The airline announces the gradual suspension of its flights from Thursday, after the union representing the 10,000 on-board agents and the airline itself issued strike and lock-out notice of 72 hours respectively. These notice should come into force around 1 a.m. on Saturday morning.
The situation can be difficult for customers taken between two fires, faced with delays and cancellations.
But travelers may be lucky if they have reserved their tickets with a credit card, provided that the reservation was made before the date on which the card issuer deemed the risks of known interruption, according to Will Mcaleer, Executive Director of the Canadian Travel Insurance Association.
This means that as long as the tickets were reserved before a potential labor conflict is apparent, the credit card for the credit card would cover them under the travel cancellation police, explained Mr. Mcaleer.
If the ticket was reserved using a credit card after the strike has become predictable, the costs related to the disturbances would not be covered, he added.
However, it is important to read the travel policy of your credit card carefully, warned Natasha Macmillan, Senior Director of Current Banking Services at Ratehub.ca.
Msmmillan said that consumers must check whether cancellations or delays related to a labor conflict are covered. Often, the precise travel insurance policy of exclusions, such as delays caused by government measures, a pandemic or a labor conflict.
She added that the coverage in the event of a labor conflict can also vary depending on the type of card and the supplier of the card. For example, some high -end credit cards can cover disturbances due to strikes, even if the tickets were reserved after the event has become predictable.
Ms. Macmillan added that travelers must also understand their coverage limits and reimbursement rules.
“There are generally very specific requirements,” she said.
For example, some credit card travel insurance can cover up to $ 5,000 in the event of travel cancellation, while other cards may have a lower limit.
In addition to the maximum coverage, Mr. Mcaleer recommended that travelers determine if the insurance policy is sufficient for the trip: is it lower or greater than the amount paid by traveler?
Consumers must also ensure that they respect the general conditions of the credit insurance policy, which may include payment of a large part of the credit card trip, he added.
Mr. Mcaleer said that in the event of interruption of travel, while a traveler is already in transit, airlines generally provide certain services, such as meals and nights at the hotel.
In the event of interruption of work, Steven Harris, approved insurance broker and expert at Lowestrates.ca, said that, if passengers are generally entitled to the reimbursement of accommodation, meals and new reservations, airlines are not required to compensate for additional costs, such as prepaid hotel reservations, unless they are specifically covered by the Insurance Police or an Insurance Police journey.
Air Canada has confirmed that customers affected by flight cancellations will be entitled to a full refund.
The company has also made arrangements with other carriers to offer alternative options. However, it warns that it could take time to guarantee capacity, because the other airlines already display full due to the strong summer crowds.
According to experts, to avoid unpleasant surprises related to credit card insurance policies, you have to read and understand the guarantees and prepare accordingly.
“We all know that there was a reasonable risk that (the strike) occurs,” he added.
Mr. Mcaleer insisted that it is important to check with the credit card administrator if the police covers strikes.
“I would call the transmitter of my credit card to find out what the possible guarantees would be,” he added. “Prepare for any surprise.”
