The backlog of air passenger complaints to Canada’s transportation regulator has reached a new high of more than 57,000, as dissatisfaction over cancellation and compensation terms persists three and a half years later the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The figures reveal that on average, more than 3,000 complaints per month have accumulated at the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) over the past year, with the current number well over three times the September 2022 total. .
Vancouver residents Chad Kerychuk and Melissa Oei say they are considering filing a lawsuit after they arrived in Halifax six hours later than planned on a flight from Vancouver in August 2021 and found themselves separated on the plane, even though they They paid more for their tickets to be able to select their seats in advance.
The couple claims that WestJet denied their request for a partial refund and that the airline informed them that the disruption was caused by unscheduled maintenance – an exclusion from compensation rules that carriers will soon no longer be able to use to deny compensation.
In June, the government passed legislation to revise Canada’s Passenger Bill of Rights, including measures to toughen penalties and close gaps in traveler compensation, as well as streamline the complaints process in its entirety.
Although some reforms are not expected to take effect until September 30, the president of the air passenger advocacy group Travelers Rights, Gabor Lukacs, says the CTA could take immediate action to increase the maximum fine in the event of violation of rights by airlines, and launch consultations to determine who should bear the regulatory costs of complaints.