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
Aug 5, 2021, 9:34 pm
#3196
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 27
All but one of these are for the same 2 PNRs. My favourite are the 3 minutes changes. None of these brightly coloured ALERTS even mentioned an aircraft change - which I found myself looking on the website. Is there a human that does this or is it AC IT's after meal burping? 
Aug 6, 2021, 8:59 am
#3200
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: AC E50K, FPC Platinum
Posts: 56
Air Canada's free change in practice
These days Air Canada is offering a free change. Does that include a free same day change?
I've got a flight with connections (was much cheaper) but obviously would prefer the direct routing, I'm wondering if they'll let me, or still charge me the same day change fee.
I can't find anywhere on their site where they lay that out
I've got a flight with connections (was much cheaper) but obviously would prefer the direct routing, I'm wondering if they'll let me, or still charge me the same day change fee.
I can't find anywhere on their site where they lay that out
Aug 6, 2021, 9:17 am
#3201
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,771
If you want to make a same-day change, or go on standby for an earlier flight, those have their own fees and they remain in force.
Aug 7, 2021, 3:43 pm
#3202
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,852
BCN MUC YYZ SFO changed to BCN MUC YVR (LH) SFO
And my overnight in Munich was eliminated
third schedule change already! Considerably reduced the amount of PQP‘s I can earn on UA, I found another routing that should work but to be honest I really haven’t found that many good AC call-center agents so this is a royal pain.. My experience with AC so far makes me really appreciate UA and especially their Premier Desk!
And my overnight in Munich was eliminated
third schedule change already! Considerably reduced the amount of PQP‘s I can earn on UA, I found another routing that should work but to be honest I really haven’t found that many good AC call-center agents so this is a royal pain.. My experience with AC so far makes me really appreciate UA and especially their Premier Desk!
Update: Now two hours and five minutes to three hours and 18 minutes
It’s an hour and a half and Twitter didn’t even respond. Can someone help?
Update: No longer accepting calls as volume exceeds resources
Last edited by Flying Machine; Aug 7, 2021 at 6:51 pm
Aug 8, 2021, 10:59 am
#3203
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YVR - MILLS Waypoint (It's the third house on the left)
Programs: AC*SE100K, wood level status in various other programs
Posts: 6,231
Flying Machine - Sorry to hear about your experiences, and I wish I could offer you some alternate route to the right agents that you requested in another thread.
But your observation
makes a lot of sense.
I get that the experience is very frustrating, but expecting any airlines non-status responsiveness to be on a par with their Premier Desk (or equivalent service) is not really a fair comparison.
As an AC Super Elite, my-on hold wait times have been very minimal (possibly the same as your UA experiences) and possibly for others as well. Other DPs are no doubt available.
But your observation
My experience with AC so far makes me really appreciate UA and especially their Premier Desk!
I get that the experience is very frustrating, but expecting any airlines non-status responsiveness to be on a par with their Premier Desk (or equivalent service) is not really a fair comparison.
As an AC Super Elite, my-on hold wait times have been very minimal (possibly the same as your UA experiences) and possibly for others as well. Other DPs are no doubt available.
Aug 8, 2021, 11:43 am
#3204
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,852
Flying Machine - Sorry to hear about your experiences, and I wish I could offer you some alternate route to the right agents that you requested in another thread.
But your observation makes a lot of sense.
I get that the experience is very frustrating, but expecting any airlines non-status responsiveness to be on a par with their Premier Desk (or equivalent service) is not really a fair comparison.
As an AC Super Elite, my-on hold wait times have been very minimal (possibly the same as your UA experiences) and possibly for others as well. Other DPs are no doubt available.
But your observation makes a lot of sense.
I get that the experience is very frustrating, but expecting any airlines non-status responsiveness to be on a par with their Premier Desk (or equivalent service) is not really a fair comparison.
As an AC Super Elite, my-on hold wait times have been very minimal (possibly the same as your UA experiences) and possibly for others as well. Other DPs are no doubt available.
Anyway, the saga continues I can’t believe they’re not even excepting phone calls and Twitter is unresponsive. It is frustrating. I’m gonna try the Denmark office in the morning perhaps I’ll get through that way someone had suggested that. Mods if you feel this is in the wrong place since I started another thread about the AC call-center feel free to move
Aug 10, 2021, 8:03 pm
#3205
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Calgary,AB
Programs: Aeroplan 25K , UA ,WJ, HA, AMEX AP Reserve
Posts: 1,289
Preferred Seat Roulette- you lose
Just returned from a trip YYC-YYZ-YYC. with the missus and daughter who went YQU-YYC-YYZ-YYC-YQU.
