Booked to fly Air Canada? Massive flight attendants’ strike could wreck your plans - is yours on the list?

Air Canada flight cancellations latest news: 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.