42 h. ago Two Canadian airlines just won big awards for stellar customer ratings

Air Canada and WestJet have just won prestigious international awards based on high passenger ratings.The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) 2026 Awards were presented Thursday night. It's a global airline award that's entirely based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback and insights gathered through APEX's partnership with TripIt, a travel-organizing app from Concur.The 2026 awards include over one million flights that have been rated by passengers spanning over 600 airlines from around the world using a five-star scale.Air Canada received an APEX Five-Star Global Airline Award for the sixth consecutive year. It's among a list of world-class airlines, including United Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Air France.The carrier's onboard Wi-Fi sponsored by Bell was also ranked for the Best In-Flight Connectivity. In May, Air Canada introduced free Wi-Fi for Aeroplan members on several major routes."We remain committed...

Economics

1 week ago Varcoe: Big dreams and more Dreamliners fuel WestJet's plans to expand global air travel from Calgary

'No question about it, the 787 order leaps off the page ... It just opens up more international destinations, quite likely focused on Calgary,' said aviation analyst Rick Erickson

Transport

2 w. ago Air Canada has temporarily axed of one of its controversial ticket fees

Canadians planning to book a flight in the next few weeks may want to take advantage of a limited-time offer from Air Canada.The airline announced on Wednesday that it's offering customers seat changes and standard seat selection for free on flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express.But if you want to take advantage of this, you'll need to act fast: The carrier is only waiving these fees for bookings made between Aug. 27 and Sept. 12.According to the company, standard seat selection will be free of charge regardless of the fare type purchased. However, the seat selection must be completed on or before Sept. 12.This seat change fee was implemented by the company in January, despite an onslaught of complaints from Canadians when it was initially scheduled to take effect.When it comes to the pause on change fees, travellers will be able to change their flight free of charge — subject to availability in the cabin ...

Other

2 w. ago Air travellers face lengthy backlog in resolving complaints through CTA

Air Canada customers looking to lodge a complaint with the regulator over their experience during the recent flight attendants’ strike should prepare for a wait. The Canadian Transportation Agency said its backlog of air travel complaints stood at about 85,000 as of Aug. 14, two days before the strike started. The agency had received nearly […]

Other

2 w. ago Air travellers face lengthy backlog in resolving complaints through federal agency

The Canadian Transportation Agency says its backlog of air travel complaints stood at about 85,000 before the strike even started

Other

2 w. ago Air travelers face lengthy backlog in resolving complaints through CTA

Air Canada customers looking to lodge a complaint with the regulator over their experience during the flight attendants’ strike should prepare for a wait. The Canadian Transportation Agency says its backlog of air travel complaints stood at about 85,000 as of Aug. 14, two days before the strike started. The backlog has been growing since […]

Other

3 w. ago Air Canada says more passengers eligible for reimbursement if flights were cancelled

Air Canada says more customers whose flights were cancelled during last week’s strike will be eligible for reimbursement for alternative travel and out-of-pocket expenses. The airline now says those who booked their original Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge flights through a travel agency or Aeroplan can request reimbursement through its online form, in addition […]

Other

3 w. ago Two proposed class actions seek compensation for travellers hurt by Air Canada strike

The proposed class of plaintiffs in the first lawsuit includes all passengers worldwide whose travel plans were adversely affected

Other

3 w. ago New travel advisories warn Canadians to be extra cautious in parts of Europe

Canada has issued a new travel advisory for travellers heading to Spain, warning Canadians about the latest safety concerns.If you’re planning a trip from Canada to Spain, it’s important to note that on Aug. 18, the Government of Canada shared an updated advisory due to wildfires. Canadians travelling to the country are being urged to "exercise a high degree of caution."According to the update, wildfires have been burning in the central and northwestern parts of the country since early August. Affected provinces include Ourense, Zamora, Salamanca, León and Cáceres. Travellers are being warned that "extreme and unusual weather events" could affect their plans. Canada has issued a similar warning for Portugal."Evacuation orders and warnings are in effect for multiple regions," reads the statement. "Road closures and poor visibility due to smoke are affecting travel. Air quality is significantly degra...

Economics

3 w. ago What's the best budget airline in Europe? An honest review of EasyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air

Examining the pros and cons of flying on the cheap with three popular low-cost carriers

Economics

3 w. ago Air Canada to resume operations after making deal to end flight attendants' strike

The airline said flights will 'gradually' resume Tuesday evening, warning full restoration could take up to 10 days

Other

3 w. ago At YVR, stranded Air Canada passengers search for options as strike drags on

Passengers say there simply doesn't appear to be room on other airlines

Other

3 w. ago Passengers continue to face travel woes amid Air Canada flight attendants’ strike

Thousands of passengers are facing another day of travel disruptions as Air Canada flight attendants continue to strike despite a federal return-to-work order. Lisa Smith and Nicole Power, two sisters from Newfoundland, say they were visiting San Francisco and were initially told two days ago that their Air Canada return flight wouldn’t be impacted. Smith […]

Other

3 w. ago Air Canada strike could lead to over $40M in claims and 'push system to its breaking point'

As Air Canada cancels hundreds of flights in anticipation of a possible flight attendant's strike this weekend, an airline compensation company says this could result in millions of dollars of delayed claims.AirAdvisor, a company that helps flyers claim fair compensation, predicts that the airline's lockout could generate over $40 million in potential compensation claims and "push the passenger compensation system to breaking point."After failed negotiations, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, provided notice of plans to begin a strike as early as 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 16.In response, the carrier issued a 72-hour lockout notice and began cancelling flights on Thursday, continuing into Friday, with plans for a complete pause of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights on Saturday, Aug. 16.In the days since, the federal government issued a back-to-work ...

Economics

3 w. ago Labour groups pushing back as Air Canada flight attendants’ strike poised to continue

It could be another chaotic day for travellers as a labour dispute continues between Air Canada and the union representing its flight attendants. Flight attendants with the Montreal-based airline represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees are expected to remain on the picket lines today as a battle against a federal return-to-work order continues. […]

Other

3 w. ago Air Canada travellers face chaos, added costs as flight attendant strike grounds hundreds of planes

Airline has said passengers whose flights are cancelled will be offered a full refund or the opportunity to change their travel plans without a fee

Economics

4 w. ago Air Canada flight cancellations snarl passengers’ travel plans

Air Canada’s cancellation of several flights due to the strike by its flight attendants has thrown a wrench in the summer travel plans of thousands of air passengers.

Other

4 w. ago Weary travellers at YYC despite fed intervention in Air Canada labour fight

Patty Hajdu, the federal jobs minister, directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board on Saturday morning to order flight attendants back to work, impose final and binding arbitration and extend the terms of the parties' existing contract until a new one one is determined.

Other

4 w. ago Travellers stranded despite federal intervention into Air Canada labour strife

Air travellers across the country continued dealing with hundreds of grounded planes on Saturday as the federal government announced it was ordering a binding arbitration in a labour strife between Air Canada and its 10,000 flight attendants on strike. In Ontario, passengers who had received notice that their flights were cancelled still showed up to […]

Other

4 w. ago Travel chaos starts for passengers impacted by Air Canada labour dispute

The Ottawa International Airport Authority said it was continuing to monitor the situation and advised those with Air Canada bookings to confirm the flight status online "in anticipation of disruptions beginning Aug. 16."

Culture