It seems the checker only looks at the APPR rules.

I don't recall that detail. However when we (still?) submitted our claim, the e-mail we received offered an amount in CAD which must have corresponded to the 600 EUR. Even though there never was a mention of EU261.

(Some 10 years ago or so when AF had a strike and we filled a claim related to a French domestic leg of an AC ticket, we ended up receiving a cheque from Delta.)

Following up on this post from January 2023. I just got an email this afternoon from AC saying they will be mailing me a check for the USD equivalent of CAD 400. This after they originally said I wasn't due compensation and then tried to offer me a lower amount in exchange for me dropping my complaint with the CTA.

Hopefully the check will arrive in short order and Canada Post doesn't go on strike over the next couple of weeks.

I've not watched any media over the last two weeks (my mother was doing enough worrying so I had that covered, and was in the UK so brexit-EU regs got me).

But did an exec basically not admit live they were not expecting a strike so had no plans?

And from that, could one not make an argument this strike, or the ramifications of were solidly within ACs control, having explicitly chosen not to make plans?

TL;DR:
AC is lying and denying APPR compensation for our 24-hour delay, claiming the �root cause� was weather. We know it was mechanical becuase the pilot said so at the time.

Looking for advice on:

1. How to get evidence to prove the real reason (records of delay codes, pilot announcements, airport ops logs, METARs, etc.).
   
2. Whether anyone has successfully obtained proof of what the pilot announced.
   
3. Whether filing with the CTA is still worthwhile, or if small claims is more effective.
   

Any guidance appreciated.

*****

Hi FTers

Looking for advice from the FT community on how to gather solid, verifiable evidence to dispute Air Canada�s claim that our 24-hour delay was �weather-related�.

Our situation:
� Our flight was broarded early, de-iced on time without incident, and other flights were taking off on time. Pilot then announces flight is cancelled due to issue with engine and taxis back to gate. We sit for almost 5 hours waiting for resolution.
� AC is now claiming the root cause of our cancellation/delay was weather.
� We know this is not true � the delay out of YOW was explicitly described the pilot as mechanical.
� Hours later they decided to fly anyway, but because of the long delay we misconnected in YVR and were pushed to a connecting flight 24 hours later, and subsequently causing us an additional change fee of $700 on a different flight we had booked with a different airline.
� AC has since denied APPR compensation, citing �weather�. Unsatisfactory response comes back to our email to customer service, basically saying, nope, we say it's weather, so it's weather, and that's that.
� We want to challenge this, but need the right factual evidence.

What I�m trying to figure out:

1. How can we obtain documented proof of the actual reason for the delay?
   For example, is there any official record of what the pilot announced when the cancellation/long delay was first communicated? Do internal delay codes or METAR data help at all? Is there any way to get AC to disclose the operational delay codes?
   
2. What sources do people use to build a case showing an airline�s stated cause is inaccurate?
   (Flight logs, airport ops records, NOTAMs, weather reports, historical delay codes, etc. - how do you get this?)
   
3. Is it even worth filing a CTA complaint anymore?
   My understanding is CTA is massively backlogged�are people still getting results? Or would we be better going straight to small claims?

At this point, the obfuscation and misrepresentation, not to mention lack of customer service to inquiries, feels like a deliberate effort on the part of Air Canada to just make claims go away without having to pay because customers just get fed up and give up trying to get what they are owed.

Appreciate any insight from members who�ve navigated this before. Not looking to rant (I've been doing plenty of verbal ranting to my travel companions, it still hasn't solved the issue, LOL) � just hoping to understand the most effective way to gather facts and challenge AC�s false version of events.

Mechnical issues are not compensable under APPR, so it seems moot.

They may just change the cause of the delay to 'Un-scheduled Maintenance Required for Safety Reasons' and then they are again off the hook. The APPR has no teeth to it and totally favours the airlines.

Air Canada cancelled my flight less than 10 hours before departure and didn't provide any rebooking options. I filed a delay / cancellation claim and received this response:

Do I have grounds for a CTA claim under APPR?

The last (and only) time I filed a CTA complaint, I waited for over 2 years, and just before my case was about to be adjudicated, Air Canada reached out and offered to pay the $1,000 compensation due under APPR.

Why did they not offer any rebooking options?

Did they simply cancel your ticket? As it was maintenance they were legally required to rebook on any airline.

According to the automated e-mails I received:

Wondering if anyone can help me with this one. Had a flight for 2 to Huatulco from YYZ. The flights were purchased from ACV.

Flight was finally cancelled and rescheduled the next day. This was for safety or maintenance so no eligible under the flight tool. AC paid for hotel, small meal voucher etc and we departed the next day.

However, I received this e mail (portion) from
Air Canada Notification<[email protected] a>

All I am looking for is the $150.00 referenced above. I called AC phone line, and they were no help. Said I should initiate claim, but don't really how to do that with their standard claim form.

Any help appreciated.

What happens if mechanical leads to a crew time out followed by an equipment change and another crew time out ?

I would expect them to claim that original root cause was mechanical (for safety of course!) and everything beyond that doesn't apply.

It's unclear what the cause of the delay is. Maybe it is unscheduled maintenance but I'd push Air Canada further to get specifics. Certainly under the APPR they must provide compensation for scheduled maintenance and unscheduled maintenance that was caused due to negligence (i.e. forgetting to leave the heating on in an aircraft overnight causing pipes to burst). At the same time, you cannot simply look at the root cause and stop your analysis there. You have to look at all causes of the disruptions and determine the role they play on the disruption. For instance, if Air Canada did not rebook you on one of their flights departing within 9 hours of the originally scheduled departure time and did not rebook you on the next available flight of any airline (including competitors) an argument could be made that the cause of much of the disruption was a commercial decision made by the airline to reduce the out of pocket costs associated with having to rebook you on a competitor airline which would be eligible for compensation.

-RooFlyer88

The bolded sentence has zero legal merit. Under APPR ss. 10 to 12 and 19, compensation eligibility hinges solely on the originating cause of the disruption, not subsequent rebooking decisions, even if delayed beyond 9 hours or competitors.​ Rebooking under s.17 is a distinct mitigation obligation. Non-compliance may trigger standards enforcement but cannot re-categorize or "cause" the disruption for compensation purposes. No legal precedent supports this argument whatsoever.

Stop spreading misinformation. It's honestly pathetic.

Well I am now at 2 years and 6 months since filing my claim for an August 2023 incident.
Can I expect action during my lifetime ( I am now in my 70's)?