Flying Air Transit? Here’s what customers need to know as the strike approaches
Some passengers may be feeling worried another blow Threat to disrupt flights
Air transit was announced on Sunday It will gradually cease operations over the next three days in response to a 72-hour strike order issued by the union representing its 750 pilots. This comes just months after the closure of Air Canada About 10,000 flight attendants were flying strike in august,
Air Transat pilots may go on strike Wednesday at 3 a.m. ET Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said on Sunday. During this time, air transit says flights will be gradually suspended between Monday and Tuesday while its priority is to “minimize disruption to customers”.
“Any strike action is extremely disruptive. At this time of year, people will be flying to visit friends and relatives and certainly travelers will be concerned about their ability to be with loved ones,” said Geraint Harvey, an expert on labor relations in commercial aviation at Western University in London, Ontario. Statement Monday.
But where does that leave the passengers? Let’s break it down.
Some Air Transit flights have already been canceled Monday morning, as the airline begins reducing operations ahead of a pilots’ strike, which could begin as early as 3 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
What will happen to the flights?
Air Transit says flight cancellations will begin gradually starting Monday, with a full suspension by Tuesday. Essentially, if you’re flying on Air Transat between now and Friday, your travel plans may be affected, the airline says.
The airline said: “The company deeply regrets the impact this disruption has had on passengers during this busy period.” website,
On its website, Air Transat says it flies year-round from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. this also Provides seasonal service to a variety of destinations including Edmonton, Fredericton, Halifax, Hamilton, Kelowna, London, Moncton, Ottawa, Regina, Rouen, Saskatoon, St. John’s, Windsor and Winnipeg.
According to Air Transat’s website, if your flight is cancelled, you will be notified directly by email and refunded according to the payment method on file.
The company’s priority is to get passengers back home from their destinations, the airline told CBC News in a statement. Air Transat says it is adding four additional flights on Monday to get some passengers back sooner.
How many flights have been canceled so far?
For now, flights scheduled for Monday are operating as planned, Air Transit said in a statement.
A quick look at Transit’s in and out websites at all Canadian airports on Monday morning revealed some scheduled Transit flight cancellations over the next two days, though it’s unclear whether they are related to the labor action.
For example, at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, a flight to Edmonton was canceled today, another flight to Cancún and another from Cancún were canceled on Tuesday, and a flight from Ottawa was canceled today.
In montrealA flight from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, was canceled on Tuesday, and a flight from Varadero, Cuba, was canceled on Monday.
Air Transit encourages any traveler Check their flight status,
Air Transit’s fleet of approximately 40 aircraft carries thousands of passengers on more than 500 flights each week. Even if the strike is short or averted altogether, the resulting spate of canceled trips could disrupt the airline’s flight schedule for a few days, if not longer.
“There is usually room on flights to accommodate a few passengers, but this is likely to cause minimal inconvenience,” said Western University’s Harvey.
Air Transat says it will begin suspending flights on Monday in response to a 72-hour strike order issued by the union representing its pilots, followed by a full suspension on Tuesday.
What kind of flexibility is Air Transit offering?
On its website, the airline says it is implementing a flexibility policy for customers traveling within the next five days that allows them to change or postpone their travel at no additional cost.
Customers must fill out a Form on Air Transit Website to cancel. They further explain that customers will Receive a credit on their file, which is valid for 12 months, and it will appear on their file within 12 to 48 hours of cancellation.
However, if you booked through a travel agency, Transat says to contact that agency directly.
If you have booked the entire Air Transat Vacation Package and the vacation has not started yet, Air Transat says the booking will be cancelled, and you will be refunded as per the payment method on file.
If you’re looking to change or cancel a flight on or after December 13, Air Transat says bookings will remain subject to the airline’s normal terms and conditions.
What will happen if there is a total strike?
This will start from Wednesday morning itself. However the union, ALPA, says this is temporary.
“There is still time to avoid a strike, but until significant progress is made at the bargaining table, we will strike only when necessary to achieve a modern contract,” Capt. Bradley Small, chairman of the Air Transat Master Executive Council, said in a statement. Statement on Sunday.
If pilots go off work on Wednesday, air transit says it “We will make every possible effort to assist the customers in returning to their place of origin.”
The Air Transit website states, “This will include the offer of a new ticket on the next available flight if such an option exists within 48 hours of the original departure time, or a refund of any unused portion of the journey.”
For those who have booked a holiday package and find themselves stranded at their destination, Transat says it will cover any additional costs incurred.
“IIn the event of refusal of the option offered by Air Transat, passengers will be entitled to a refund for any unused portion of the journey,” the airline states.
Dave Bordage, vice president of flight operations at Air Transat, raised questions Monday about the status of contract negotiations with pilots, who issued a 72-hour notice Sunday, and asked about flight operations as the company prepared for possible disruptions this weekend.
Can passengers be compensated?
According to Ivalyo Danalov, CEO of SkyRefund, a passenger rights organization, under current air passenger safety rules, cancellations or significant delays associated with labor disruption are generally treated as events outside the carrier’s control.
This means that monetary compensation is usually not available.
But the organization argues that Air Transat’s decision to cancel flights in anticipation of a strike that has not yet begun is a business decision “over which Air Transat has complete control, and is not required for safety reasons.”
The organization writes that your rights depend on your itinerary, and whether you or the airline canceled your flight. in a blog post,
Carl Moore, an airline expert and associate professor at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, told CBC News Network that the airline has a responsibility to find you another seat in a reasonable amount of time, and if that seat is priced higher, it has to pay the difference.
“Hang in there and make sure the airlines step up and do what’s required by the government,” Moore said.
Where is the conversation now?
Air Transit and ALPA aim to replace the agreement that was negotiated in 2015 and expired at the end of April. According to the union, the current issues include wages, benefits, work rules and job security.
Both the union and the airline said Monday that progress was being made. The two parties, which began talks toward a new collective agreement in January, have said they are negotiating around the clock.
“We are working tirelessly and still hope to reach an agreement during the day to minimize operational disruptions,” said Andrian Gagné, senior director of communications, public affairs and corporate responsibility at Air Transat, in an email to CBC News.
ALPA president Capt. Tim Perry told CBC News Network on Monday that they were negotiating late into the night and into the morning but there were still some “significant issues” in the proposal.
“We don’t want to go on strike,” Perry said. “We understand that everyone wants to go where they need to go.”
Capt. Tim Perry, president of the Air Line Pilots Association of Canada, raised questions Monday about the state of negotiations between pilots and Air Transat, which is set to stage a gradual shutdown of operations ahead of a possible strike.
