Air Canada Revises Refund and Future Travel Policies

Air Canada has announced that eligible customers who purchased a non-refundable ticket for travel on or after 1 February 2020 but did not fly, can now obtain a refund from the carrier by submitting a request online or with their travel agent.

The revised COVID19 refund policy covers tickets and Air Canada Vacations packages purchased on or after 1 February 2020 and before 13 April 2021 for flights cancelled either by the airline or by the customer for any reason. Customers can request a refund to their original form of payment via Air Canada's website until 12 June 2021.

Customers who booked through a travel agency must contact their agent directly. In support of its travel agency partners, Air Canada has also confirmed that it will not recall agency sales commissions on refunded tickets that they process.

"Air Canada will be offering refunds to all eligible customers whether they cancelled their ticket or if their flight was cancelled by the airline," said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada. "Customers can now submit refund requests online or through their travel agent and we are committed to processing refunds as fast as possible."

The airline has also announced a new policy for tickets purchased on or after 13 April 2021. For such tickets, Air Canada will provide customers an option for a refund to the original form of payment in instances where Air Canada cancels their flight or reschedules the departure time by more than three hours, irrespective of the reason.

Customers will continue to have the option of accepting a fully transferrable Air Canada Travel Voucher (ACTV) with no expiry date or converting the value of their ticket to Aeroplan points with a 65% bonus.

Customers who have already accepted an ACTV or Aeroplan points will have the option to exchange these for a refund to the original form of payment, including for the unused portion of any ACTV issued or in cases where a partial refund was provided.

For customers who make voluntary changes, normal fare rules will apply.

Air Canada has also extended its existing goodwill policy so that customers can make a one-time change without a fee for all new or existing bookings made through 31 May 2021 for original travel until 31 May 2022.

"This new policy will provide more certainty and flexibility, so customers can book their future travel with greater confidence and we look forward to welcoming you back on board," added Guillemette.

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