If a settlement between Air Canada and its pilots is not reached by Sunday, the airline’s operations could come to a complete stop as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18.
The pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, and Air Canada are required to issue a 72-hour strike or lockout notice.
But even ahead of the Sept. 18 full-stop date, Air Canada was expected to start cancelling certain flights as early as today.
So, if you have a flight booked with the airline with an itinerary that leaves in the next few days or weeks, what should you do?
“Passengers should be cautious but avoid panicking,” said Hwansuk Chris Choi, a professor in the School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph.
If your flight is urgent, Choi says it’s time to act, if you haven’t done so already.
“If they have a very strict travel schedule, they should be very proactive about rescheduling their trips now, otherwise last-minute rebooking or purchasing another airline ticket will result in a price that is a lot higher than they expected,” he said.
However, if your travel plans are flexible, he says it may be prudent to wait and see how the situation unfolds.
“Air Canada will notify the affected passenger at least 12 to 24 hours before any cancellation,” he said. “Then you’ll be entitled to a possible refund or rebooking with another airline, if your flight operation is terminated.”
Choi also recommends people get travel insurance and look for a policy that covers a labour strike as most don’t, and for anyone with a premium credit card, he recommends checking if their credit card provides compensation for travel disruptions.
Choi says many labour negotiations have been resolved at the last hour and hopes that Air Canada and Air Line Pilots Association come to a resolution before Sunday’s deadline; if not, some 110,000 daily passengers will be affected. He also says it may take up to 10 days to normalize operations after a strike ends.
It may also be in the best interest of Air Canada to come to an agreement quickly because if customers lose trust in it, they could opt to fly with other airlines, he says. On the other hand, customers should be aware that if the pilots get the pay increase they’re seeking, it could result in higher airfare prices in the future.
For updates check Air Canada.