Air Canada offers refunds for tickets bought during pandemic
Airline Air Canada said customers who purchased a ticket on or after 1 February 2020 can now obtain a refund from the carrier
The revised Covid-19 refund policy covers tickets and Air Canada Vacations packages purchased before 13 April 2021 for flights cancelled either by the airline or by the customer for any reason.
Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada, said: "Starting today, in cases where a customer's flight is cancelled or rescheduled by more than three hours, we will offer all customers the choice of receiving a refund, an Air Canada Travel Voucher, or the equivalent value in Aeroplan Points, with a 65 per cent bonus. 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."
Travel vouchers and Aeroplan points also options
In addition to the expanded refund policy, Air Canada 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-per-cent 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.
Since March 2020, Air Canada has refunded more than CA$1.2 billion to customers holding refundable tickets. With this new announcement, Air Canada is extending a refund option to all eligible customers with tickets for travel dates on or after 1 February 2020 and who purchased their ticket before 13 April 2021. Refunds are available to those customers whose flight was cancelled or who voluntarily cancelled their flight for any reason, and who wish to submit a request for a refund to their original form of payment.
Future refund policy changed
Air Canada also announced a new policy for all tickets purchased for future travel that is effective immediately. For new tickets purchased on or after 13 April 2021, 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. Air Canada customers will also have the option of accepting an ACTV or Aeroplan points with a 65 per cent bonus.
Over in the UK, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority revealed that over £3 billion was paid back to UK passengers following flight cancellations over the past year due to the travel restrictions caused by the global pandemic.