President’s Message Karen Huestis CSA President As I write my column in the midst of what feels like a very hot Ontario summer, I know that it won’t be much longer until many of us are making our way to our winter destinations. By now, we have all seen and heard the horror stories surrounding many of our Canadian airports this summer. At the height of the pandemic, thousands of airline workers – from pilots to baggage handlers – were laid off, with Canadian air travel virtually disappearing. When many pandemic restrictions began to be relaxed, Canadians flocked back to airports in droves. Airlines responded to the increased demand by quickly ramping up scheduled flights. These same airlines, and the government agencies responsible for many of the day-to-day operations of our airports, did not have the staff in place to cope with the rapid increase in demand for air travel. This led to many of the cancellations and delays that have continued to frustrate air travellers throughout the spring and summer. In June, the Canadian Transportation Agency announced amendments to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations which will provide additional passenger refund requirements, effective September 8, 2022. Currently, these regulations require refunds to be provided for flight disruptions within control of the airlines. As of September 8, the new regulations require airlines to provide passengers with either a refund or rebooking – at the passenger’s choice – when a flight is cancelled or a lengthy delay occurs due to a situation outside of the airline’s control that prevents it from ensuring that passengers complete their itinerary within a reasonable time. These enhanced requirements will apply to all flights to, from and within Canada, including connecting flights. Specifically, the new regulations: ▶ Require airlines to provide a passenger affected by a cancellation or a lengthy delay due to a situation outside of the airline’s control with a confirmed reservation on the next available flight that is operated either by them or a partner airline, leaving within 48 hours of the departure time indicated on the passenger’s original ticket. If the airline cannot provide a confirmed reservation within this 48-hour period, it will be required to provide – at the passenger’s choice – a refund or rebooking ▶ Identify what costs must be refunded (unused portion of the ticket, which includes any unused add-on services paid for) ▶ Identify the payment method to be used for refunds (same as the original payment, e.g., a refund on the person’s credit card) ▶ Require airlines to provide a refund within 30 days The bottom line is that the new regulations mean that airlines will have to refund or rebook even when the issue is beyond their control for problems such as weather. Of course, none of this will make much difference unless these regulations are consistently enforced but, if the federal government is serious, this may go a long way toward helping to solve the problem of unrealistic flight scheduling plaguing many of Canada’s airports. With the upcoming general election in Quebec scheduled for October 3, the CSA will be preparing an election handbook which will be distributed to our members in Quebec and posted on our website. Our election handbooks contain important information such as our major advocacy issues in the province, as well as details about how to vote and key dates, to ensure that members have the information which they require in order to exercise their right to vote. Quebec electors can also visit Elections Quebec at www.electionsquebec.qc.ca prior to the election to ensure that their name is on the list of electors and that their address information is up to date. I would like to thank all of our members who have renewed their CSAmembership, as well as all of those who have made donations to our Special Action Fund. If you have not yet renewed your membership, I would encourage you to do so without delay. You can renew your membership through the mail, on the phone or on our website at www.snowbirds.org. We are the only association working on behalf of all travelling Canadians and there is certainly strength in numbers when dealing with our elected officials. We need your help! Bill and I hope that you enjoy what’s left of the nice weather as we begin preparations to travel once again to our winter homes. 10 | www.snowbirds.org
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