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
Jan 25, 2020, 11:40 am
#16
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
Can someone advise what the updated advisory includes?
looked at both their Travel Advisory and Goodwill policy - all I see is just the regular winter storms and Wuhan being covered.
thinking either to cancel ticket or submit a trip interruption/cancellation claim.
looked at both their Travel Advisory and Goodwill policy - all I see is just the regular winter storms and Wuhan being covered.
thinking either to cancel ticket or submit a trip interruption/cancellation claim.
Main AC.com page, lower right "READ" section
Links to
Jan 25, 2020, 12:18 pm
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
I cancelled a YVR-TPE trip for next week last week and asked them to retroactively apply this waiver, which they informed me they did. The Concierge gave me slightly different terms than the ones listed.
What does it mean I can book 'another destination'? Can I book YVR to SYD instead? I was in J
What does it mean I can book 'another destination'? Can I book YVR to SYD instead? I was in J
Jan 25, 2020, 12:40 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2013
Location: YYT/YYC/TPE
Programs: AC SE, UA, National Exec Elite, Nexus, GE
Posts: 1,810
Not necessarily, P fares are much more restrictive than even some of the bottom feeder Y fares. However, fares to Asia are usually quite good in terms of cancellation penalties across fare classes compared to TATL fares.
Jan 25, 2020, 1:13 pm
#21
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Canada
Programs: AC SE100k, Marriott Titanium Elite, Accor Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 349
Understood. @Rundosrun had only indicated that he was able to cancel his TPE trip and what he was told and has yet to return to clarify what the exact words were from the concierge.
In the meantime, I'm sure someone here can contact AC SE line or concierge to get the full wording/rules, or perhaps others who have cancelled due to the advisory can update here.
In the meantime, I'm sure someone here can contact AC SE line or concierge to get the full wording/rules, or perhaps others who have cancelled due to the advisory can update here.
Please be advise that indeed we have a good will policy for all travel to China. According to your reservation you are entitled to this policy.
According to this policy if you decide to cancel your trip and put it in credit the change fees are waived.
If you re-book your new travel before June 15th and we have space on the same cabin as your original flights we will also waive the difference in fare. If the new travel will be after June 15th the difference in fare will be recalculated and charged.
I take this mean, if I booked lower J and they only have higher fare J available for a future flight before June 15th, they will still put me in the same cabin.
Jan 25, 2020, 1:22 pm
#22
Join Date: May 2013
Location: YYT/YYC/TPE
Programs: AC SE, UA, National Exec Elite, Nexus, GE
Posts: 1,810
This is what I was told by email re cancelling the YVR-TPE trip (which I did 2 days before the waiver was announced but they are offering it to me):
Please be advise that indeed we have a good will policy for all travel to China. According to your reservation you are entitled to this policy.
According to this policy if you decide to cancel your trip and put it in credit the change fees are waived.
If you re-book your new travel before June 15th and we have space on the same cabin as your original flights we will also waive the difference in fare. If the new travel will be after June 15th the difference in fare will be recalculated and charged.
I take this mean, if I booked lower J and they only have higher fare J available for a future flight before June 15th, they will still put me in the same cabin.
Please be advise that indeed we have a good will policy for all travel to China. According to your reservation you are entitled to this policy.
According to this policy if you decide to cancel your trip and put it in credit the change fees are waived.
If you re-book your new travel before June 15th and we have space on the same cabin as your original flights we will also waive the difference in fare. If the new travel will be after June 15th the difference in fare will be recalculated and charged.
I take this mean, if I booked lower J and they only have higher fare J available for a future flight before June 15th, they will still put me in the same cabin.
Jan 25, 2020, 1:32 pm
#23
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: YWG
Posts: 2,272
I called to cancel a return PVG-YWG on a P fare.
Was told that I had to use the credit to fly Asia-Canada within a few months. Otherwise the fare would be re-calculated given that I booked a return ticket.
Overall makes no sense to me, but I just assumed that it's a weekend in Canada so hard to find knowledgeable staff.
Can anyone confirm? Thought I could apply the fare of the return as credit to a new ticket but that's not what it seems like.
Was told that I had to use the credit to fly Asia-Canada within a few months. Otherwise the fare would be re-calculated given that I booked a return ticket.
Overall makes no sense to me, but I just assumed that it's a weekend in Canada so hard to find knowledgeable staff.
Can anyone confirm? Thought I could apply the fare of the return as credit to a new ticket but that's not what it seems like.
Jan 25, 2020, 2:49 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
I called to cancel a return PVG-YWG on a P fare.
Was told that I had to use the credit to fly Asia-Canada within a few months. Otherwise the fare would be re-calculated given that I booked a return ticket.
Overall makes no sense to me, but I just assumed that it's a weekend in Canada so hard to find knowledgeable staff.
Can anyone confirm? Thought I could apply the fare of the return as credit to a new ticket but that's not what it seems like.
Was told that I had to use the credit to fly Asia-Canada within a few months. Otherwise the fare would be re-calculated given that I booked a return ticket.
Overall makes no sense to me, but I just assumed that it's a weekend in Canada so hard to find knowledgeable staff.
Can anyone confirm? Thought I could apply the fare of the return as credit to a new ticket but that's not what it seems like.
