Has your Air Canada flight ever been cancelled or severely delayed, getting you to your destination late? Delayed flights are nothing new, but they are a pain to navigate. The amount of money you could spend on a new flight and accommodation while waiting can really add up. 

But did you know you can get up to $1,000 if your flight was cancelled or delayed for over 3 hours? That’s right–you’re entitled to flight delay or cancellation compensation. In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what that means, how much you can receive, and the process of filing a claim. 

Note that while we cover Air Canada in this article, the rules we discuss surrounding flight delays and cancellations apply to all large airlines in Canada. 

According to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, large airlines are those which have carried two million or more passengers in the past two years. All other airlines are considered small. 

For example, Air Canada, WestJet, and Flair are large airlines, while Porter and Canadian North are small airlines. 

Air Canada Flight Delay Compensation – An Overview 

As Air Canada is a large airline, compensation rules are governed by the Canadian Transportation Agency. Here’s everything you need to know about Air Canada flight compensation: 

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, Air Canada should inform you of the reason. They must update you every 30 minutes until a new flight time or arrangement is made. 

If your flight is cancelled or delayed for more than 3 hours, Air Canada will rebook you on the next available flight to your destination. If you don’t want to be rebooked, one of a few things will happen:

• If the flight is delayed due to required safety reasons or a situation within Air Canada’s control, they will refund you the unused portion of your ticket. 

• If you are not at your point of origin (the city your first flight departs from), they will refund your ticket and return you to your point of origin. 

• If the flight is delayed or cancelled because of a situation outside of Air Canada’s control, you may or may not receive a refund (depending on your fare class rules).

What does a situation outside the airline’s control cover?

• Weather conditions or a natural disaster that makes flying safely impossible

• Instructions from air traffic control

• Security threat

• Medical emergency

• Labour disputes 

• And other situations, which you can read about here. 

How Much Compensation Can You Receive? 

The amount of money you’ll get depends on how long the delay was and your final arrival time at your destination. You can receive:

• $400 for delays between 3 and 6 hours

• $700 for delays between 6 and 9 hours 

• $1,000 for delays of 9 hours or more

However, you will not receive compensation if:

• You have been told about the delay or cancellation 15 days or more before the departure time

• The flight was delayed or cancelled due to safety reasons or a situation outside of Air Canada’s control

• You have not submitted your compensation claim within one year 

• You have already been paid denied boarding or another type of compensation

• You were on a waitlist or on standby, or your fare isn’t available to the general public

Other Requirements from Air Canada

If you were informed about the delay less than 12 hours before departure, AND you have waited 2 hours after the original departure time, Air Canada is required to give you:

• Access to a means of communication (e.g. Wi-Fi, a phone, a SIM card, etc.),

• Food and drinks (the amount depends on how long you are waiting), and 

• Overnight accommodation (if you get rebooked onto a flight the next day and live out of town). 

Photo by David Syphers on Unsplash

Flight Delay Compensation for Smaller Airlines 

Let’s briefly discuss how much compensation you can get if you fly with a smaller airline, like Porter and Canadian North Airlines. You can receive:

• $125 for delays between 3 and 6 hours

• $250 for delays between 6 and 9 hours 

• $500 for delays of 9 hours or more

Filing a claim for flight delay compensation is different depending on the airline, but the same rules generally apply. You can find information about compensation on each airline’s website. 

How to File a Claim for Compensation 

If you believe you are owed compensation, you need to make a claim in writing within one year of the delay or cancellation (the sooner, the better, though!). Airlines have 30 days to either provide the compensation or tell you why they believe it’s not owed. 

Here’s how you can file a claim for Air Canada flight delay compensation:

1. Contact Air Canada Customer Relations. Select ‘Flight Delay or Cancellation Claim.’

2. Check your eligibility for compensation using their self-serve tool. 

3. Enter your ticket number and last name. If they find you are eligible, you can fill out the Air Canada flight delay compensation form below. 

4. Enter the passenger and flight information, then click ‘submit.’

Air Canada has 30 days to get back to you. If they decide you are indeed eligible for compensation, they must offer it to you in a monetary form (meaning cash, cheque, e-Transfer, etc.). If you travel with the airline often, you can also choose to receive it in the form of a voucher.

What To Do if Air Canada Does Not Respond or Provide Compensation

In many cases, Air Canada does not compensate passengers, as its delays are often ‘out of their control,’ meaning they don’t need to give you any money back. According to some Reddit users and one of our Chexy staff who experienced this first-hand, Air Canada will often deny the compensation claim but will offer a $300 travel credit valid for three to five years. 

There’s nothing you can really do at this point, unless you firmly believe that Air Canada is wrong and should give you compensation. If you want to fight them on it, you can ask the CTA to review the case. The air travel complaint resolution process usually takes 90 days.

Does Credit Card Insurance Cover Flight Delays and Cancellations?

Most travel rewards credit cards cover flight delays and cancellations. However, they do not cover the amount ($400 to $1,000) that Air Canada must provide you–so you still need to file a claim with the airline. 

Travel credit cards often come with:

• Flight delay insurance

• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance 

Flight delay insurance 

Credit card flight delay insurance will generally cover some of your expenses incurred during a delayed flight. This can include:

• Drinks and meals at a restaurant

• Accommodation in a hotel

• Essential items

• Various items (e.g. books, magazines, etc.)

Trip cancellation/interruption insurance

Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or cancelled. You can be covered in situations where:

• You miss a connecting flight

• You come down with an unexpected illness or injury 

• There is a road closure that caused you to miss your flight 

The amount you can get back depends on your credit card; most include $500 to $2,500 of coverage per insured person. 

You can file a claim with your credit card company when you get home from your trip. Make sure you have flight tickets, transportation costs, restaurant receipts, and anything else you might have spent money on during the delay. 

Some of the best credit cards that include flight delay and trip interruption/cancellation insurance are:

• Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card: $1,000 for flight delays, $2,500 for trip cancellation, and $5,000 for trip interruption insurance. 

• Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card: $500 for flight delays, $1,500 for trip cancellation, and $2,500 for trip interruption insurance.

• American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card: $1,000 for flight delays, $1,500 for trip cancellation, and $1,500 for trip interruption insurance.

• American Express Gold Rewards Card: $500 for flight delays, $1,500 for trip cancellation, and $1,500 for trip interruption insurance.

To be eligible for travel insurance, you must charge at least 75% of your ticket to the Scotiabank credit cards and the full amount to the American Express credit cards. 

Most no-FX fee credit cards also include flight delay and trip interruption insurance, as they are designed to be used abroad. 

Using a travel credit card is a great idea for booking your flight tickets, due to the insurance coverage and additional benefits, like priority airport treatment and lounge access. But did you know you can also pay your rent with your credit card and earn rewards in the form of points or cashback that can be used for free flights or travel upgrades? 

With Chexy, you can pay your rent with your credit card to not only earn rewards but build your credit score, split rent with roommates, and more. 

Get started with Chexy today. 

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