Air Passenger Rights

CAA’s Air Passenger Help Guide

CAA is a strong advocate for the travelling public including the rights of air travellers. Canada’s federal rules governing air passenger rights are complicated and long. The new CAA Air Passenger Help Guide will help air travellers navigate the rules when they experience problems such as flight delays, cancellations, lost baggage, and getting bumped from a flight. The plain-language guide helps answer the most common questions in five clicks or less. The new CAA Air passenger Help Guide, launched on February 27, 2024, will help air travellers navigate the most common flight disruptions, such as delayed or cancelled flights, lost bags and denied boarding.

Visit the guide

APR

Air Travel & Restrictions

CAA has represented the travelling public since 1913. For decades, we have been operating one of the country’s largest leisure travel agencies. We know that Air Travel hasn’t had the smoothest return to normal—for airlines, airports, or travellers—with flight cancellations, staffing shortages, long lineups, lost luggage, and passengers stuck on the tarmac.

Brush up on baggage basics. Check your airline’s rules on maximum dimensions for carry-on bags and checked baggage limits. And remember that carry-on liquids must still be in containers 100 mL or less. Look into peak travel times for your departing airport and give yourself plenty of time to check in. The days of showing up 30 minutes before gates close are behind us now.

CAA has long been an advocate for your rights as a traveller and we have your back.  Learn more about Travelling & Restrictions.

Know Your Rights

Before you head out on your next trip, here’s what you should know.

  • Canada’s national Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) came into effect in 2019. The regulations lay out the ground rules for airlines to provide you with a basic standard of care. The rules apply to any flight to, from or within Canada.

  • Your rights as an air traveller include being promptly informed and updated about delays, compensation for being bumped from an overbooked flight, and compensation up to $2,300 for lost/damaged luggage.

  • Another notable change is that, in the past, airlines would offer you a credit for cancelled flights – now, airlines must rebook, offer a credit or a full refund, at your discretion.

Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA)

  • As of September 8, 2022, a significant addition has been made to passenger rights for delayed flights. The change “requires airlines to provide passengers with either a refund or rebooking within 48 hours, at the passenger’s choice, when there is a flight cancellation, or a lengthy, delay, due to a situation outside the airline’s control,” according to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA).  In other words, regardless of the reason for the delay, the airline is required to refund you or rebook you at no additional cost, again within 48 hours.

  • The regulations are a good start, but CAA says there’s still room for improvement. The CTA should require airlines to publish data on their on-time performance, number of bags they lose, and other information related to delays and cancellations.

  • Another area of improvement is an exemption to compensation for mechanical problems with an aircraft. CAA continues to monitor this and other potential regulations to protect passengers.

  • If you feel your rights have been infringed upon, your very first point of contact will always be the airline.

If you’re not satisfied with the airline’s response, the next step would be to file a complaint with The Canadian Transportation Agency. They have a plain-language resource to help you understand your rights as an air passenger.