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 15, 2020, 9:41 am
#723
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: YOW
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 968
The World Cruises (Cunard, Crystal and Silversea are the one's I'm following) are all ending in Australia, some in Perth, some in Sydney. I hope the Canadians on board manage to get home before cancellation of those flights. Those on board were mostly relieved to be dropped off in Australia rather than risk not being able to get off the ship for 30 days until return to Europe (and that was before Europe closed!) Now they may be stuck Down Under depending on the number of available flights.
Mar 15, 2020, 9:50 am
#725
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
Mar 15, 2020, 10:05 am
#726
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: 44,354
Mar 15, 2020, 10:07 am
#727
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
There was discussion of insurance and the issue of advisories either upthread or in another thread.
But I just noticed these sections in a CBC article: "Ottawa advises Canadians not to travel abroad. What this means for your travel plans"
"Will my cancellation insurance cover me?"
"What about medical coverage?"
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/gov...ance-1.5498275
Like others, I would suggest you look carefully at the terms, rules and exclusions on the specific travel policy.
Mar 15, 2020, 11:38 am
#728
Join Date: May 2001
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SEMM
Posts: 2,072
Possibly a concern to those that were travelling prior to Friday on an extended trip:
"According to a Friday annoucement by insurance company, RTOERO, customers' trip interruption and emergency medical coverage will expire in 10 days, or however long it takes current travellers to safely return home"
"According to a Friday annoucement by insurance company, RTOERO, customers' trip interruption and emergency medical coverage will expire in 10 days, or however long it takes current travellers to safely return home"
Mar 15, 2020, 1:20 pm
#729
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Boston; DC
Programs: AA EXP/2mm; UA 1k;
Posts: 673
Looking for advice: Purchased two tickets using Aeroplan miles for my inlaws to fly from IAD to europe today, on Turkish (in business class). The six times before i've done this, it has completed and ticketed automatically. This time it said "Please contact Aeroplan to complete the reservation" after I entered credit card details. Of course that is impossible, i've tried calling 20 times and get only a message that it is not possible to be put on hold.
I cannot even cancel the booking because it hasn't been ticketed yet.
The last thing i want to do is stand in line at the airport for three hours to see if they will ticket it.
If I look at the reservation in aeroplan, it gives a message "Considering you have charged all of the taxes, fees, charges and carrier surcharges associated to your flight reward booking to a credit card, your transaction will be processed directly by Air Canada. Your official itinerary receipt will be issued to you separately by Air Canada." I tried to contact Air Canada via phone, also no success, and via twitter, also no resopnse.
Any suggestions? I guess if I had super elite status on Air Canada I could speak to the agent in two minutes, give credit card info, and get the ticket ticketed, but of course I don't have that.
I cannot even cancel the booking because it hasn't been ticketed yet.
The last thing i want to do is stand in line at the airport for three hours to see if they will ticket it.
If I look at the reservation in aeroplan, it gives a message "Considering you have charged all of the taxes, fees, charges and carrier surcharges associated to your flight reward booking to a credit card, your transaction will be processed directly by Air Canada. Your official itinerary receipt will be issued to you separately by Air Canada." I tried to contact Air Canada via phone, also no success, and via twitter, also no resopnse.
Any suggestions? I guess if I had super elite status on Air Canada I could speak to the agent in two minutes, give credit card info, and get the ticket ticketed, but of course I don't have that.
Mar 15, 2020, 1:51 pm
#730
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,808
Looking for advice: Purchased two tickets using Aeroplan miles for my inlaws to fly from IAD to europe today, on Turkish (in business class). The six times before i've done this, it has completed and ticketed automatically. This time it said "Please contact Aeroplan to complete the reservation" after I entered credit card details. Of course that is impossible, i've tried calling 20 times and get only a message that it is not possible to be put on hold.
I cannot even cancel the booking because it hasn't been ticketed yet.
The last thing i want to do is stand in line at the airport for three hours to see if they will ticket it.
If I look at the reservation in aeroplan, it gives a message "Considering you have charged all of the taxes, fees, charges and carrier surcharges associated to your flight reward booking to a credit card, your transaction will be processed directly by Air Canada. Your official itinerary receipt will be issued to you separately by Air Canada." I tried to contact Air Canada via phone, also no success, and via twitter, also no resopnse.
Any suggestions? I guess if I had super elite status on Air Canada I could speak to the agent in two minutes, give credit card info, and get the ticket ticketed, but of course I don't have that.
