Air Canada flight cancellations continue: Your rights as a flyer
The Air Canada strike is over, but it’ll take days for flight operations to catch up.
Air Canada’s flight attendants went on strike on Aug. 16 after their union’s negotiators reached an impasse with airline management over wages and compensation in their next contract.
A tentative deal was reached Aug. 19. “Our flights will restart this evening with a gradual ramp up over the coming days,” the airline said on its website. “Please do not head to the airport unless you have a confirmed itinerary.”
Travelers whose flights remain canceled may choose a refund, travel credit or rebooking on another airline. Other customers with upcoming flights are being offered additional flexibility.
A woman sits with her luggage while people wait at Toronto Pearson International Airport during an Air Canada flight attendants strike on Aug. 17, 2025.
Air Canada waiver
Customers with flights scheduled from Aug. 15 to Aug. 22 may rebook without penalty for travel on Air Canada between Aug. 23 and Sept. 30.
Impacted travelers may also choose to cancel their trips for free. “Due to the volume of flight cancellations, we are also providing a full refund upon request for the unused portion of tickets purchased on or before August 15, 2025 for travel with Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge between August 18 and August 21, 2025,” the airline said.
More details are available on Air Canada’s website.
Anton Radchenko, founder of consumer airline refund website AirAdvisor, advises travelers to consider their options strategically.
“Don’t just look for the fastest alternative route; look for the most stable one. This may mean flying via smaller, less congested hubs like Detroit or Minneapolis, where rerouting is easier, or securing refundable one-stop connections through partner airlines before seats vanish,” Radchenko said in a statement. “Keep all receipts, track your communications with the airline, and, if possible, pay with a credit card that includes trip interruption coverage. Above all, treat this strike as a high-impact event that demands proactive planning, not reactive scrambling.”
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to do if your Air Canada flight was impacted by the strike
