Air Canada strike: What are your rights in an airline work stoppage?

According to the airline, plans were already being made to start suspending operations ahead of the potential work stoppage, with cancellations starting as early as Friday.

With a potential strike by Air Canada’s pilots or a lockout by the company inching closer, travellers may be wondering what rights they have and what they can do if their flight gets cancelled.

The airline said Monday that plans were already being made to start suspending operations ahead of the potential work stoppage, with cancellations starting as early as Friday.

A settlement has to be reached by Sunday, otherwise, the airline or the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents 5,200 Air Canada pilots, could issue a 72-hour lockout or strike notice.

The 72-hour shutdown or strike notice period could begin any time after midnight on Sunday, with operations expected to come to a complete halt by Sept. 18.

But with cancellations possible as soon as Friday, air travel experts say there are things travellers can do to mitigate the impact.

Travel expert Barry Choi told Global News that in the case of Air Canada, travellers should consider taking a “wait-and-see” approach — unless in a rush.

“If your flight is cancelled, quite often Air Canada automatically rebooks you,” he notes. “If your flight is still a few days away, maybe wait a few hours and just see what happens or contact your travel agent because they do represent Air Canada to a certain extent; they will be able to give you the most up-to-date information.”

Customers who choose to keep their flight but then have it cancelled due to a work stoppage will be notified within 48 hours of their planned departure and rebooked with the “best available options,” according to Air Canada’s website.