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca during her trip to Panglao Island in the Philippines. 'Flexibility is the best currency when it comes to travel in general.'
Air Canada's flight attendants earlier this week started voting on whether to give their union the power to call a strike.
The strike mandate vote runs until Aug. 5 and comes after contract talks between the airline and the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) ended without a deal.
The union, representing more than 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, said the vote is needed to push for a fair agreement after months of negotiations. If no collective agreement is reached, the union said a strike could happen as early as Aug. 16. Bargaining is expected to resume at the end of next week regardless of the outcome of the vote, it added.
'Always have a backup plan'
As the union gets ready to resume talks with Air Canada, Weatherhead advises passengers to start planning for a possible strike, such as booking a flight, rental car and hotel that can be cancelled at the last minute.
'I would always have a backup plan when you hear of these things potentially happening,' she said. 'Try to book something that you could cancel, so that way, if the strike doesn't happen, then you can just cancel that other flight and stick with your original one.'
It's also worth paying extra for a refundable ticket, she added.
'I know it's a bit more money upfront, but if you book one of the lowest fare tickets, chances are you're not going to be able to make any changes without a fee.'
The cheapest airfares may not have refunds, won't allow passengers to pick their seats in advance and may require them to pay for carry-on luggage, she added.
Weatherhead said travellers should consider switching their dates of travel once they hear of a potential disruption, and to review their travel insurance to see if a disruption like a strike is covered.
Airlines sometimes alert customers about a disruption and allow them to change their flight at no extra charge, Weatherhead said.
'I would jump on that as soon as possible because that will give you the best options and you won't be stuck scrambling at the last minute,' she said.
What if your flight is cancelled?
Gabor Lukacs, president of the non-profit advocacy group Air Passenger Rights, said options that require more expenses, such as buying refundable tickets on a different airline as a backup, may work for those who can afford it and whose travel is 'time sensitive.' But Lukacs added that the threat of a strike shouldn't affect passengers.
'I would urge passengers to not buy into the idea that the strike will happen, not to make adjustments to their plans, just to wait until the airline cancels your flight and then deal with it,' Lukacs said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca from Halifax on Thursday.
He added that Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) apply once the airline cancels the flight.
'If you cancel the flight, then you are at the airline's mercy,' he said.
It may be best to stick to your travel plans, even if the airline offers to change a flight for free, Lukacs added, because the airline will not reimburse you for any expenses you incur when you pre-emptively adjust your flight plans or travel plans.
For cancellations that are within the airline's control, Lukacs said the airline is responsible for meals, accommodation and a lump sum compensation up to $1,000 per passenger based on the length of the delay.
Once the strike officially happens, the airline doesn't owe passengers any lump sum compensation under the APPR, although passengers travelling internationally may seek reimbursement for their expenses under the Montreal Convention, he said.
Similar rules apply if a flight is delayed by at least three hours, he added.
What are flight attendants asking for?
Since 2000, the union representing flight attendants says entry-level wages have only risen 10 per cent, or $3 per hour, while inflation has increased 169 per cent.
The union is also pushing for flight attendants to be paid for all time spent at work, not just when the plane's doors are closed and the aircraft is moving.
'Our members are currently unpaid while they perform critical safety-related duties, including boarding and deplaning aircraft, assisting passengers with special needs, and attending to medical or safety emergencies,' Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada component of CUPE, said in the emailed statement to CTVNews.ca on Wednesday, adding some members need second or third jobs to make ends meet.
In a statement published on Air Canada's website on July 25, the airline said the vote is a normal part of labour talks and 'does not mean that any disruption will take place.'
It also said it aims to reach a fair deal that supports flight attendants and helps the airline grow.
'Air Canada is committed to the bargaining process and remains fully available to continue negotiations towards a fair and equitable collective agreement with CUPE that recognizes the contributions of its Flight Attendants and supports the competitiveness and long-term growth of the company,' the statement reads.
What's happening with negotiations?
The union expects a 'very high majority' of its members to approve a strike mandate next week, Lesosky told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview from 100 Mile House, B.C., on Friday.
The strike would be a 'last resort' if the union and Air Canada fail to reach a deal, Lesosky added.
'Nobody wants to strike,' he said. 'The goal is to come to an agreement … I think the best deal will be one met through the bargaining table.'
Lesosky said he is 'hopeful' a strike won't happen but 'there's big issues that need to be resolved.' He said wages, unpaid work and pensions are sticking points.