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Air Canada Flight Cancellations and Delays: Expert EU261 Compensation Guide

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll show you how to claim up to £520 (€600) in Air Canada flight delay and cancellation compensation EU261 and help you understand your passenger rights.

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Air Canada Flight Cancellations and Delays: Expert EU261 Compensation Guide
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Amy Lancelotte

Last Updated: February 04, 2025

Air Canada is the largest airline in Canada, and it's also the nation's flag carrier. It has major hubs in places like Montreal and Toronto and offers flights worldwide. However, even though Air Canada is a popular and impressive airline, only 63% of its flights arrived on time in 2023 making it the worst-performing large airline in North America. Because of this, don’t be surprised if you find yourself dealing with Air Canada flight cancellations and delays.

Facing flight disruptions is always a hassle even for seasoned air travellers, but fortunately, you have some options. We’ll explain how to submit a compensation claim or even get a refund from the airline, so keep reading to find out more about how this works.

Passengers asking for information about Air Canada cancelled flights

What are Your Air Passenger Rights?

Whenever you have a flight delay with Air Canada, you can at least breathe easy knowing you’ll have some protection thanks to your air passenger rights. If you’re flying from or to a Canadian airport, your rights will be protected by the air passenger rights in Canada. In the same way, if you’re departing from an EU or UK airport you can count on the rules of EU261 and UK261.

All three air passenger rights regulations give you the right to cash compensation, refunds,  and care and assistance when you encounter flight disruptions.

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Flight Delays in Canada

According to FlightStats, Air Canada’s Flight 854, which travels from Toronto Pearson to London Heathrow, only 58% arrived on time between March 15 and May 15, 2024. The average delay time was 96 minutes and the total delay time was as much as 428 minutes.

As we mentioned, in 2023, Air Canada was the worst airline in North America for on-time performance, according to CBC. Their 63% was cited as a wake-up call with efforts to be dedicated to increasing this metric. An Air Canada spokesperson commented on the numbers:

quotes

Our operation has been consistently improving so that by year-end our monthly on-time performance showed a double-digit improvement over July, a significant increase.

Due to the airline’s quite dismal 2023 performance, John Lawford from Ottawa’s Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) in Ottawa, recommended that Air Canada strive for even further improvement. He said:

quotes

It would seem to be a good wake-up call for Air Canada to improve the on-time percentage. "It would probably reduce their consumer delay and cancellation complaints as well, and to the extent that they can spend to do that, that's what consumers would probably prefer.

These statements demonstrate why it’s so important to know your passenger rights and entitlements in case you run into delays with the carrier.

First, if your flight delay lasts at least 2 hours, you can expect the airline to provide you with care and assistance free of charge. This means you should be given meal and refreshment vouchers and access to communication.

Next, because Air Canada is considered a large airline, you can expect to get up to £520 (€600) in cash compensation any time you depart from or arrive at a Canadian airport.

Now, there’s one hitch to getting financial compensation and that is if your flight delay was caused by something that Air Canada had no way of avoiding or preventing. So, if your flight was delayed because of dangerous weather or because of air traffic control restrictions, then the airline is not obliged to compensate you.

Passenger after Air Canada flight cancellations

Air Canada Delayed Flights in the EU or UK

We know already that there are UK and EU regulations that cover passengers who depart from an airport in either of these areas. UK261 was enacted due to Brexit and affords the same rights as EU261.

What is Air Canada EU261 Compensation?

If you’re travelling from the EU, you will also be eligible for cash compensation if you’re delayed at least 3 hours. This is also limited to delays caused by something outside Air Canada’s control. The same time limit applies to flights that depart from England and the same cause exception.

What Flights Are Covered by EU261?

Since it can get a bit confusing, here are some examples of flights that would be eligible for EU261 compensation:

  • London Heathrow to Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport: This route qualifies for up to £520 (€600) of UK261 compensation as long as your flight delay is a minimum of 3 hours. If we reverse this flight and it leaves Montreal instead, your compensation claim will be made through the Canadian compensation rights.
  • Paris Charles de Gaulle to Vancouver International Airport: This flight offers the same maximum of EU261 compensation as the one above.
  • Amsterdam Schiphol to Toronto Pearson: This is another popular Air Canada route that would permit a claim under EU261 for delays exceeding 3 hours, providing the other condition of delay cause is met.

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Cancelled Flights with Air Canada

In 2023, the US Department of Transportation showed that Air Canada’s cancellation rate was 1.7% or roughly 27,710 cancelled in all. Based on this, here’s what you need to know if you experience an Air Canada flight cancellation.

If your flight gets cancelled with less than two weeks' notice, and the carrier is at fault for the cancellation, then you could also get cash compensation, but you will initially be given the choice of a rebooked flight or a refund.

