Uh?

If when he bought the itinerary said that the ticket is refundable, then it has to be refundable.

It is true that when you cancel on aircanada.com, the money goes into a credit. But normally, you can phone and ask for a refund. Which they will do.

I suspect that in this instance, as it is often the case, the rules printed on the itinerary may not match the detailed rules in the fine print. Which appears to be a very common situation. (Incidentally, I suspect this is not by design, but just sloppiness or incompetence.)

And in which instance, the customer should be in a position to pick the option that suits him best. Armed with whatever documentation, keep insisting nicely but firmly, until talking to an agent/supervisor with a bit more latitude and common sense.

Of course in the worst case scenario, other options include (1) getting the credit card used in the purchase involved, (2) the CTA and (3) small claims court.

However I still would think that someone at air canada will eventually get the picture.

One option: the customer solutions e-mail. Again, polite but firm and assertive.