Booked to fly Air Canada? Massive flight attendants' strike could wreck your plans - is yours on the list?
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If you've got an Air Canada flight coming up, you might want to pay close attention. Starting Thursday, Air Canada will begin cancelling flights ahead of a possible strike by over 10,000 flight attendants set to start this weekend, as per a report. This could disrupt travel plans for as many as 130,000 passengers a day, according to the CBC report.
Air Canada Begins Canceling Flights Ahead of Possible Strike
The airline is planning a slow shutdown of flights beginning Thursday, with cancellations increasing Friday, and a complete cessation of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights by the weekend, as per the report. While Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz and PAL Airlines are expected to continue operating as usual, reported CBC.
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Air Canada's Flight Attendants Strike Notice Issued After Negotiations Hit Impasse
The strike comes after months of negotiations, which led the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) to give the carrier a requisite 72-hour strike notice overnight as the two sides reached an "impasse" in negotiations on Tuesday, as reported by CBC.
The two sides have been stuck over wages and working conditions, with Air Canada offering a 38% increase in overall compensation, an offer the union says doesn't keep up with inflation, as per the CBC report.
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Strike and Lockout Set to Begin Early Saturday Morning
According to the report, Air Canada flight staff can walk off the job as early as Saturday at 12:58 a.m. ET.
The airline has responded to CUPE's strike action with a lockout starting at 1:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, as per the CBC report.
Air Canada Expresses Regret Over Travel Disruptions
Air Canada chief executive Michael Rousseau said "We regret the impact a disruption will have on our customers, our stakeholders and the communities we serve," as quoted in the report.
President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE, Wesley Lesosky said, "We do hope that Air Canada will come to some form of rationale and show up at the table and truly engage us in bargaining the final pieces of this,"as quoted by the CBC report.
While Air Canada's vice-president of corporate communications, Christophe Hennebelles pointed out that "there's a huge gap still between the union's request and what we can offer," adding, "We've offered an increase of more than 38 per cent on global compensation — and that's been turned down by the union. So time is running short," as quoted in the report.
The airline's latest move of flight cancellation comes after CUPE had declined a proposal by Air Canada to resolve the talks through binding interest arbitration on Tuesday, and that both the union and the airline were back to reviewing each others' proposals at that time, as reported by CBC. That review process went on past midnight on Tuesday, but resulted in the union serving the strike notice almost an hour later, according to the report.
Airline Offers Flight Changes and Refunds
However, Air Canada has said that any passenger who has booked to travel between August 15 and August 18 can change their flight if desired, but only if their ticket was purchased no later than August 13, reported CBC. The airline also said that it would allow these passengers to change their flights for free to another date between August 21 and September 12, according to the report.
Air Canada wrote on its website, "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," adding, "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," as quoted by CBC.
FAQs
Will my flight be canceled because of the strike?
If you're flying Air Canada between August 15 and 18, there's a high chance your flight could be affected as cancellations start Thursday and increase over the weekend, as per the CBC report.
Can I change my flight if it's canceled?
Yes, if your ticket was purchased by August 13 and you're traveling between August 15 and 18, you can change your flight for free or get a refund, as per the CBC report.
