'We have a responsibility:' Trudeau urges global leaders to support pact for future
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is telling world leaders to either bury their heads in the sand or put differences aside for the sake of future generations.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) will settle with Air Canada for US$4.5 million after filing an action against the airline for its extreme delay in providing refunds for flights to and from the United States that were cancelled or adjusted early in the pandemic.
The settlement is the highest amount that OACP has received from a single airline,
Part of the settlement is a US$2 million fine to be paid directly to the U.S. Treasury.
The complaint against Air Canada and OACP was at first seeking a penalty of US$25 million. At the time of filing the action, OACP said it had received more than 6,000 complaints against Air Canada since March 2020 from consumers who had their flights changed at short notice and were denied a refund.
At the start of the pandemic, as travel restrictions changed in different countries, airlines all over the globe abruptly cancelled or changed flights in an attempt to abide by restrictions or in an attempt to deal with low ticket sales.
U.S. law states that airlines must provide refunds upon request if they significantly change a flight, and that refunds must be delivered within seven days of the request if the customer paid with credit, and 20 days if they paid with cash.
In total, the OACP stated that Air Canada had committed at least 5,100 violations, and that passengers were stuck waiting “anywhere from 5 months to 13 months to receive refunds.â€
The original filing action also stated that Air Canada failed to make a good faith effort to process refunds when OACP announced that they were giving airlines more time to deal with the high volume of refund requests.
Air Canada initially stated it would be fighting the proceedings in June, saying the agency had not conducted a “well-reason analysis†of the regulations.
In the release announcing the agreement to settle, OACP stated that US$2.5 million will go towards refunding passengers who purchased a non-refundable ticket for a flight to or from the United States.
“Airlines and other sellers of airline tickets have a legal obligation to refund consumers if the airline cancels or significantly changes a consumer’s flight,†the release stated.
“OACP believes that this settlement is in the public interest, and that it serves to deter Air Canada and other carriers from committing similar violations in the future.â€
With files from the Canadian Press
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is telling world leaders to either bury their heads in the sand or put differences aside for the sake of future generations.
An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.
The head of the Air Canada pilots union says she'll step down if members opt not to approve a tentative deal with the airline, raising the stakes as aviators mull whether to accept hefty salary gains or drive an even harder bargain.
Toronto police say they are searching for a suspect who allegedly shot and killed his brother in an argument at a Scarborough housing complex late Saturday night.
At least two students at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania have been suspended from the swim team after a report that a racial slur was scratched onto a student's body, officials said.
Comedian John Mulaney and actor Olivia Munn now have a second child, a daughter named Mei June Mulaney.
Kate, the Princess of Wales, made her first public appearance Sunday since she announced she had completed chemotherapy and would return to some public duties.
Body mass index, a long-time tool used to measure a person's health, may soon be out the door as some health professionals push for a system they say is more accurate.
Ontario's police watchdog has decided there are no grounds to believe Sudbury police committed a crime during a difficult arrest in May where the suspect's neck was broken.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.