Several Air Canada passengers told CBC News they question the airline’s reason why they were denied compensation for delayed flights. According to new federal rules, large airlines must pay up to $1,000 for delayed flights that meet certain criteria.
Kristin Radtke was stunned when Air Canada rejected her compensation request for a six-hour flight delay when travelling from Edmonton to Montreal on Christmas Day.
She thought her case was a slam-dunk because her fiancé and travel partner had already filed a claim on Jan. 1 for the same flight — and received $700. But when Radtke filed her claim almost two weeks later, Air Canada replied that her trip delay was due to a safety-related “technical fault” and didn’t warrant compensation.
“I’m just baffled,” said Radtke, who lives in Edmonton. “We’re two identical passengers.”
She’s one of a half-dozen Air Canada passengers CBC News interviewed who question why they were denied compensation for delayed flights which took off after Dec. 15.
The federal government introduced new regulations on Dec. 15, mandating that large airlines — such as Air Canada and WestJet — must pay up to $1,000 in compensation for a flight delay or cancellation that is within the airline’s control and not safety-related.
Before the new rules took effect, some industry experts expressed concern that airlines might try to fudge the reason for a flight delay to avoid paying compensation.
Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick told CBC News the airline’s policy is to abide by the new regulations. He said he couldn’t comment on the three customer cases detailed in this story because they’re “under appeal.”
Which reason is it?
Radtke believes she deserves compensation not only because her fiancé got cash, but also because when the couple’s original flight was cancelled and had to be rebooked, Air Canada sent a text alert stating the culprit was “crew constraints.”
According to the new regulations, flight delays caused by staffing issues are generally considered within an airline’s control and eligible for compensation. But when Radtke filed her claim, she was told her trip delay was caused instead by a safety-related technical issue.
“It’s either crew constraints or it isn’t,” she said. “How can the reason for a flight cancellation change?”
Radtke filed a complaint with Air Canada on Jan. 22. Despite repeated calls and emails to the airline, she’s still waiting for a response, she said.
“We kind of