Air Canada strike could ground most flights this weekend. What travelers need to know
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Full refunds are available via Air Canada's website or app.
Travelers can rebook for dates between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12 at no extra cost.
Customers may be rerouted on other airlines, but immediate rebooking isn't guaranteed.
Cancellations due to a strike are considered beyond the airline's control, so food and lodging compensation won't apply.
Summer travel plans across Canada are in jeopardy as Air Canada faces a looming strike by 10,000 flight attendants, set to begin at 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday if no contract agreement is reached. The airline has warned it may cancel nearly all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights, affecting up to 130,000 passengers per day. Regional Air Canada Express flights, operated by Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines, would not be impacted.By midday Friday, Air Canada had already canceled 87 domestic and 176 international flights in a 'phased wind down' of operations. The airline expects to call off about 500 flights by Friday night and is working to rebook customers on other carriers, though availability is limited during peak summer travel. United Airlines and other Star Alliance partners are offering fee-free rebooking on certain routes.Contract talks between Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have stalled after eight months of negotiations. Key disputes include pay increases and compensation for unpaid ground duties such as boarding and deplaning. Air Canada says its latest offer included a 38% boost in total compensation over four years, but the union argues the proposed 8% raise in year one falls short given inflation.The strike's length remains uncertain. Air Canada's COO said restarting operations would take at least a week even under ideal conditions. A complete shutdown could leave tens of thousands of Canadians abroad temporarily stranded.Travelers are urged to monitor flight status closely and explore alternate carriers such as WestJet, which is adding limited extra capacity to ease the disruption.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Air Canada strike ends; pay deal and other issues that saw flights in the skies
Air Canada and its flight attendants' union, CUPE, reached a tentative agreement on Tuesday, ending a four-day strike that impacted over 500,000 passengers. The deal includes ground pay for pre-flight duties and immediate pay hikes, addressing key union demands. While the agreement awaits ratification, Air Canada cautions that restoring full service may take up to ten days. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Key terms of the tentative deal Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Ground Pay for Pre-Flight Duties: Flight attendants will now receive at least 60 minutes of ground pay before each flight, starting at 50 per cent of their hourly rate, with that rate rising 5 per cent each year. This provision ends years of unpaid work during boarding and waiting times. Immediate Pay Hikes: Staff with five years or less of service will get an immediate 12 per cent raise, while those with longer tenure will receive 8 per cent. Structured Salary Increases: Over the following years, salaries will continue to rise by 3 per cent in the second year, 2.5 per cent in the third, and 2.75 per cent in the fourth. How is it implemented elsewhere? Why flight attendants went on strike Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Escalation and government pressure Air Canada flights resumed on Tuesday, August 19 after the airline and the union representing its flight attendants reached a tentative pay agreement, ending a nearly four-day strike that disrupted travel for more than 500,000 Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents more than 10,000 flight attendants, announced the breakthrough early Tuesday, nine hours after mediated talks began. The agreement is subject to ratification by union airline has cautioned that restoring full service will take seven to ten days due to aircraft and crew being out of position. Some flights will still be cancelled until the schedule to CBC News, the agreement secures two major wins for flight attendants:As per the BBC, the deal has not been fully disclosed, although the union said it achieves "transformational change" for workers and the to the non-profit Angus Reid Institute, Air Canada flight attendants are only paid once a flight is in the air, leaving them uncompensated for boarding, safety checks, delays, and deplaning. CUPE, the union representing attendants, argues this amounts to an average of 35 hours of unpaid work per airline has proposed compensating ground duties at 50 per cent of the regular hourly rate, but the union insists on 100 per News reports that some Canadian carriers, like Porter Airlines and Pascan Aviation, already compensate flight attendants for boarding duties or pay full salary for ground the US, Delta introduced boarding pay in 2022, while recent labour agreements at American Airlines and Alaska Airlines require payment to begin at boarding. United Airlines crews are pushing for similar provisions after rejecting a tentative strike began on Saturday, August 16, after CUPE rejected Air Canada's initial contract offer, which the union said was 'below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage.'The airline's proposal did not address unpaid hours, leaving attendants uncompensated for several tasks outside their flying than 10,000 staff walked out, grounding hundreds of flights and stranding passengers across Canada and internationally. Air Canada typically operates around 700 flights a dispute escalated when the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ruled the strike 'unlawful'. CUPE refused, accusing the government of 'caving to corporate pressure.'Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu also said in an X statement that she was glad the two sides could work out a deal Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was "relieved" to hear about the agreement. In an X statement, he said, "It is my hope that this will ensure flight attendants are compensated fairly at all times, while ending disruption for hundreds of thousands of Canadian families, workers, and visitors to Canada".
