Jan 27, 2020, 3:42 pm
Last edit by: Adam Smith
Key points of AC COVID change/cancellation policy [as of December 10, 2021]:
(see this page under "Changes and cancellations")
Unlimited changes. No change fees. – Until December 31, 2021, if you want to change your flight, we'll waive the change fee. After December 31, 2021, you can make one change at no extra charge. If your new fare has a higher price, you only need to pay the difference from your original fare.
If Air Canada changes the time of your flight, you make a change for free.*
*Within 3 days for North American destinations and 7 days for international and sun destinations.
If your flight is cancelled, you get a refund – If your flight is cancelled for any reason and we don’t rebook you on another flight that departs or arrives within three hours of your original departure or arrival time, or if we add a connection to your itinerary, you can request a refund.
Need to cancel? Save the value for future travel – If you need to cancel a booking, the full value can be transferred to an Air Canada Travel Voucher, which never expires and is fully transferrable, or converted into Aeroplan points with a 65% bonus. Refundable tickets are always refundable.
Flexibility with Aeroplan bookings – Until December 31, 2021, if you want to change your Aeroplan flight reward, we'll waive all change fees. After December 31, 2021, you can still make one change without a fee.
(see this page under "Changes and cancellations")
Unlimited changes. No change fees. – Until December 31, 2021, if you want to change your flight, we'll waive the change fee. After December 31, 2021, you can make one change at no extra charge. If your new fare has a higher price, you only need to pay the difference from your original fare.
If Air Canada changes the time of your flight, you make a change for free.*
*Within 3 days for North American destinations and 7 days for international and sun destinations.
If your flight is cancelled, you get a refund – If your flight is cancelled for any reason and we don’t rebook you on another flight that departs or arrives within three hours of your original departure or arrival time, or if we add a connection to your itinerary, you can request a refund.
Need to cancel? Save the value for future travel – If you need to cancel a booking, the full value can be transferred to an Air Canada Travel Voucher, which never expires and is fully transferrable, or converted into Aeroplan points with a 65% bonus. Refundable tickets are always refundable.
Flexibility with Aeroplan bookings – Until December 31, 2021, if you want to change your Aeroplan flight reward, we'll waive all change fees. After December 31, 2021, you can still make one change without a fee.
Master thread COVID-19/Coronavirus; travel waivers, route changes, AC impacts
May 23, 2020, 9:51 am
#1726
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 5
AC cancelled ZAG service for this entire year...such a shame! I mean, it was operated by Rouge, but at least we had direct flights between YYZ and ZAG...not sure if that was the right move, I still believe Canadians will coming to Croatia for vacation this year...However, Air Transat still have scheduled flights from July...
May 23, 2020, 10:31 am
#1728
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,301
The decisions to cancel transborder flights by AC (and others) have always been purely economical based on demand.
*provided you havent been to Europe/China/etc in last 14 days, and you quarantine when you return
https://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...21/5222731002/
The U.S. and Canada first limited travel in March for a period of 30 days after President Donald Trump and Trudeau agreed to close the border to help contain the spread of coronavirus. The State Department said that the order "does not apply to air, rail, or sea travel at this time, but does apply to commuter rail and ferry travel."
May 23, 2020, 11:33 am
#1729
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott Plat; Air Canada E75K; Westjet Platinum
Posts: 1,161
Base on my understanding, most credit card insurance will cover you if the entire price of the ticket is charged on that credit card. Therefore, a credit voucher would not get the insurance coverage. The question is if the original payment was the credit card and has since turned into the voucher, would the original payment still apply? It is a grey area. Even before COVID, how would a situation like this be handled?
May 23, 2020, 12:36 pm
#1730
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,324
Canadians are allowed to enter the US by air *
The decisions to cancel transborder flights by AC (and others) have always been purely economical based on demand.
*provided you havent been to Europe/China/etc in last 14 days, and you quarantine when you return
https://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...21/5222731002/
The U.S. and Canada first limited travel in March for a period of 30 days after President Donald Trump and Trudeau agreed to close the border to help contain the spread of coronavirus. The State Department said that the order "does not apply to air, rail, or sea travel at this time, but does apply to commuter rail and ferry travel."
The decisions to cancel transborder flights by AC (and others) have always been purely economical based on demand.
*provided you havent been to Europe/China/etc in last 14 days, and you quarantine when you return
https://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...21/5222731002/
The U.S. and Canada first limited travel in March for a period of 30 days after President Donald Trump and Trudeau agreed to close the border to help contain the spread of coronavirus. The State Department said that the order "does not apply to air, rail, or sea travel at this time, but does apply to commuter rail and ferry travel."
May 23, 2020, 12:45 pm
#1731
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,301
There are many daily flights between Canada and US, they never stopped.....
May 23, 2020, 12:57 pm
#1732
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Toronto, ON
Programs: AC 75K
Posts: 6,361
May 23, 2020, 1:00 pm
#1733
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,324
May 23, 2020, 1:53 pm
#1734
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,194
One of them I argued successfully because it was not really cancelled and rebooked.. It remained the same PNR, just a complete routing and date change. I had to show them the paper trail.
I now make sure at least one of our family tickets are bought entirely with new funds for coverage now. Works well since 2 adults and a child can't ALWAYS spend the whole $1500 (3 separate $500 claims for overnight rooms/clothes/car/meals).
One factor that I hadn't seen mentioned regarding the new policy of AC allowing cancelled ticket funds to be deposited as Aeroplan miles is the loss of earning potential for AQM/AQD in that situation.
May 23, 2020, 2:40 pm
#1735
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,324
I've been denied by Chase Sapphire and Amex if I used funds from a cancelled flight to book a new one which later had a disruption.
One of them I argued successfully because it was not really cancelled and rebooked.. It remained the same PNR, just a complete routing and date change. I had to show them the paper trail.
I now make sure at least one of our family tickets are bought entirely with new funds for coverage now. Works well since 2 adults and a child can't ALWAYS spend the whole $1500 (3 separate $500 claims for overnight rooms/clothes/car/meals).
One factor that I hadn't seen mentioned regarding the new policy of AC allowing cancelled ticket funds to be deposited as Aeroplan miles is the loss of earning potential for AQM/AQD in that situation.
One of them I argued successfully because it was not really cancelled and rebooked.. It remained the same PNR, just a complete routing and date change. I had to show them the paper trail.
I now make sure at least one of our family tickets are bought entirely with new funds for coverage now. Works well since 2 adults and a child can't ALWAYS spend the whole $1500 (3 separate $500 claims for overnight rooms/clothes/car/meals).
One factor that I hadn't seen mentioned regarding the new policy of AC allowing cancelled ticket funds to be deposited as Aeroplan miles is the loss of earning potential for AQM/AQD in that situation.
But US credit card insurance tends to be much more generous than in Canada. We have to pay "part of" the ticket cost with the card. Most Canadian cards require the entire cost be paid with the card. I've basically given up responding to insurance questions in this forum because my experiences just would not work in Canada.
May 23, 2020, 5:21 pm
#1737
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: YQB
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 2,139
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/heal...th-notices/221
May 23, 2020, 6:59 pm
#1739
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,467
1. Cancelled.
2. Operating but my 767 which was a 787 now turns into an A320 at which point I might just cancel myself because I don't want domestic J seat.
3. Operating as planned.
May 23, 2020, 9:42 pm
#1740
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AC SE100K 1MM, FB Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,603
South America is now completely removed from the schedule until at least September it seems. GRU, BOG, and SCL/EZE are all zeroed out. I guess that isn't surprising with how quickly the cases are climbing in that part of the world.