OTTAWA – Proposed changes to Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, announced today, bring needed clarity to some areas but even in a best-case scenario it will be months before the impact is felt by consumers, says the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA).
The changes, while not revolutionary, will make the system clearer and simpler for Canadians in some important ways. But they are not final until after a further round of consultations.
“The proposed changes announced today come more than one year after a public consultation on improvements closed, a delay that cost Canadians months and months of much-needed clarity on the rules,” says Ian Jack, vice president of public affairs for CAA National. “We call on the government to act quickly to implement these changes – they have already been consulted on to near death.”
CAA, representing over seven million Canadians, has been a leading consumer voice for enhanced air passenger protections as the voice of the Canadian traveller and as a leading leisure travel agency.
Despite the delay, CAA is pleased to see that some much-needed simplicity and clarity are coming via the proposed changes.
Specifically, CAA believes the following will help air travellers:
- Some of the current confusion over when travellers can claim compensation has been clarified. Under the new rules, for the first time, passengers would be owed compensation for all disruptions to their travel initiated by the airline, unless listed specifically as an “exceptional circumstance” beyond the carrier’s control, such as a natural disaster affecting an airport. The existing system was unclear and open to interpretation.
- There is also good news for families. The rules for seating parents with their children will be stronger. The proposed new rule states the airline must arrange for any child under the age of 14 to be seated next to their parent or guardian free of charge, rather than just nearby.
- Canadians will now have the right to hotels and meals in the first 72 hours of a delay of 2 hours or more, regardless of the cause, even in exceptional circumstances. In the current rules, airlines only need to provide this support if the reason for the travel disruption is within their control.
- Canadians will have guaranteed access to a refund when an airline cancels or delays a flight by 3 hours or more if they choose to no longer travel. The refund will be due within 15 days instead of the current 30 days.
CAA will be participating in the next round of consultations to continue to push for the interests of the air traveller.
Among the improvements to the system that CAA has recommended but which have not yet been acted on, include:
- Proactive payments of compensation owed by airlines in clearcut cases, without the need to first file a claim through the lengthy process.
- Refunds within seven days, as in the United States. Even with the change announced today, Canadian travellers on a US-bound flight have stronger refund protections than on a domestic flight within Canada. We think this is wrong.
- Publishing data on airline travel performance, including metrics such as on-time performance, number of complaints, and bags lost, so travellers can judge for themselves how carriers are doing.
CAA’s travel experts know how important it is to have a fair and transparent regime with clear rules so air travellers can reach their destination with the least amount of impact when problems occur. CAA’s most recent national opinion polling found 91% of Canadians think an airline consumer protection code is important, a data point that has remained consistent for more than 8 years.
About CAA
CAA is a federation of eight Clubs providing over 7 million Members with exceptional emergency roadside service, complete automotive and travel services, Member savings and comprehensive insurance services. As one of Canada’s most trusted brands, CAA also advocates on issues of concern to its Members and all Canadians, including road safety, the environment, mobility, infrastructure, and consumer protection.
For more information, please contact:
Murielle Pierre
Manager, public affairs
CAA National
613-698-1201
[email protected]