Air Canada Flight Attendants Are Still on Strike—Here's What Travelers Need to Know

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Air Canada's flight operations were halted for a third day as the carrier's flight attendants continued to strike into Monday, August 18.
The airline had initially expected to resume flights on Sunday, August 17, after a federal agency overseeing Canada's labor laws declared the strike illegal. The Canada Industrial Relations Board instructed the airline's 10,000 striking flight attendants to return to work by 2 p.m. ET on Sunday. However, the union representing the flight attendants—the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)—opposed that by asking crew members to remain on strike into August 18.
'CUPE National President Mark Hancock made it loud and clear that our members will NOT be returning to work until such time as the government orders Air Canada back to the bargaining table where we can reach a tentative agreement that our members can vote on,' the union said in a message to its crew members. 'We will not have our rights and protections removed.'
Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights have been completely grounded since the strike began on August 16. So far, it's estimated that about 500,000 customers have had their flights canceled. Below, everything travelers should know.
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How long will the Air Canada flight attendant strike continue?
What to do if your flight is impacted
Why are Air Canada flight attendants striking?
How long will the Air Canada flight attendant strike continue?
It's currently unclear when the strike might end. Canada's Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu moved to shift negotiations into arbitration instead of traditional contract bargaining on August 16, extending the flight attendants' expired labor contract until a new one could be agreed upon. Then on Monday, the union allowed a second return-to-work order from the Canadian government to expire at noon ET.
Legally, this means both the union and individual flight attendants could be subject to fines or even jail time. However, the flight attendants said they would remain on strike despite those possibilities. 'If it means folks like me going to jail, then so be it,' Hancock said in a press conference Monday afternoon. "If it means our union being fined, then so be it. We want a solution here. Our members want a solution. But that solution has to be found at a bargaining table."
The carrier had said that it expected flights operated by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge to partially resume on the evening of Monday, August 18. But flight attendants have countered, saying they have no plans to be back on the job on Monday. 'If Air Canada thinks that planes will be flying this afternoon, they're sorely mistaken,' Hancock said. "That won't be happening today."
What to do if your flight is impacted
Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge had originally planned to resume about 240 flights on August 17, before the union announced the entire flight attendant workforce would continue its walk-out. Typically, the two carriers operate about 700 flights per day, according to Air Canada.
'Customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and are strongly advised not to go [to] the airport unless they have confirmed flights on other airlines,' the airline said in a statement. 'Air Canada will offer those with cancelled flights options, including obtaining a full refund or receiving a credit for future travel. The carrier will also offer to rebook customers on other carriers, although capacity is currently limited due to the peak summer travel season.'
Although passengers are eligible for full refunds and new flights—even on alternate carriers—the airline doesn't need to provide any additional compensation, as employee strikes are considered outside of the carrier's control, according to Canadian law. 'Under Canada's Airline Passenger Protection Regulations, customers in Canada are not eligible for compensation for delayed or cancelled flights, meals, hotels or other incidental expenses for situations outside the carrier's control, such as a labour disruption,' the airline said. 'Air Canada will in all cases inform passengers of their rights under applicable rules if their flight is cancelled or delayed and meet its regulatory obligations.'
Why are Air Canada flight attendants striking?
The flight attendants first issued a 72-hour strike notice on August 13, following a nearly unanimous vote in which 99.7% of the union approved of walking off the job if necessary. The union has been bargaining for a new contract since March 2025, and it says that the airline refuses 'to fairly negotiate on key issues like unpaid work, work rules, and poverty-level wages.'
As their contract currently stands, the flight attendants aren't paid when performing large portions of their jobs, like when doing critical safety checks, attending to onboard medical and safety emergencies, and during boarding and deplaning, according to CUPE. Air Canada flight attendants are paid hourly wages from the time the boarding door closes until it opens upon landing. CUPE says the flight attendants' entry-level wages have increased by 10% (or $3) in 25 years, despite average full-time wages in Canada growing by 210% in that same period.
Air Canada says that it has offered flight attendants a deal that includes a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, a new provision for ground pay, and other work and pay improvements. 'Air Canada has been negotiating with CUPE for eight months and although we have settled many items, none of which required concessions, we remain far apart on key issues,' the airline said in a statement before the strike began. 'We are disappointed our proposal to resolve the outstanding items fairly through arbitration has been rejected by the union and it is instead insisting on unsustainable wage increases.'
A recent poll conducted by CUPE showed that 59% of Canadians supported flight attendants' right to strike—even if it caused travel disruptions. "Canadians clearly stand on the side of fairness—with flight attendants,' Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of CUPE, said in a statement.
In the press conference on Monday, the union also apologized to the hundreds of thousands of travelers who have been caught in the middle of the labor dispute. 'We're sorry that people are stranded across the globe,' Hancock said. 'That was not something that we wanted to be an impact. We're sorry that they're caught up in this.'
This is a developing news story and will be updated with information as it becomes available.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
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