Strike action.

plloyd63

I have just looked at my upcoming flight to Vancouver with Air Canada and found there is a very likely risk of a strike by the pilots when I'm due to leave. ( I have no notification of this) 

They seem to be offering alternative dates which certainly don't suit me or put my £1450 in an account to be used by the end of April 2025 ...not ideal.

It seems no refunds are being offered, Can I claim on my annual travel insurance or my credit card? I bought the tickets in April. 

I'm hoping it can be sorted but they only have a week to come to an agreement and have just turned down a 30% pay increase. 

eskbanker

Assuming the flight leaves from the UK (or EU), then if the airline cancels the flight, they're legally obliged to refund you within seven days, and also pay compensation:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-cancellation-compensation/

However, if they haven't yet cancelled the flight then these rights won't have kicked in yet - what's the basis on which they're making you offers if you haven't had any notification of potential issues?

Caz3121

plloyd63 said:

I have just looked at my upcoming flight to Vancouver with Air Canada and found there is a very likely risk of a strike by the pilots when I'm due to leave. ( I have no notification of this) 

They seem to be offering alternative dates which certainly don't suit me or put my £1450 in an account to be used by the end of April 2025 ...not ideal.

It seems no refunds are being offered, Can I claim on my annual travel insurance or my credit card? I bought the tickets in April. 

I'm hoping it can be sorted but they only have a week to come to an agreement and have just turned down a 30% pay increase. 

I assume you are reading the information from their website here
https://www.aircanada.com/uk/en/aco/home/book/travel-news-and-updates/2024/ac-action.html#/

as they state "Currently, our operations are not affected, and our flights are operating as scheduled. However, if you want to make alternate travel arrangements for your peace of mind, we’ve implemented a policy that allows you to change your flight for free"
If you want a refund you will need to wait to see if your flight is cancelled then you will be due one.

plloyd63

A refund is only a credit according to the site. I really want the holiday to happen, my dates are towards the end of the strike (they are due to end 23rd sept). I'm thinking though as talks have been going on for a year that another week won't resolve the problem. If I do book another holiday out of my own pocket and the strike ends after only 2 days for instance I guess any insurance wouldn't then cover me as the flight is available.  

400ixl

As people have said, the refund is a credit at the moment as it is a gesture of goodwill as the flight has not been cancelled. If the flights gets cancelled in the future due to strike action, you rights will be different.

If you do book another holiday outside of the voucher then yes it is at your own risk and travel insurance would not cover you if the original flights were not cancelled.

eskbanker

plloyd63 said:

A refund is only a credit according to the site. I really want the holiday to happen, my dates are towards the end of the strike (they are due to end 23rd sept). I'm thinking though as talks have been going on for a year that another week won't resolve the problem. If I do book another holiday out of my own pocket and the strike ends after only 2 days for instance I guess any insurance wouldn't then cover me as the flight is available.  

Perhaps worth highlighting that if your flight is cancelled, then (as well as compensation if caused by their staff striking) the airline is obliged to offer you the choice between a refund or rerouting on another flight at the earliest opportunity (at their cost), which can be with another airline - it's not uncommon for airlines not to be particularly forthcoming with such arrangements, but if they are unable or unwilling to rebook you with someone else in order to get to your destination, then you can do so yourself and claim it back.

Re-routing in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 261/2004

Obviously when a flight is cancelled there'd be plenty of passengers in the same boat but potentially worth researching and being prepared to seek alternative arrangements from Air Canada (or elsewhere) in the event that it happens....

plloyd63

Thanks all for the replies. I'm going to give it til the 15th to see if they strike. If so i think i'll take a credit for next year and book something else for now. not ideal but £1450 is an aweful lot of money to me and I guess that'll be next years holiday sorted. and part paid for.