Since booking, there was a cancellation and rebooking of the YYC-YYZ segment for the 3 of us- had to wait on hold for 45 min to get the refund for 3 lost bulkhead seats after having to pay again on the new flight. Daughter's YYC-YQU segment cancelled while she was enroute YYZ-YYC. Lost her preferred seat on the rebooked flight the next day. Will try to request using the refund tool on the website. Wife & I had to rebook our YYZ-YYC flight (same day change) due to a massive traffic delay on Hwy 400. Lost our preferred seats from the original flights. Must also try to request refund of those 2.
I know its YMMV on these things, but isnt AC's IT able to flag these changes and generate a refund?
Because of all the ongoing equipment changes, I watch my seats every few days. Sure enough, I looked at my file for my next trip YYC-YYZ.in 1 week. Changed versions of A330 from version 1 (I bought row 35 exit row) and now row 33 (version 2) is the exit row. No email from AC. Do I move from row 35 to 33? Will they change it back to the original version and I lose
the exit row and maybe have to call in for refund again?? Better odds in Vegas than the AC roulette wheel!
Since booking, there was a cancellation and rebooking of the YYC-YYZ segment for the 3 of us- had to wait on hold for 45 min to get the refund for 3 lost bulkhead seats after having to pay again on the new flight. Daughter's YYC-YQU segment cancelled while she was enroute YYZ-YYC. Lost her preferred seat on the rebooked flight the next day. Will try to request using the refund tool on the website. Wife & I had to rebook our YYZ-YYC flight (same day change) due to a massive traffic delay on Hwy 400. Lost our preferred seats from the original flights. Must also try to request refund of those 2.
I know its YMMV on these things, but isnt AC's IT able to flag these changes and generate a refund?
Because of all the ongoing equipment changes, I watch my seats every few days. Sure enough, I looked at my file for my next trip YYC-YYZ.in 1 week. Changed versions of A330 from version 1 (I bought row 35 exit row) and now row 33 (version 2) is the exit row. No email from AC. Do I move from row 35 to 33? Will they change it back to the original version and I lose
the exit row and maybe have to call in for refund again?? Better odds in Vegas than the AC roulette wheel!
Aug 10, 2021, 8:42 pm
#3206
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,468
They need to put an A330 or 787 back on YYZ<->SFO. They have it going to 3 flights a day later in the schedule which to me seems like the wrong approach here. Everyone I know wants more capacity on the noon eastbound flight and the evening westbound flight, not these other lame times. The J cabin is always full too, they’re surely losing sales there compared to the large J cabin they operated on the large planes (+ signature class surcharge)
Aug 11, 2021, 11:17 am
#3207
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: 44,330
They need to put an A330 or 787 back on YYZ<->SFO. They have it going to 3 flights a day later in the schedule which to me seems like the wrong approach here. Everyone I know wants more capacity on the noon eastbound flight and the evening westbound flight, not these other lame times. The J cabin is always full too, they’re surely losing sales there compared to the large J cabin they operated on the large planes (+ signature class surcharge)
I want more options of times. I really miss the 1600-1700 eastbound departure. Get in a full day of work, THEN get on a flight.
I also miss having a ~1800 and ~2000 westbound departure. Sometimes I want to get home early, other times I want to have dinner in YYZ, then fly home.
That being said, I think in November (?), it's still 3/day, but 1 or 2 are widebodies.
Aug 11, 2021, 9:18 pm
#3208
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,468
I also miss having a ~1800 and ~2000 westbound departure. Sometimes I want to get home early, other times I want to have dinner in YYZ, then fly home.
That being said, I think in November (?), it's still 3/day, but 1 or 2 are widebodies
That being said, I think in November (?), it's still 3/day, but 1 or 2 are widebodies
Aug 12, 2021, 11:57 am
#3209
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 80
Looking for some info on the capacity load for flights from YYZ to RSW if anyone has been lately? Booked & assigned seats, plane was 50% booked with mostly empty seats at the second half. Checked this morning (2-3 days out) and looks like most of the seats have been booked (>24 hour OLCI). Not sure why all of a sudden the seats are filled up, I thought August is not typically a busy month?
Aug 14, 2021, 5:32 am
#3210
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 66
Air Canada (Aeroplan) Cancelled my Flight
So, long story short. Family and I booked points tickets originally for Orlando, but then saw they added a flight to Tampa instead, so we switched to the Tampa one. Got a notification the other day that Air Canada now cancelled the Tampa flight for Oct 28 now and no flight exists from Toronto to Tampa that day now. Currently have no inbound flight on my reservation (they did not rebook me).
What are my grounds for getting rebooked on a new flight through aeroplan? I would actually like to be down in Florida a day earlier (Oct 27) rather than fly down on the 28th. Will they let me change my flight to fly into Orlando on the 27th even though my original flight was on the 28th or does the rebooking have to be on the original day booked?
Thanks!
What are my grounds for getting rebooked on a new flight through aeroplan? I would actually like to be down in Florida a day earlier (Oct 27) rather than fly down on the 28th. Will they let me change my flight to fly into Orlando on the 27th even though my original flight was on the 28th or does the rebooking have to be on the original day booked?
Thanks!