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Air Canada cancels flights ahead of work stoppage affecting thousands
The union representing about 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants issued a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday, prompting the airline to issue a lockout notice AP Toronto Air Canada started cancelling flights on Thursday ahead of a possible work stoppage by flight attendants that could impact hundreds of thousands of travellers. A complete shutdown of the country's largest airline threatens to impact about 130,000 people a day. The union representing around 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants issued a 72-hour strike notice Wednesday. In response, the airline issued a lockout notice. Mark Nasr, Chief Operations Officer for Air Canada, said the airline has begun a gradual suspension of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations. All flights will be paused by Saturday early morning, he said. Nasr said this approach will help facilitate an orderly restart which under the best circumstances will take a full week to complete. He said a first set of cancellations involving several dozen flights will impact long-haul overseas flights that were due to depart Thursday night. By tomorrow evening we expect to have cancelled flights affecting over 100,000 customers, Nasr said. By the time we get to 1 am on Saturday morning we will be completely grounded. He said a grounding will affect 25,000 Canadians a day abroad who may become stranded. They expect 500 flights to be cancelled by the end of Friday. He said customers whose flights are cancelled will be eligible for a full refund, and it has also made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide alternative travel options to the extent possible. Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, head of human resources for Air Canada, said their latest offer includes a 38 per cent increase in total compensation including benefits and pensions over four years. The union has said its main sticking points revolve around what it calls flight attendants' poverty wages and unpaid labour when planes aren't in the air. Some flight attendants at the airline's news conference on Thursday held up signs that read Unpaid work won't fly and Poverty wages = UnCanadian. Natasha Stea, who represents flight attendants in Montreal for the union, said she thinks the airline is counting on the government to intervene. Stea said they want a fair and equitable contract. There is still time. I'm sure if we sat down and talked we could actually get to an agreement, she said. The union rejected a proposal from the airline to enter a binding arbitration process, saying it prefers to negotiate a deal that its members can then vote on. Meloul-Wechsler said they've hit an impasse but are still available for talks and consensual arbitration. She said that if a deal isn't reached, the resulting very serious disruptions would prompt the company to consider asking for government intervention. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said she asked the union to respond to the airline's request for arbitration. She urged both sides to come to an agreement independently, saying she believes deals are best made at the bargaining table.
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3 hours ago
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Air Canada executives leave after they are interrupted by Air Canada flight attendants during a press conference as a possible strike looms, in Toronto, on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo) Air Canada began canceling flights on Thursday, ahead of a possible work stoppage by flight attendants, who issued a 72-hour strike notice, potentially impacting hundreds of thousands of travelers. A complete shutdown of the country's largest airline threatens to affect approximately 1.3 lakh people daily, A. Mark Nasr, Chief Operations Officer for Air Canada, stated the airline has begun a gradual suspension of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations. 'All flights will be paused by Saturday early morning,' he said. Nasr added that this approach will help facilitate an orderly restart 'which under the best circumstances will take a full week to complete.' He mentioned that the initial set of cancellations, involving several dozen flights, will impact long-haul overseas flights scheduled to depart Thursday night. 'By tomorrow evening we expect to have cancelled flights affecting over 1 lakh customers,' Nasr said. 'By the time we get to 1 am on Saturday morning we will be completely grounded.' Nasr said the grounding will affect 25,000 Canadians daily abroad who may become stranded. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo They anticipate 500 flights to be cancelled by the end of Friday. He further stated that customers whose flights are cancelled will be eligible for a full refund, and the airline has arranged with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide alternative travel options 'to the extent possible.' The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing attendants nationwide, issued a strike notice, leading Air Canada to announce a 72-hour lockout effective August 16. According to the union, 99.7 per cent of its members supported the strike, which will suspend operations from Saturday until a labour agreement is reached. 'For the past nine months, we have put forward solid, data-driven proposals on wages and unpaid work, all rooted in fairness and industry standards,' said Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE. 'Air Canada's response to our proposals makes one thing clear: they are not interested in resolving these critical issues.' The airline stated that eight months of negotiations and an offer to go to arbitration failed to produce a deal. Some flight attendants at the airline's news conference on Thursday held up signs that read 'Unpaid work won't fly' and 'Poverty wages = UnCanadian.' Natasha Stea, who represents flight attendants in Montreal for the union, said she thinks the airline is counting on the government to intervene. Stea said they want a fair and equitable contract. 'There is still time. I'm sure if we sat down and talked we could actually get to an agreement,' she said. On August 11, it proposed a 38 per cent pay increase over four years, along with additional benefits and protections, but the union rejected the offer. What to do if your Air Canada flight is cancelled John Gradek, who heads McGill University's aviation management program, said that Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations require airlines to promptly notify passengers of cancellations—via text, voicemail, or email—and outline their options, CBC reported. Typically, Air Canada must cover the cost of rebooking passengers on another airline so they arrive within 48 hours of their original scheduled time. If that's not possible, or the alternative offered doesn't meet the passenger's needs, the airline must issue a refund for the unused ticket value. Expenses for hotels, meals, and other costs incurred while waiting must also be reimbursed—passengers should keep receipts and be prepared to submit them. Canadian North passengers should check how their booking was made: if the Air Canada leg was on a separate ticket, Air Canada is responsible for rebooking; if the journey was booked entirely through Canadian North, that carrier must arrange the replacement flight.
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