Kitchener passenger scrambling due to looming Air Canada strike

CTV’s Heather Senoran takes a look at what could happen to travellers from Waterloo Region if Air Canada flight attendants go on strike.

As flight attendants prepare for a potential strike in a few days, a traveller from Kitchener, Ont. might be caught up in the Air Canada chaos for a second time in two years.

Alison Prittie’s flight to Bermuda isn’t scheduled to leave for another few weeks, but the last day she can cancel her trip and still get a full refund is Saturday.

“It’s a little unnerving. I’ve had it booked for about six months now,” Prittie told CTV News.

The last time she visited Bermuda was 45 years ago. At the time, she travelled with her parents, who have since passed away.

“It does bring back memories and I was thinking of going to some places that I know I went with them,” she said.

Prittie has considered cancelling her Air Canada flight and re-booking with a different airline, but said if she did, the only other trip she could find was a cruise and it would be a much shorter trip that she had originally planned.

“I’m a little nervous. Apprehensive. I really don’t know what to do right now,” she said.

It’s also a bad case of déjà vu for Prittie. In September 2024, Air Canada pilots threatened job action when she was going to Disney World in Florida.

“Last year it was three weeks out. I did change airlines. I went on a different airline other than Air Canada,” Prittie said.

Her travel agent, Angela Douglas, sympathizes with her clients and anyone else scrambling to find a different airline.

“It’s a tough situation to be in because, of course, you’re anticipating, you’re expecting this great vacation and all of a sudden, boom, it’s gone.”

Douglas said travelers have options if a strike happens, but Air Canada is letting passengers know on a case-by-case basis, starting with flights that leave the soonest.

“We’re telling clients to have patience and we are monitoring the situation moment-to-moment because it’s very fluid. Things are changing constantly,” she said.

Air Canada said passengers whose flights are cancelled will be eligible for a full refund. The airline is also implementing a “flexible rebooking policy” allowing cutomers to change or defer travel at no additional cost.

However, the potential disruption has some travel agents, like Douglas, reminding anyone planning a trip to prepare for unexpected interruptions any time they travel.

Her advice is to always book your trip with a travel professional, get insurance and don’t only look for the best deal.

“You buy that basic fare, that cheapest fare that you see online, you’re not going to be able to make any changes at all whatsoever. It is nonrefundable. No changes, no baggage. Put your toothbrush in your back pocket and away you go with your ID and that’s it for those fares,” she said.

For now, Douglas is staying positive. After 25 years in the business, she believes the strike could be averted or, if it does happen, it won’t last long.

“It’s been my experience [that strikes are] pretty short lived because it just cripples the industry, especially right now in the summertime. It’s really difficult to rebook those flights,” Douglas said.

Region of Waterloo International Airport

The Regional of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) does not have any direct Air Canada flights.

The region suggests people flying with Air Canada reach out to them directly for the most up-to-date travel information.

There is an Air Canada bus that travels between YKF and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). The region said it is unclear if the bus will be impacted.

CTV News reached out to Air Canada, but did not hear back by our deadline.