Isn’t it frustrating when you show up at the airport for your flight and realize you’ve been bumped due to overbooking? Or even worse when the airline loses or damages your luggage? Well, it looks like your voices have been heard and you can now get compensated for the inconvenience it causes you. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) just announced that Canadian travelers can get hundreds of dollars in compensation from airlines due to inconveniences.
A new regulatory regime was proposed with specific financial entitlements for travelers depending on the situation. It includes:
- A requirement for airlines to provide clear communications about flight delays or cancellations. The communications would have to be with regular updates by email, text or other methods.
- Compensation for flight delays or cancellations depending on the circumstances and how much the airline is at fault.
- Compensation for boarding denied a result of commercial decisions, such as overbooking.
- Compensation for lost or damaged baggage
- Clear policies for tarmac delays.
So how much are the airlines willing to compensate? Well, it depends on the scenario, but here’s an idea:
for cancellations or flight delays:
- 400$ for a delay of 3 to 6 hours
- 700$ for 6 to 9 hours
- 1,000$ for more than 9 hours
*Passengers will also get food and beverage vouchers as well as access to electronic devices
for boarding denied due to overbooking:
- 900$ that lead up too late arrival of up to 6 hours
- 1,800$ that lead up too late arrival of 6 to 9 hours
- 2,400$ that lead up too late arrival of more than 9 hours
for lost or damaged baggage
Compensation of up to 2,100$
So next time your flight gets delayed /canceled or your baggage is lost/damaged, make sure to get your compensation.