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
'It's a war': Wayne Gretzky's legacy came under fire amid Donald Trump's controversial trade war with Canada
Wayne Gretzky (Getty Images) Brantford, Ontario, long celebrated as the hometown of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, is now facing unexpected economic turbulence as U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods take effect. Local businesses, residents, and even Gretzky's legacy are feeling the ripple effects of the trade measures announced by President Donald Trump. Local businesses brace for economic impact amid U.S. tariffs Graeme Roustan, owner of the historic Roustan Hockey company, expressed frustration at the sudden trade restrictions. 'It's totally ridiculous. This business here has been in place for 178 years and it's been selling product and trading product with the United States since before Canada was a country,' he said. With finished hockey sticks destined for U.S. customers facing a 25% tariff, Roustan and other manufacturers are rushing shipments to avoid extra costs. Brantford's economy, tightly linked to cross-border trade, is especially vulnerable. Mayor Kevin Davis noted that some local businesses sell up to 80% of their products in the U.S., while also relying on American suppliers for raw materials. 'There'll be industries in Brantford that may shut down, they may reduce production, they may have to retool, and – for a year or two – not be producing much and employing less,' he warned. Despite this, Davis emphasized the city's resilience: 'You know, we're nice until we're not. And yeah, if you want a war, then it's a war. But it's a, it's a totally meaningless war from my perspective.' Wayne Gretzky's reputation caught in the crossfire Beyond economics, the tariffs have stirred controversy around Gretzky himself. Though long admired as Canada's 'Great One,' his public ties to Trump, including attending the inauguration and wearing a MAGA hat, have drawn criticism. Some Canadians have gone so far as to label him a 'traitor' online. Local fans, however, remain measured. Rick Mannen, attending a game at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, said, 'I wish he would say to Donald 'back off and treat Canada as a partner instead of trying to take over.'' Also Read: Wayne Gretzky's daughter Paulina Gretzky enjoys Jason Derulo's LIV Golf concert while teasing her own music future As Brantford navigates the fallout, many residents are turning to Canadian-made products, reflecting a renewed sense of local support. While the city faces challenges from the tariffs, its history of resilience and community pride remains strong, showing that even amidst political and economic uncertainty, Brantford continues to honor its iconic roots. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Hindustan Times
16 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Air Canada reaches deal with flight attendant union to end strike; to resume ops soon
Air Canada said it will gradually restart operations after reaching an agreement early on Tuesday with the union for 10,000 flight attendants to end a strike that disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of travelers. The Canada Industrial Relations Board had declared the strike illegal Monday and ordered the flight attendants back on the job.(AFP) The agreement came after Canada's biggest airline and the union resumed talks late Monday for the first time since the strike began over the weekend, affecting about 130,000 travelers a day at the peak of the summer travel season. Air Canada said flights will start resuming at 4 p.m. ET. Flight attendants walked off the job early Saturday after turning down the airline's request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which allows a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract. The union said the agreement will guarantee members pay for work performed while planes are on the ground, resolving one of the major issues that drove the strike. 'Unpaid work is over. We have reclaimed our voice and our power," the union said in a statement. 'When our rights were taken away, we stood strong, we fought back — and we secured a tentative agreement that our members can vote on.' Chief executive Michael Rousseau said restarting a major carrier is a complex undertaking and said regular service may require seven to 10 days. Some flights will be canceled until the schedule is stabilized. 'Full restoration may require a week or more, so we ask for our customers' patience and understanding over the coming days,' Rousseau said in a statement. The two sides reached the deal with the help of a mediator early Tuesday morning. The airline said mediation discussions 'were begun on the basis that the union commit to have the airline's 10,000 flight attendants immediately return to work.' Air Canada declined to comment further on the agreement until the ratification process is complete. It noted a strike or lockout is not possible during this time. The carrier said it plans to complete about half Tuesday's scheduled flights, with a focus on international outbounds. The ramp-up will begin on Wednesday morning for mainline North American routes. Earlier, Air Canada said rolling cancellations would extend through Tuesday afternoon after the union defied a second return-to-work order. The Canada Industrial Relations Board had declared the strike illegal Monday and ordered the flight attendants back on the job. But the union said it would defy the directive. Union leaders also ignored a weekend order to submit to binding arbitration and end the strike by Sunday afternoon. The board is an independent administrative tribunal that interprets and applies Canada's labor laws. The government ordered the board to intervene. Labor leaders objected to the Canadian government's repeated use of a law that cuts off workers' right to strike and forces them into arbitration, a step the government took in recent years with workers at ports, railways and elsewhere. 'Your right to vote on your wages was preserved,' the union said in a post on its website. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day. The airline estimated Monday that 500,000 customers would be affected by flight cancellations. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said that as of Monday afternoon, Air Canada had called off at least 1,219 domestic flights and 1,339 international flights since last Thursday, when the carrier began gradually suspending its operations ahead of the strike and lockout that began early Saturday. Toronto's Pearson International Airport, Canada's largest, said it will deploy additional staff to assist passengers and support startup operations. 'I am relieved that Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have reached a tentative agreement early this morning,' Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement. 'It is my hope that this will ensure flight attendants are compensated fairly at all times, while ending disruption for hundreds of thousands of Canadian families, workers, and visitors to Canada.' Passengers whose flights are impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline's website or mobile app, according to Air Canada.
