This guide helps Air Canada passengers better understand the conditions on which they can receive denied boarding compensation and what payment methods Air Canada offers. Readers will also learn what kind of monetary compensation to expect for the inconvenience and how to report a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency if the compensation for the denied boarding claim does not satisfy the customer.
In many cases, a passenger is bumped off an Air Canada flight because it was overbooked, meaning there are more passengers at the boarding gate than there are seats on the plane. In every case, the airline must inform passengers why they were denied boarding and if the situation was within the airlines control, how much compensation the passenger will receive.
When a denied boarding situation arises, an Air Canada representative will call for enough volunteers to give up their seats at the boarding gate so that the flight can leave at a reasonable time. If there aren't enough volunteers, other passengers will be denied boarding in accordance with Air Canada's boarding priority policy.
Passengers are entitled to involuntarily denied boarding compensation based on how late the passenger arrives at their final destination. Volunteers are not entitled to compensation beyond what is accepted by the passenger at the time of volunteering.
Note: Passengers who have already received delay/cancellation compensation are ineligible for denied boarding compensation.
Not only must the airline must pay compensation for any passenger involuntarily denied boarding, Air Canada must also provide passengers with alternative travel arrangements (this may include overnight accommodations if there are no flights the same day), a minimum standards of treatment, and communicate important information to passengers.
There are a few conditions (outlined in the Air Canada's General Terms and Conditions of Carriage) in which a passenger may be involuntarily denied boarding, but is ineligible for compensation. For example, if the flight was cancelled, if a smaller capacity aircraft was substituted due to operational reasons, or for any safety reasons.
The amount of compensation for denied boarding is as follows:
Passengers typically receive word of compensation at the gate where they were denied boarding and can expect compensation in the form of cash, check, a bank transfer, or a travel voucher for Air Canada.
Any passengers not satisfied with the compensation from an involuntarily denied boarding claim with Air Canada can contact the Canadian Transportation Agency.
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