Toronto Star Referrer

Grounded passengers left fuming

Air Canada’s short-notice cancellations have flyers wondering about airline transparency

ROSA SABA AND JOSH RUBIN BUSINESS REPORTERS

When Sarah Ashmore-MacDonald saw the news that Air Canada would be cancelling some summer flights to address delays and general chaos at airports, she immediately checked her email — she hasn’t seen her parents in two years, and had booked flights with her boyfriend to see them in Saint John months ago.

There was nothing in her inbox — a sigh of relief. Her departing flight from Toronto on Thursday evening was just hours away.

Then she checked the Air Canada app. That’s how she found out that her return flights on July 9 had been cancelled. In fact, the leg from Toronto to Fort McMurray has been suspended entirely — but not until after she flies out.

After finally getting an Air Canada agent on the phone, Ashmore-MacDonald said she was told that she can ask for a refund for her return flight, but that she will have to find her own way home. That’s what she plans to do, but she’s upset at the short notice and lack of information.

“There’s no way that this decision was made in a day,” she said. “They could have given people a lot more notice.”

As delays, cancellations and long lines continue to plague airports, Canada’s biggest airline is facing criticism for reducing its July and August flights by around 15 per cent to reduce passenger volumes, announcing the cuts less than two days before they are to begin.

The airline is reducing flights on average by 154 per day for July and August, compared to the average of 1,000 per day it was flying — already 80 per cent of its pre-pandemic volume. Four routes are being temporarily suspended altogether.

A spokesperson told the Star in an email that most of the cancelled flights are to and from the Toronto and Montreal airports. Most of the reductions will be cuts to the frequency of certain routes, primarily

evening and late-night flights by smaller aircraft, on transborder and domestic routes.

Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said in an email that customers are notified automatically when their flight is cancelled, and that this process is underway, as the schedule changes were only put in place beginning Wednesday evening.

“Some we are able to rebook immediately, while for others we will continue to search for alternatives and will advise them if options become available. Customers can also request a refund to (their) original form of payment at any time,” he said.

According to Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) data, Air Canada — which operates out of Terminal 1 at Pearson — has been struggling more than other airlines.

In June, just 33 per cent of Air Canada’s flights arrived at the gate on time, compared to 46 per cent of flights by other airlines arriving at Terminal 1. Just 30 per cent of Air Canada’s June flights from Pearson left on time, compared to 61 per cent of those by other airlines departing from Terminal 1.

Air Canada has also been seeing more flights arrive without ground staff — typically employees or contractors of the airlines — on-hand to meet them. So far this year, according to GTAA data, 40.3 per cent of Air Canada arrivals haven’t had marshals on-hand to greet them and guide them to gates. For all commercial flights arriving at Pearson, that figure was 28.5 per cent.

Fitzpatrick said in an emailed response that because Air Canada is the largest carrier operating out of Pearson, which serves as its global hub, its operations have been much more heavily hit by issues at the airport such as aircraft gate holds and ground delay programs by air traffic control.

“Such disruptions can throw off our schedule,” said Fitzpatrick, “as there are knock-on effects when an aircraft is late because it makes the crew handling that aircraft late for their next assignment.

“Most other carriers at Toronto-Pearson … have schedules that are much less complex and they can recover more quickly from any issues.”

In the email to customers, Air Canada’s president and CEO Michael Rousseau said people are returning to air travel “at a rate never seen in our industry.”

“To bring about the level of operational stability we need, with reluctance, we are now making meaningful reductions to our schedule in July and August in order to reduce passenger volumes and flows to a level we believe the air transport system can accommodate,” he wrote.

Other airlines say they are comfortable with their summer schedules and don’t intend to cut back further.

WestJet spokesperson Madison Kruger said in an email that WestJet had already planned to fly fewer flights this summer than 2019 by 25 per cent.

“This proactive approach has reduced overall impacts to our guests as they return to travel this summer,” she said.

Porter, too, intends to go ahead with its planned schedule.

“Billy Bishop Airport is running relatively well compared to larger airports and we have resources in place for the period. It will be a busy time, with a comparable number of passengers to 2019,” said Porter spokesperson Brad Cicero.

An Air Transat spokesperson said the airline doesn’t anticipate any cancellations, and is planning to deploy 89 per cent of its pre-pandemic capacity over the summer.

John Gradek, a former Air Canada executive and head of McGill University’s Global Aviation Leadership Program, said to the airline’s credit, Air Canada has essentially admitted it booked too many flights.

With the situation at airports only worsening, “the writing was on the wall,” he said.

However, the airport chaos is not only due to bookings, said Gradek, and so the jury’s still out on whether this decision by Air Canada will significantly reduce delays, lineups and more.

The timing of this announcement isn’t great, said Frederic Dimanche, director of the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism at Toronto Metropolitan University. But it comes as no surprise to him. The whole air travel industry has a major labour gap, he said, and not just in Canada.

Timing aside, Dimanche thinks this was the right thing for Air Canada to do to alleviate its part in the ongoing airport chaos.

Canadian air passenger-rights advocate Gabor Lukacs said while he’s pleased the airline is acknowledging it sold too many flights, the damage is already done.

“This is too little too late,” he said. Passengers affected by these cancellations should consider them to be under the airline’s control, he said — an important distinction, as what a passenger is owed by the airline differs for cancellations outside the airline’s control under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR).

Lukacs explained that if a flight is cancelled for reasons within the airline’s control, it must provide alternate travel arrangements to get the passenger to their destination as soon as is feasible. This may include rebooking the passenger on the next flight, booking them a flight with another competing carrier and even providing transportation to another airport if necessary. The traveller may instead choose to take a refund for the unused portion of the ticket.

As well, passengers who choose a refund are owed additional compensation of $400 if the airline is a large carrier or $125 for a small carrier. Passengers who got less than two weeks’ notice who choose alternate travel arrangements get a variable amount of compensation depending on the length of the delay.

Gradek, Dimanche and Lukacs all say that in this case, these cancellations are within the airline’s control. If the airline disagrees, Gradek recommends turning to the Canadian Transportation Agency, while Lukacs suggests small claims court. Fitzpatrick said Air Canada will meet its obligations under the APPR.

The Greater Toronto Airport Authority said it welcomes the decision by Air Canada.

“Air Canada is following the example of other major airlines worldwide, who have also recognized the need to adjust schedules in light of the unprecedented challenges the industry is facing postCOVID,” said GTAA spokesperson Ryan White in an email.

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2022-07-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-07-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

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