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
Mar 12, 2020, 9:40 am
#661
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: 16,778
They have added a message from Calin rovinescu on aircanada.com:
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...rom-calin.html
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...rom-calin.html
Mar 12, 2020, 10:06 am
#662
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,808
They have also consolidated and perhaps reformulated the various web pages on the issue.
Mar 12, 2020, 11:13 am
#663
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: USA
Programs: AA Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 311
Might be too soon to tell, but does this new policy allow older tickets to be extended to December 31, 2020? I don't see the "one year after issue" verbiage that I see on some of the US airlines. I have a grandfathered 3-stop trip that was booked in August and I might need to push it out.
Mar 12, 2020, 11:20 am
#664
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: YYC
Programs: AC*SE, SPG Plat, National Exec Elite
Posts: 570
So I've got an Aeroplan booking to Europe in mid-April that I'm going to cancel. I'm wondering if as an SE there are any good reasons for me to take advantage of the free change (as I get as an SE anyway) to a speculative date in the future vs just cancelling for now and rebooking at a later date once my plans are more firm?
Mar 12, 2020, 11:25 am
#665
Join Date: Dec 2005
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold
Posts: 6,913
My understanding is that all foreign nationals who have been in the Schengen area in the last 14 days will not be permitted entry.
This is going to be a nightmare for AC to enforce. When I was flying back from Asia in February they were checking US passsport holders to make sure they were not in China. Now AC needs to check any non-US passport holder to make sure they were not in the Schengen area in 14 days or they will be denied entry by US CPB. With preclearance in Canadian airports whomever they miss won't have to be flown home, but the EU-YYZ/YUL/YVR-US connections are going to be a huge logistical nightmare to verify.
This is going to be a nightmare for AC to enforce. When I was flying back from Asia in February they were checking US passsport holders to make sure they were not in China. Now AC needs to check any non-US passport holder to make sure they were not in the Schengen area in 14 days or they will be denied entry by US CPB. With preclearance in Canadian airports whomever they miss won't have to be flown home, but the EU-YYZ/YUL/YVR-US connections are going to be a huge logistical nightmare to verify.
Mar 12, 2020, 12:36 pm
#666
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 302
News out of the Czech Republic: https://www.radio.cz/en/section/news...m-friday-night
Notably, "Foreigners will not be able to enter the Czech Republic from Germany and Austria." Anyone have an upcoming flight to PRG through FRA or VIE? No doubt airlines are hearing about this just as we are. I wonder what will happen to those codeshares, or when.
Notably, "Foreigners will not be able to enter the Czech Republic from Germany and Austria." Anyone have an upcoming flight to PRG through FRA or VIE? No doubt airlines are hearing about this just as we are. I wonder what will happen to those codeshares, or when.
Mar 12, 2020, 2:21 pm
#667
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, Mileage Plus, WestJet Gold, AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,026
News out of the Czech Republic: https://www.radio.cz/en/section/news...m-friday-night
Notably, "Foreigners will not be able to enter the Czech Republic from Germany and Austria." Anyone have an upcoming flight to PRG through FRA or VIE? No doubt airlines are hearing about this just as we are. I wonder what will happen to those codeshares, or when.
Notably, "Foreigners will not be able to enter the Czech Republic from Germany and Austria." Anyone have an upcoming flight to PRG through FRA or VIE? No doubt airlines are hearing about this just as we are. I wonder what will happen to those codeshares, or when.
Mar 12, 2020, 2:27 pm
#668
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: 16,778
Mar 12, 2020, 2:49 pm
#669
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, Mileage Plus, WestJet Gold, AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,026
Agreed the codeshare on the flight will come and go with the physical flight. I don't they are going to remove the codeshare if the flight is still flying.
Mar 12, 2020, 3:12 pm
#670
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 302
Mar 12, 2020, 11:17 pm
#672
Join Date: Aug 2019
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 43
Might be too soon to tell, but does this new policy allow older tickets to be extended to December 31, 2020? I don't see the "one year after issue" verbiage that I see on some of the US airlines. I have a grandfathered 3-stop trip that was booked in August and I might need to push it out.
If anyone has any info on this.. please share!
Mar 13, 2020, 12:39 am
#673
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China
Programs: Aeroplan, Marriott, SPG
Posts: 55
I had flights booked from PEK to YVR 14/03-28/03 originally on AC but they rebooked me onto CA with a stop in ICN.... I had to rebook as my wife is in quarantine and she also needs a visa to transit ICN. I was prepared for a long arduous process of rebooking but I managed to get through on the phone in under 5 mins and had the entire booking changed to June. The whole process took less than 10 minutes!
- I should mention that I called the Beijing number and got an agent who could speak English quite well.
- I should mention that I called the Beijing number and got an agent who could speak English quite well.
Mar 13, 2020, 4:17 am
#674
Formerly known as newbie elite
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: YUL
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador, Accor Platinum, AC50K
Posts: 2,928
Slightly annoying to me that seat selection fees are part of the non-refundable items. My university has just banned all travel, was supposed to leave for PTP April 1 for 2 month internship and then present my PhD results in NCE in June at a conference.
None of those have L3 advisory so far so can only change for now. Interestingly, even though both tickets are economy standard I am getting a much bigger chunk of money back from NCE rather than PTP ($600 vs $150) which I find strange (fare classes? Rogue vs mainline?)
I will get most of it reimbursed via the university but the seat selection thing irks me for some reason.
And to add to the fun, there are no YUL-PTP on the timetable after April 29th but there is a PTP-YUL starting May 2nd on A321. I cannot even change the initial YUL-PTP April 1st date past April 29th even thought here obviously has to be a YUL-PTP A321 flight starting in may which is what I would change it to using my one free change. What a mess.
None of those have L3 advisory so far so can only change for now. Interestingly, even though both tickets are economy standard I am getting a much bigger chunk of money back from NCE rather than PTP ($600 vs $150) which I find strange (fare classes? Rogue vs mainline?)
I will get most of it reimbursed via the university but the seat selection thing irks me for some reason.
And to add to the fun, there are no YUL-PTP on the timetable after April 29th but there is a PTP-YUL starting May 2nd on A321. I cannot even change the initial YUL-PTP April 1st date past April 29th even thought here obviously has to be a YUL-PTP A321 flight starting in may which is what I would change it to using my one free change. What a mess.
Last edited by Admiral Ackbar; Mar 13, 2020 at 6:58 am
Mar 13, 2020, 6:41 am
#675
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 18