Air Canada - refund?

[phoenix_dream]

If this has been discussed, please excuse the repeat but I couldn't find any info.

 

If I booked an Air Canada flight last fall am I completely out of luck in getting any kind of refund or voucher?  Their return policy seems to only address flights booked this March or later.  I have a July Alaska cruise I'm sure won't go, although it is not cancelled yet, and our flights are booked on Air Canada.  I can't believe they would be so customer unfriendly as to not allow some type of compensation.  Am I just reading their site wrong or am I out of luck?

[FlyerTalker]

From the AC website:

 

"If you made a flight booking for travel on or after March 1, 2020, and you want to cancel it, you can. You may keep the remaining value of your ticket for future travel, which is valid for travel that must be completed within 24 months of your flight cancellation date. The cancellation fee will be waived when rebooking your travel. Refundable tickets will be refunded as per the fare rules; a cancellation fee may still apply."

 

https://www.aircanada.com/us/en/aco/home/book/travel-news-and-updates/2020/covid-19.html?acid=INT:DIR:covid-19:AC:033120:ACO-carousel|usen#/cancel-existing

[phoenix_dream]

2 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

From the AC website:

 

"If you made a flight booking for travel on or after March 1, 2020, and you want to cancel it, you can. You may keep the remaining value of your ticket for future travel, which is valid for travel that must be completed within 24 months of your flight cancellation date. The cancellation fee will be waived when rebooking your travel. Refundable tickets will be refunded as per the fare rules; a cancellation fee may still apply."

 

https://www.aircanada.com/us/en/aco/home/book/travel-news-and-updates/2020/covid-19.html?acid=INT:DIR:covid-19:AC:033120:ACO-carousel|usen#/cancel-existing

Thank you.  I was interpreting it differently, thinking it was for flights you booked after that date.  Whew!  It was a very expensive flight - so glad to be wrong!

[waterbug123]

On 5/5/2020 at 1:01 PM, phoenix_dream said:

I have a July Alaska cruise I'm sure won't go, although it is not cancelled yet, and our flights are booked on Air Canada.  I can't believe they would be so customer unfriendly as to not allow some type of compensation. 

 

I know you're question has already been answered, but want to add this:  If you bought a non-refundable fare, and the flight isn't canceled, they would ordinarily have no obligation to provide a refund.  What you do when you get to your destination (cruise, work, family visit, whatever) is your business, not theirs.  So if that reason is canceled, it isn't the airline's fault; they have fulfilled their obligation to you by getting you there.  

Luckily, as you've since seen, AC is one of the many airlines who ARE, voluntarily, currently adjusting change/cancellation/refund policies for flights they have not canceled.  It's actually extremely generous of them.

[phoenix_dream]

5 hours ago, waterbug123 said:

 

I know you're question has already been answered, but want to add this:  If you bought a non-refundable fare, and the flight isn't canceled, they would ordinarily have no obligation to provide a refund.  What you do when you get to your destination (cruise, work, family visit, whatever) is your business, not theirs.  So if that reason is canceled, it isn't the airline's fault; they have fulfilled their obligation to you by getting you there.  

Luckily, as you've since seen, AC is one of the many airlines who ARE, voluntarily, currently adjusting change/cancellation/refund policies for flights they have not canceled.  It's actually extremely generous of them.

You are correct, they technically do not need to do that.  Whether you consider it extremely generous,  or a factor of peer pressure,  or the fact that if they don't do this under these extreme circumstances their customers will likely jump to other airlines when they start flying again,  or the right thing to do when they get millions of dollars in bail out money is up to individual opinion.  Thinking these major companies are doing these things  because they are generous is naïve thinking IMHO.  Everyone is welcome to their own opinion and you don't have to agree with mine, but I believe they are doing this because they have no choice if they want to stay in business long term.

[FlyerTalker]

How many times have we all heard "I'll never fly XYZ Airlines again"?  And then, when XYZ is $20 cheaper, all those "never again" statements go out the window?

