With a potential strike just three weeks away, Air Canada says it has recommitted to seeking a negotiated agreement with airline pilots. However, knowing how the very notion of a strike can deter bookings, the carrier has introduced a flexible rebooking policy.
“Air Canada's intention remains to reach a negotiated settlement with its pilots, one that recognizes their professionalism and contributions to the airline,”AC said in a 27AUG update on its ongoing contract negotiations with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).
“During the talks, there has been significant progress, and the three-week cooling off period gives the parties more than sufficient time to address any outstanding issues.
“Air Canada is fully committed to bargaining meaningfully throughout the period.”
Pilots at Canada’s largest airline could walk off the job as early as 17SEP after 98% of union members voted in favour of giving their negotiating team a strike mandate.
Air Canada’s pilots would have to give 72 hours notice before beginning a strike action. ALPA has said a strike would ground roughly 1,000 flights and impact more than 120,000 pax each day.
ALPA has said it conduct nationwide informational pickets on 27AUG in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Winnipeg plan to “demonstrate their solidarity in modernizing their decade-old contract.”
Wages are a major issue for the union, Charlene Hudy, head of the Air Canada contingent of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), told The Canadian Press.
WestJet last year dished out a 24% pay hike to its pilots over a four-year period. ALPA is undoubtedly playing that card with Air Canada, and also noting rich deals struck by pilots working south of the border. Reports suggest some U.S. pilots earn twice what an AC pilot makes today.
According to a column published on myflighttraining.ca, “a new pilot at Air Canada can expect to make around $57,375,” no matter what experience they have. The Post said a recent job ad at Air Canada says that a captain of a narrow-body (single aisle) aircraft can make up to $215,000 to $290,000 a year, while a wide-body captain can earn $315,000 to $350,000 plus overtime and expenses.
Duncan Dee, a former chief operating officer at Air Canada, told Global News that he’s hopeful a strike can be averted.
“At the end of the day I think we should remain somewhat optimistic that they can come to an agreement,” he said.
While it’s fully committed to reaching a deal, Air Canada also said it understands that some pax might be worried about a strike. With that in mind, it announced a new goodwill policy on 27AUG.
“Certainty about their travel plans is important to customers. For this reason, Air Canada has introduced a goodwill policy to give all customers flexibility with imminent travel plans. Starting today, customers who have purchased travel on Air Canada flights for the period immediately preceding and after the end of the cooling off period on September 17, 2024, can change any travel already purchased at no additional cost.
“Changes can be made online at www.aircanada.com, through the Air Canada mobile app, a travel agent, or by calling an Air Canada Contact Centre (although wait times may be elevated). The policy allows customers holding bookings on any fare type with travel between September 15 and 23, 2024, to:
A) rebook to any other Air Canada flight(s) with the same origin and destination up to November 30, 2024. Change fees and any other fees or fare difference will be waived, meaning such changes can be made at no cost for customers who choose to travel the same route in the same cabin.
or
B) cancel their flight and retain the residual value on a future travel credit. Refunds will be available as per fare rules for customers with refundable tickets; for customers with non-refundable tickets, refunds are not available as flights are scheduled to operate as normal.
or
C) cancel their flight and rebook travel for after November 30, in which case change fees will be waived but the customer will have to pay the fare difference, if any.
“The policy applies to all Air Canada operated flights, including Air Canada mainline, Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz or PAL Airlines, and Air Canada Vacations (an additional fee may apply for hotels). It is important to remember that Air Canada Express flights, operated by Jazz or PAL Airlines, are not operated by Air Canada pilots and therefore will not be impacted by the end of the cooling-off period.
“Additionally, to give customers with special requests visibility, certain special services will be temporarily unavailable. These include services such as the Unaccompanied Minor Program, special request baggage services for items such as bicycles and hunting equipment, and the Meet and Assist Program in Japan. More details for customers are available at www.aircanada.com/action and for Air Canada Vacations customers at https://vacations.aircanada.com/en/travel-advisories.