Jan 25, 2020, 2:55 pm
#25
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YUL
Programs: AC*SEMM
Posts: 602
Hong Kong *STATE OF EMERGENCY* Air Canada flights will be cancelled?
I have a flight to HKG in 10 days ... they just declared a state of emergency ** IN HONG KONG ** ... 5 cases of Coronavirus . there's no way Air Canada can maintain the non-stop flights??
https://www.vox.com/2020/1/25/210814...kong-emergency
https://www.vox.com/2020/1/25/210814...kong-emergency
Last edited by YUL_Around_The_World; Jan 25, 2020 at 3:06 pm
Jan 25, 2020, 3:03 pm
#26
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: YWG
Posts: 2,272
Do I understand correctly that you cancelled only half of a round-trip fare? This isn't going to give you any residual value, because the fare for YWG-PVG-YWG (what you paid) is likely much less than YWG-PVG (what you flew). There's no fare difference in your favour to be returned or credited.
I have been told that I can apply the residual value to a new ticket and that is what AC’s website says as well.
So what can I get, if anything? No one can provide me with a dollar amount...
Jan 25, 2020, 3:18 pm
#27
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: PHL, NYC, DC
Posts: 9,708
and their social media team said what I heard was fake news
This is what I was told by email re cancelling the YVR-TPE trip (which I did 2 days before the waiver was announced but they are offering it to me):
Please be advise that indeed we have a good will policy for all travel to China. According to your reservation you are entitled to this policy.
According to this policy if you decide to cancel your trip and put it in credit the change fees are waived.
If you re-book your new travel before June 15th and we have space on the same cabin as your original flights we will also waive the difference in fare. If the new travel will be after June 15th the difference in fare will be recalculated and charged.
I take this mean, if I booked lower J and they only have higher fare J available for a future flight before June 15th, they will still put me in the same cabin.
Please be advise that indeed we have a good will policy for all travel to China. According to your reservation you are entitled to this policy.
According to this policy if you decide to cancel your trip and put it in credit the change fees are waived.
If you re-book your new travel before June 15th and we have space on the same cabin as your original flights we will also waive the difference in fare. If the new travel will be after June 15th the difference in fare will be recalculated and charged.
I take this mean, if I booked lower J and they only have higher fare J available for a future flight before June 15th, they will still put me in the same cabin.
Jan 25, 2020, 3:18 pm
#28
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC 75k, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,154
These dates are within the window for rebooking, and PEK is now included.
This said, I would take rumors from friends or relatives in Beijing with a grain of salt. Rumors tend to go way beyond reality. Still, if it were me, I would probably go ahead and cancel a February trip, just to be on the safe side.
This said, I would take rumors from friends or relatives in Beijing with a grain of salt. Rumors tend to go way beyond reality. Still, if it were me, I would probably go ahead and cancel a February trip, just to be on the safe side.
"You purchased an Air Canada ticket no later than January 24, 2020 for travel between January 24 and January 31, 2020 and your itinerary includes a flight to, from or via Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)."
and
"If you are scheduled to travel during the affected period to Beijing or Shanghai, you can retrieve your booking to change your flight, free of charge, to another date between now and February 29, 2020, subject to availability of the cabin you originally purchased. Otherwise, any fare difference will apply."
Of course not all rumors are true, but some of them must be correct, as late as early January, 8 were arrested in Wuhan for spreading rumors that later turned out to be true.
Jan 25, 2020, 3:22 pm
#29
Join Date: May 2013
Location: YYT/YYC/TPE
Programs: AC SE, UA, National Exec Elite, Nexus, GE
Posts: 1,810
I cancelled because the I had already left by the time the waiver was announced.
I have been told that I can apply the residual value to a new ticket and that is what AC’s website says as well.
So what can I get, if anything? No one can provide me with a dollar amount...
I have been told that I can apply the residual value to a new ticket and that is what AC’s website says as well.
So what can I get, if anything? No one can provide me with a dollar amount...
Jan 25, 2020, 3:39 pm
#30
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE100K/*G, Nexus
Posts: 208
Just as a data point: I called both the Concierge and the 100K Reservations line today to ask about cancelling a YYC-YVR-TPE round trip that was booked in early January for travel Feb 1 - 5.
Both told me the goodwill waiver does not apply to TPE and the normal change/cancellation process & fees would be applied. If I chose to change, I would receive a credit that I could apply to any other routing on any other day, within 1 year. Concierge advised that since I would have to pay the change/cancel fees today, I should probably wait a few days to see if the waiver is expanded to include TPE, but made it clear she had no insider knowledge as to whether or not this would happen. I chose to wait a few days just in case.
I also have a HKG routing in later Feb, so will be watching for that one too.
Both told me the goodwill waiver does not apply to TPE and the normal change/cancellation process & fees would be applied. If I chose to change, I would receive a credit that I could apply to any other routing on any other day, within 1 year. Concierge advised that since I would have to pay the change/cancel fees today, I should probably wait a few days to see if the waiver is expanded to include TPE, but made it clear she had no insider knowledge as to whether or not this would happen. I chose to wait a few days just in case.
I also have a HKG routing in later Feb, so will be watching for that one too.