 

 

[waterbug123]

20 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

You are correct, they technically do not need to do that.  Whether you consider it extremely generous,  or a factor of peer pressure,  or the fact that if they don't do this under these extreme circumstances their customers will likely jump to other airlines when they start flying again,  or the right thing to do when they get millions of dollars in bail out money is up to individual opinion.  Thinking these major companies are doing these things  because they are generous is naïve thinking IMHO.  Everyone is welcome to their own opinion and you don't have to agree with mine, but I believe they are doing this because they have no choice if they want to stay in business long term.

 

Sure, if they do it it's about customer retention or competition or whatever, but it's still their decision to do that.  So it's "generous" in that they are voluntarily giving exceptions to their policies that they don't have to, legally.

[PSR]

Has anyone been able to get a cash refund for an Air Canada flight that was cancelled by them due to COVID? All they offered was a future credit valid for 24 months. The US Dept. of Transportation says even foreign airlines are required to reimburse customers if they were scheduled to fly to or from a foreign country from or to the US. Air Canada disagrees; says their Transportation Dept. says vouchers are OK. Not sure when we will be able to use a voucher since Canada ports remain closed until who knows when and our city only has one flight to Canada anyway.

[1982CruzStart]

8 hours ago, PSR said:

Has anyone been able to get a cash refund for an Air Canada flight that was cancelled by them due to COVID? All they offered was a future credit valid for 24 months. The US Dept. of Transportation says even foreign airlines are required to reimburse customers if they were scheduled to fly to or from a foreign country from or to the US. Air Canada disagrees; says their Transportation Dept. says vouchers are OK. Not sure when we will be able to use a voucher since Canada ports remain closed until who knows when and our city only has one flight to Canada anyway.

i have filed an online refund request attaching the ruling from the US Dept of Transportation but have not heard back positively or negatively. I figured i had nothing to lose to at least try. 

[PSR]

7 hours ago, 1982CruzStart said:

i have filed an online refund request attaching the ruling from the US Dept of Transportation but have not heard back positively or negatively. I figured i had nothing to lose to at least try. 

 

Thanks for your input. I may try that, or maybe a credit card dispute, using the US DOT info as evidence, or maybe calling AC again--have already tried twice; maybe they've changed their tune...

 

By the way, are you anywhere near Vancouver? We had to cancel our yearly visit in March due to COVID, which was really a bummer. Are restaurants opening for sit-down dining yet? The highlight of our visits is visiting all our favorite restaurants, although some have come and gone since our first trip about 1975 or so.....

[1982CruzStart]

16 hours ago, PSR said:

 

Thanks for your input. I may try that, or maybe a credit card dispute, using the US DOT info as evidence, or maybe calling AC again--have already tried twice; maybe they've changed their tune...

 

By the way, are you anywhere near Vancouver? We had to cancel our yearly visit in March due to COVID, which was really a bummer. Are restaurants opening for sit-down dining yet? The highlight of our visits is visiting all our favorite restaurants, although some have come and gone since our first trip about 1975 or so.....

I wouldn't bother calling AC again. Their agents have been told to give the line 'no refund, credit only'.

I do fly AC fairly often but still don't like them not issuing a refund when they cancel the flight. 

 

I live about an hour flight east of Vancouver. Vancouver is one of my favorite places on earth and try and get there as often as possible.  Which restaurants do you consistently go to?   Whenever i go down i try and eat at as many of my favorites as possible as well some new ones. A friend of mine and i go down every January to attend Dine Out Vancouver to take in some new restaurants as well as hit some regulars. 

I know rules have lightened up in Vancouver and most restaurants have reopened under some restrictions. I get emails from restaurants i frequent. 

Can't wait to make another trip down there. 

Good luck. You should be able to get a refund either through AC or through your credit card. 

[PSR]

5 hours ago, 1982CruzStart said:

Good luck. You should be able to get a refund either through AC or through your credit card. 

 

Are you going to try the CC method if your refund request via the AC website doesn't work? I think you only have only 120 days to dispute a CC charge (but maybe that is online),  and AC may take longer than that. 

