The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) rolled out new Air Passenger Protection Regulations on Friday, due to come into effect in two stages.
Beginning 15JUL, 2019, airlines will have to:
- Communicate pax rights and recourses in a simple, clear way in the event of flight delays and cancellations;
- Provide compensation of up to CAD$2,400 for bumping pax for reasons within their control;
- Ensure pax receive standards of treatment during all tarmac delays and allow them to leave the airplane, when it's safe to do so, if a tarmac delay lasts for over three hours and there's no prospect of an imminent take-off;
- Provide compensation for lost or damaged baggage of up to CAD$2,100 and a refund of any baggage fees;
- Set clear policies for transporting musical instruments.
Beginning 15DEC, 2019, airlines will have to:
- Provide compensation of up to CAD$1,000 for flight delays and cancellations within an airline's control that are not safety-related;
- Rebook or refund pax when flights are delayed, including, in some cases, using a competing airline;
- Provide food, drink and accommodation to pax when flights are delayed; and
- Facilitate the seating of children under 14 years in close proximity to an accompanying adult, at no extra charge.
The CTA says the final regulations reflect input it received from the public, consumer rights groups, and the airline industry.
"Our goal was to provide a world-leading approach to air passenger rights that would be predictable and fair for passengers, while ensuring our air carriers remain strong and competitive," said Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport.
"After a long and thorough consultation process, I am proud to say these new regulations achieve that balance and will give air travellers the rights and treatment they pay for and deserve."
Not everyone agrees of course. Airline passenger advocate Gabor Lukacs describes the new rules this way: "These are regulations by the airlines for the airlines, and rubber stamped by the government."
But others took a more positive view, including Jeff Walker, CAA Chief Strategy Officer.
"The package itself, while far from perfect, is a solid advance for consumers." Walker added. "We will have uniform, accessible rules for all travellers instead of a patchwork of policies carriers wrote themselves, and largely keep out of sight."
Walker said CAA is disappointed with the delay until December for many of the new regulations to take effect.
"It was over three years ago that the government committed to putting a real passenger rights regime in place, so we find this latest delay really disappointing," Walker said. He pledged that CAA would keep a close eye on enforcement.
"We'll keep watching out for Canadian air travellers," Walker said. "What CAA will be focused on now is how well the government enforces the new package, and what kind of data they make public to allow all of us to judge how effective the regime is."
Anna Kroupina Journalist
Anna is OJ's newest member and she joins the team as a writer/reporter. She co-writes the daily news and covers events. Although she's new to the industry, pursuing a career path in travel/tourism has been a goal since her first family road trip to the Florida Keys sparked a desire to discover the world and this exhilarating, fast-paced industry.
