The new refund rules for flight delays in Canada are about to land

Good news, travellers! The new refund rules for flight delays in Canada are just around the corner, after being announced earlier this summer. And don’t worry- the rules are, by and large, focused on helping travellers affected by late departures and messed up itineraries.

Up until these changes, Canada required airlines to provide refunds for flight delays that were in their control. So if an airline messed up with timing, or employees were late, or whatever, then they were on the hook for dealing with the fallout.

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However, these new changes expand the scope of their responsibility. Starting on September 8th, airlines will be required to do even more when faced with ‘lengthy delays’ (3 hours or more) or cancellations even when it’s outside of their control.

When that happens, the airlines will need to find a confirmed reservation on a flight leaving with 48 hours of the original itinerary, from their own schedule or a partner airline. If that’s not possible, they will need to provide a refund or a free rebooking (even from a competing airline). If the passenger opts for a refund, it must be dished out within 30 days.

Basically, the new refund rules for flight delays in Canada give passengers even more security when travelling in to, out of, or within Canada.  We like the sounds of that!