 

We usually stay in the West End near English Bay, and our newest favorite restaurant is Centro Ristorante, which sounds Mexican to me, but it's Italian. It's on Denman a few blocks from Davie. Our most favorite restaurant was "Chef and Carpenter" on Robson, and it closed about 6 years ago. Also "Cote de Azure" on Denman, but that closed about 15 years ago...we miss the "old-style" French food, which is kind of out of favor now. We've been going to Vancouver for so long we actually got to eat in the fancy restaurant (now closed) on the top of the Hotel Vancouver about 4 times.  They had ballroom dancing then; we even dressed up and everything!

 

By the way, I think I hijacked this thread....😉

[1982CruzStart]

17 hours ago, PSR said:

Are you going to try the CC method if your refund request via the AC website doesn't work? I think you only have only 120 days to dispute a CC charge (but maybe that is online),  and AC may take longer than that. 

I haven't given it much thought but maybe i will. I better check with my CC to see what the rules are before i miss the opportunity. 

 I am a bit tossed because i do fly AC so would likely not have a problem using the credit. Most of the problem for me is that i bought tickets for 2 of us and it would be much simpler finance-wise to just get back the money. If we have to use the credit my friend would have to pay me for her credit that she might not use for 2 years.  Generally she flies WestJet so this is more of a problem for her. She has status on WestJet so to fly AC means having to pay for the extras. We had a bit of a convoluted trip planned. 

 

Thanks for your comments on the restuarants. 

 

My apologies to the TS for getting off topic to a certain extent.

 

[PSR]

6 hours ago, 1982CruzStart said:

I am a bit tossed because i do fly AC so would likely not have a problem using the credit. Most of the problem for me is that i bought tickets for 2 of us and it would be much simpler finance-wise to just get back the money. If we have to use the credit my friend would have to pay me for her credit that she might not use for 2 years.  Generally she flies WestJet so this is more of a problem for her. She has status on WestJet so to fly AC means having to pay for the extras. We had a bit of a convoluted trip planned. 

 

Yes, for all these AC cancelled flights, it would be much better to get cash refunds. A lot of people had flights with friends, intricate plans, a once-in-a-lifetime trip, etc., that makes it difficult to use a future credit. I know that it is difficult for the airlines now, but if they were a bit more friendly to the cancelled passengers now, those passengers might think of them for future flights. Best wishes for your future journeys!

[1982CruzStart]

17 hours ago, PSR said:

Best wishes for your future journeys!

Right back at you.

[martincath]

On 6/2/2020 at 11:05 PM, PSR said:

... Our most favorite restaurant was "Chef and Carpenter" on Robson, and it closed about 6 years ago. Also "Cote de Azure" on Denman, but that closed about 15 years ago...we miss the "old-style" French food, which is kind of out of favor now. We've been going to Vancouver for so long we actually got to eat in the fancy restaurant (now closed) on the top of the Hotel Vancouver about 4 times.  They had ballroom dancing then; we even dressed up and everything!

 

By the way, I think I hijacked this thread....😉

If wasn't hijacked enough, it is now...

 

Assuming no Covid-induced closures before you are able to return, you should check out le Crocodile - it's definitely the most old-school French resto in town, has been for years (opened in '83, moved to current location in '93, same chef/owner whole time). Tableau also has a lot of classic French bistro fare at more affordable prices, a great lunch option. Cote d'Azur was before my time, but if the menu was reflective of that region then you should also add a meal in Provence or a nibble in their attached Wine Bar to your next visit.

 

And the rooftop on the Fairmont got reopened quite a while back - afternoon tea was served up there while they renoed the ground floor 4(?) years back, then it was bookable for functions, and then for a couple of years before Covid a casual bar/cafe menu was available all summer. Given post-Covid focus on restos using outdoor seating here, it's more likely than ever to remain available to the public (assuming the Fairmont doesn't close of course...). No formal dancing - unless you come up for New Year, when the hotel runs a huge multiple-floors-with-different-entertainment party.

