The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) is sharing important information for consumers who booked packaged travel that include flights on Air Canada. This includes packages booked with Air Canada Vacations and other TICO-registered businesses whose packages include Air Canada flights.
Ontario’s provincial travel regulator notes that the information only applies to travel packages purchased by consumers from a TICO-registered travel service in the province – not Air Canada, the airline, which is federally regulated by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA).
(For Air Canada information, click HERE).
Meanwhile, for consumers whose travel packages have been cancelled due to the Air Canada labour disruption:
Under Ontario law, if a travel agency or tour operator acquires rights to travel services for resale to other registrants or customers and is unable to provide the travel services purchased due to the failure of a supplier(s) to provide the service (e.g., flight to destination), then the customer must be offered their choice of:
- A refund;
- Comparable alternate travel services acceptable to the customer; or
- A voucher or similar document that is acceptable to the customer for future redemption towards travel services.
If a customer prefers a full refund for a travel package sold, or otherwise provided by Air Canada Vacations or another TICO-registered business with a package that features an Air Canada flight, Ontario’s consumer protection laws require a refund be provided within a reasonable timeframe.
For consumers booked or in destination with Air Canada Vacations, visit the Air Canada Vacations website for more information. For packages with other TICO-registered businesses, contact the business.
Additionally, consumers are encouraged to contact their insurance provider as soon as possible to discuss coverage and options.
Under Ontario law, there is no coverage under the Travel Industry Compensation Fund for consumers to be reimbursed for expenses (e.g., accommodations, meals, car rental, lost wages, etc.) incurred due to a flight cancellation because of a labour disruption.
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