Thousands of Canadians frustrated by the chaos that has plagued airports for the past few months have turned to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) to file a complaint.
The CTA, a federal body responsible for arbitrating disputes between airlines and their customers, said in a statement sent to CBC News that it has a backlog of some 18,200 complaints to review.
This number has greatly increased in recent months, with no less than 7,500 complaints received between April and July alone.
Since the beginning of the summer season, Canadians wishing to travel after two years of pandemic have rushed in large numbers to airports, to the chagrin of them and of the airlines which did not have the staff to face such a increase in demand. The phenomenon has led to numerous flight cancellations, as well as the loss of numerous pieces of luggage.
Those unlucky ones who have had to turn to the OTC in recent months due to issues with travel may again have to be patient. According to CBC, Canadians wait for months, even more than a year, for their complaints to be resolved.
The Office, for its part, indicates on its website that it examines each complaint “as quickly as possible, based on its merit and its impartiality, in a rigorous manner”, without being able to offer an idea of the time before complaints are processed. .
Easier compensation?
In recent weeks, various reports across the country have reported on airlines trying to evade their obligations to compensate their customers by citing various reasons beyond their control to justify the delay or cancellation of a flight.
However, a new legislative framework, which will come into force on September 8, could change the situation. From this date, airlines forced to delay or cancel a flight, even due to a situation beyond their control, will still have to make sure to compensate their customers, recalls the OTC on its website.
In a case where the compensation takes the form of a refund, this must be paid within a maximum period of 30 days.