[PSR]

5 hours ago, martincath said:

Assuming no Covid-induced closures before you are able to return, you should check out le Crocodile

 

5 hours ago, martincath said:

And the rooftop on the Fairmont got reopened quite a while back

 

Thanks for the updates (although I WAS trying to move away from the thread-jacking...). I am familiar with le Crocodile, I remember when it first opened on Robson. We never went because it seemed a little on the "fancy" French rather than "rustic". Now it is on Burrard , I think (?),  May have to give it a try, finally. I assume "Provence" is a restaurant (not the location in France...Not familiar with that one; will give it a look.

 

I am a little confused about your Fairmont restaurant description. Is it outdoors on the roof? Our dining was inside in a large room with huge windows. I do remember it was reopened (briefly) a few years ago. When I emailed the management, they said it would be closed again by the time of our scheduled visit that year. Didn't realized there was something going on now (pre-COVID of course).

 

Thanks again for the info!

[martincath]

6 minutes ago, PSR said:

Thanks for the updates (although I WAS trying to move away from the thread-jacking...).  I assume "Provence" is a restaurant (not the location in France...Not familiar with that one; will give it a look.

 

I am a little confused about your Fairmont restaurant description. Is it outdoors on the roof? Our dining was inside in a large room with huge windows. I do remember it was reopened (briefly) a few years ago.

Yes, Provence is local - it's run by a chef originally from Marseilles - and it's definitely more on the bistro end compared to Le Croc; seafood is their strongest suit IMO (especially if you make it during Spot Prawn season, when they always offer some tasting menus with multiple preparations for a very decent price). Current menus are still somewhat restricted compared to normal, but contain enough to give you a solid idea what they're about - and they've been one of the better spots during Covid, selling groceries and 'cook at home' kits, feeding all their staff for free, that sort of thing.

 

We're definitely talking about the same Fairmont resto - almost like a conservatory, huge windows with a roof deck outside? It was mothballed for years, but like I said it proved so popular during the time afternoon tea was being served up there they started running it in high season when folks could sit on the roof and enjoy the view - not much call for rooftop dining in rainy season here;-)

 

I figure that since our local booze rules are being relaxed for outdoor dining areas of restos, and all the medical advice suggests that eating outside is safer than inside, as soon as the hotel reopens the rooftop will be perhaps the first dining area to be reopened - though given no conferences allowed for a long time, some of the bigger conference rooms would also be ideal to allow very large distances between tables if the regular resto downstairs, Notch8, is selling out.

[PSR]

22 hours ago, martincath said:

Yes, Provence is local - it's run by a chef originally from Marseilles

 

22 hours ago, martincath said:

We're definitely talking about the same Fairmont resto - almost like a conservatory, huge windows with a roof deck outside?

 

Thanks for the updated info...never knew there was an outside deck at the Fairmont. Will have to look into both when we are able to travel north again. Really miss beautiful Vancouver. 😢

[bennybear]

And don’t miss the amazing Asian restaurants.  Sigh! 

[Ontario Cruiser]

Westjet & Air Canada are now giving refunds for some European  and Cruises from Canada to US  so once Barcelona to Toronto (May 9th ) is approved we will get our non refundable  fare back So keep watching

Ontario  Cruiser 

[phoenix_dream]

On 6/26/2020 at 4:02 PM, Ontario Cruiser said:

Westjet & Air Canada are now giving refunds for some European  and Cruises from Canada to US  so once Barcelona to Toronto (May 9th ) is approved we will get our non refundable  fare back So keep watching

Ontario  Cruiser 

I didn't see this on the website. Where do I go to find out this information?

[Ontario Cruiser]

16 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

I didn't see this on the website. Where do I go to find out this information?

I phoned them

Ontario  Cruiser 

[FlyerTalker]

An airline is refunding cruise purchases?

[MightyQuinn]

9 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

An airline is refunding cruise purchases?

 

Ya think this should be copied to the Crystal forum?  LOL.