If you go with a new flight offered by Air Canada, and it doesn’t depart for 2 or more hours, you’re owed the care and assistance we mentioned earlier. But if your rebooking doesn’t depart until the following day, then you’re also entitled to a one-night stay in a hotel along with free transportation to and from the airport.

Cash compensation enters the picture if you arrive at your final destination late. The next section will help you determine how much you could be owed both in Canada and in the UK and EU.

How Much Compensation Can You Get

The actual amount of financial compensation you receive from Air Canada will depend on where you’re traveling and how long you are delayed at your final destination. It’s also important to note that you could get cash compensation in addition to your refund or rebooking. Let’s take a look:

Flight Delay

Compensation 

0-6 Hours

 £220 (€250)

6-9 Hours

 £350 (€400)

Over 9 hours

 £520 (€600)

In the EU and UK, you can expect the following amounts if your flight is at least 3 hours late. Because Air Canada’s routes typically have a Canadian departure or arrival point, your flight will likely always be in the final (maximum) category.

Distance

Compensation

Under 1,500km (London to Berlin)

 £220 or €250 or approximately CA$370

1,500-3,000km (London to Lisbon)

 £350 or €400 or approximately CA$590

Over 3,000km (London to Dubai)

 £520 or  €600 or approximately CA$890

It’s important to understand that if Air Canada provides you with a rebooking that departs up to 2 hours before your scheduled departure time and arrives less than 4 hours past your scheduled arrival time, then your compensation may be cut in half. At AirAdviser, we always strive to get you the full amount of compensation that you’re owed! Check your flight details below to see how much you could receive.

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Understanding Rebookings and Refunds

For all types of flight delays or cancellations, missed connections or even denied boarding, Air Canada must ensure passengers complete their itinerary (that is, reach their final destination). When a flight is cancelled, or once a delay reaches 3 hours, an airline must also offer alternate travel arrangements in the same class of service and using a reasonable route. The airline must rebook you on the next available flight operated by them or an airline with which they have a commercial agreement.

If the situation is within the airline's control (whether or not it's related to safety), if that next available flight would not leave within 9 hours of the original departure time, a large carrier must rebook the passenger on a flight operated by any airline. This could mean booking a ticket with a competing airline.

tip

If a large airline like Air Canada is unable to rebook you on a flight leaving the same airport within 48 hours of the original departure time, they have to book you on a flight leaving from another airport, if there is an option nearby.

For disruptions other than those outside the airline's control, a passenger would be entitled to a refund instead of rebooking, if:

  • The arrangements offered do not meet their travel needs; or
  • There is no longer any purpose to the travel, because of the disruption

Passenger waiting for an Air Canada refund

How To Fill Out an Air Canada EU261 Claim Form

To receive any kind of EU 261 compensation in the UK, CA, or Europe, you’ll need to spend some time filling in a form on Air Canada’s website. This form can be pretty complicated, and it requires quite a lot of detailed information about you and your flight.

If you’ve not filled in the EU261 or equivalent form before, you might be a little lost at first, and many people make mistakes that can then impact their chances of getting the money they’re owed. If you prefer not to take that risk, choose Air Advisor.

What To Do if the Air Canada Form Isn’t Working

Sometimes the forms you need to complete are not working. This can be anything from user error to technical glitches. If you rather not wait for the airline to resolve either type of issue, we can help.

Air Advisor is a dedicated EU261 Claim Help Center service. Our team of airline compensation experts knows exactly how to make successful claims for airline compensation, and they can take care of most of the hard work on your behalf. Get in touch today with some info about your flight and our team will work for you to make a successful claim and get the Air Canada compensation you deserve.

What’s more, we operate on a no-win, no-fee basis, meaning that you won't have to pay us anything at all if we aren’t successful in making your claim! It’s totally risk-free, and you can use our free flight delay compensation calculator to learn more.

Find out how much you’re owed todayClaim with AirAdvisor and get up to £520 (€600) in compensation.Check Your Flight

People Also Ask

How do you claim EU261 compensation from Air Canada?

To claim some compensation from Air Canada, just fill in the form on the Air Canada website or Air Advisor’s website.

Can you get Air Canada compensation if you’re rebooked on another flight in a lower seating class than what you originally bought?

Yes, you can get downgrade compensation if you end up in a lower seating class than what you purchased!

Can you get compensation if Air Canada loses your checked baggage?

Yes, you can get compensation if your checked bags are delayed, lost, or damaged!

If Air Canada offers a voucher, should you accept it?

If you’re offered a voucher in place of a refund, just make sure you read all the fine print and understand what you’re accepting. Be especially careful about anything that would cause you to forfeit your right to flight compensation, and don’t hesitate to ask questions about how long the voucher lasts and any restrictions that may affect your future travel.

 

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