Support for a House of Commons petition demanding the federal government require airlines to refund trips jumped from 500 to around 5,900 in one day
OTTAWA — A growing chorus of voices is demanding Ottawa force airlines to reimburse cash-strapped travellers the cost of trips that were cancelled because of the pandemic, rather than offering a 24-month travel credit.
They say thousands of Canadians have had trips cancelled because of border closures put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19, and they are now being forced to take credits instead of refunds by airlines and tour operators. Border shutdowns around the world over the past two months have hammered Canadian airlines’ bottom lines. In a memo last Friday, Air Canada told employees it planned on slashing at least half its workforce after reducing its flight schedule by 95 per cent.
According to the Canadian Transportation Agency, the use of vouchers to compensate cancelled travel “could be a reasonable approach in the extraordinary circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.”Option Consommateurs lawyer Élise Thériault says her organization has been flooded with complaints from Quebecers furious about not being reimbursed the full value of their travel during the pandemic.
I don’t think that it’s up to the average citizen to put up $5,000, $10,000 or even $15,000 to keep a company afloat
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