Edmonton passengers being impacted by Air Canada flight cancellations
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Ottawa Citizen
an hour ago
- Ottawa Citizen
I was flying back to Ottawa on Air Canada, then my flight got cancelled
What was originally supposed to be a layover in Calgary turned out to be more than I bargained for. Article content I joined the hundreds of other Air Canada passengers in the waiting area when the gate agent announced that we would start boarding in a few minutes. Unfortunately, they were still waiting for flight attendants to arrive. Article content Article content I was already anxious. When I checked in for my first flight early Thursday morning, I was warned that my flights were 'at risk' of cancellation due to labour disruptions. My first two — Portland to Vancouver, then Vancouver to Calgary — took off without any problems, so I was still holding out hope I would make it back home to Ottawa. Article content Article content But AC356, my next — and supposedly final — flight had already been delayed twice. According to the Air Canada app on my phone, it was due to 'airport limitations on an earlier flight,' which caused the scheduled aircraft to arrive late. Article content Article content Minutes passed. Several Air Canada flights started getting delayed one by one on the big TV screen above me. I watched the gate agents pace back and forth in front of the gate. One was on the phone, her brows furrowed. Article content A couple sitting in front of me started questioning whether they would be able to see their family in Ottawa. Beside me, an older woman kept refreshing the Air Canada app on her phone, anxious for an update. She told me she just wanted to go home. Article content 'We're very sorry, AC356 to Ottawa (YOW) was cancelled because a labour disruption is impacting our operations,' the message read. 'We're doing our best to get you on your way. We're looking for rebooking options on over 120 airlines, which may take some time.' Article content Article content 'We're very sorry, but after searching for flights on over 120 airlines for three days before and after your cancelled flight, we've been unable to rebook you,' it read. Article content Article content Over 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants walked off the job on Saturday after contract talks between the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the airline came to a grinding halt. Wages and ground pay — which pays flight attendants for the work they do while the plane is grounded — were the two biggest issues that prevented both sides from reaching a deal. Article content Air Canada responded to CUPE's 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday by saying it would lock out the flight attendants and start winding down operations on Thursday with a full halt by Saturday. By Saturday afternoon, Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu ordered an end to the job action, sending the two sides to binding arbitration under the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Air Canada passengers should avoid YVR unless they've booked another airline
Air Canada passengers are being asked to avoid Vancouver International Airport unless they have a confirmed booking on a different airline. Air Canada mainline operations were suspended at 9:58 p.m. Friday after the airline and CUPE, the union representing Air Canada flight attendants, failed to reach an agreement this week. In a statement Saturday, YVR said Air Canada passengers should not come to the airport unless they have a confirmed itinerary with another airline. Travellers are asked to check their flight status and rebooking options at before coming to the airport. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Air Canada Jazz and Air Canada Express flights are not affected, and passengers travelling with other airlines are also not impacted by the suspension of their operations. YVR says it has increased terminal staffing to assist travellers. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu is holding a news conference on Parliament Hill today to provide Canadians with an update on the Air Canada flight attendant strike. On Friday, Hajdu urged the airline company and the union representing its flight attendants to get back to the negotiating table. The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents around 10,000 flight attendants, has said its main sticking points revolve around wages that have been outpaced by inflation during the course of its previous 10-year contract, along with unpaid labour when planes aren't in the air. Its members voted 99.7 per cent in favour of a strike mandate last week. Talks later resumed before the two sides reached an impasse Tuesday. The airline began a gradual suspension of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations Thursday, with a full pause planned for Saturday. Passengers around the world are feeling the effect already because of the strike. Keelin Pringnitz and her family, from Ottawa, were returning from a European vacation, but were left stranded after flights were cancelled. 'It was an end of my maternity leave kind of trip. We went to the Faroe Islands in Norway, travelling through Air Canada to London,' Pringnitz told The Canadian Press from London's Heathrow Airport. She and her family were working to find an alternative route home More to come … With files from The Canadian Press
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Air Canada flight attendants on strike
Vancouver Watch More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants are officially on strike, resulting in mass flight disruptions in Vancouver and beyond.