I cannot even cancel the booking because it hasn't been ticketed yet.
The last thing i want to do is stand in line at the airport for three hours to see if they will ticket it.
If I look at the reservation in aeroplan, it gives a message "Considering you have charged all of the taxes, fees, charges and carrier surcharges associated to your flight reward booking to a credit card, your transaction will be processed directly by Air Canada. Your official itinerary receipt will be issued to you separately by Air Canada." I tried to contact Air Canada via phone, also no success, and via twitter, also no resopnse.
Any suggestions? I guess if I had super elite status on Air Canada I could speak to the agent in two minutes, give credit card info, and get the ticket ticketed, but of course I don't have that.
How urgent is this? You think it's a good idea for anyone to travel to Europe at the moment? And if it's not soon, surely you can wait.
This said, typically Aeroplan bookings with no ticket issued get cancelled after a week. On some airlines, a bit quicker.
Mar 15, 2020, 2:05 pm
#731
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AC SE100K 1MM, FB Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,605
I received an email response from the Concierge that they cannot change bookings by email and provided a 833 number to call that is not the Concierge number provided online. I have not yet tried to call as I was on hold with the Super Elite desk for 70 minutes before being disconnected (which is obviously frustrating). This seems very counterintuitive - the ability to do things online is very limited.
The Concierge also reiterated that if there is a fare difference that it will be charged and that a lower fare difference will not be reimbursed - this seems rather poor from a customer relations perspective, although I do get that AC is likely getting hammered by cancellations. Since my flight isn't until April 9th, I am likely now going to wait until travel restrictions are at a place where the majority of international flights are cancelled (which I am anticipating). It will very interesting to see what the change policy is if this occurs. I have also had a schedule change on the outbound which requires an extra stop that in normal times I would not accept.
Interesting times for sure.
The Concierge also reiterated that if there is a fare difference that it will be charged and that a lower fare difference will not be reimbursed - this seems rather poor from a customer relations perspective, although I do get that AC is likely getting hammered by cancellations. Since my flight isn't until April 9th, I am likely now going to wait until travel restrictions are at a place where the majority of international flights are cancelled (which I am anticipating). It will very interesting to see what the change policy is if this occurs. I have also had a schedule change on the outbound which requires an extra stop that in normal times I would not accept.
Interesting times for sure.
Mar 15, 2020, 2:13 pm
#732
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: YWG
Programs: AC SE100, SPG Plat, Visa Inf Priv
Posts: 509
Dear Flyertalkers,
May I humbly suggest that you all curtail your travel and return home. Maintain social distancing and protect those who are over 70 or who have health problems by reducing contact with them. This is the time to pull together as a community and get through this. Help out others, protect yourselves, and please do not venture out if you’re ill. Take care and let’s hope that these somber times are behind us quickly.
May I humbly suggest that you all curtail your travel and return home. Maintain social distancing and protect those who are over 70 or who have health problems by reducing contact with them. This is the time to pull together as a community and get through this. Help out others, protect yourselves, and please do not venture out if you’re ill. Take care and let’s hope that these somber times are behind us quickly.
Mar 15, 2020, 4:46 pm
#733
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: SE 100K
Posts: 935
Dear Flyertalkers,
May I humbly suggest that you all curtail your travel and return home. Maintain social distancing and protect those who are over 70 or who have health problems by reducing contact with them. This is the time to pull together as a community and get through this. Help out others, protect yourselves, and please do not venture out if you’re ill. Take care and let’s hope that these somber times are behind us quickly.
May I humbly suggest that you all curtail your travel and return home. Maintain social distancing and protect those who are over 70 or who have health problems by reducing contact with them. This is the time to pull together as a community and get through this. Help out others, protect yourselves, and please do not venture out if you’re ill. Take care and let’s hope that these somber times are behind us quickly.
Mar 15, 2020, 4:53 pm
#734
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
For those holding off on making changes to bookings, waiting for mass cancellations and assuming you'll be able to refund penalty free at that point, consider that airlines may not actually issue the refund you'd normally be entitled to in an effort to preserve cash. One major international carrier has already done this and we're just getting started.
Mar 15, 2020, 6:36 pm
#735
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,808
For those holding off on making changes to bookings, waiting for mass cancellations and assuming you'll be able to refund penalty free at that point, consider that airlines may not actually issue the refund you'd normally be entitled to in an effort to preserve cash. One major international carrier has already done this and we're just getting started.
In that case, if paid by credit card, the credit card will refund and debit the airline.