Air Canada Strike Grounds Most Flights, Stranding Thousands

What you need to know about the possible Air Canada strike

Air Canada says it will soon start canceling flights and issuing refunds after the union representing 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants issued a strike notice overnight.

• Air Canada flight attendants have begun an indefinite strike, grounding most flights and impacting thousands of passengers.
• The strike stems from a breakdown in negotiations between the union and airline management over wages and compensation.
• Approximately 27,000 U.S. passengers are estimated to be affected daily, as Air Canada is a popular connector for flights to Europe and Asia.

Most Air Canada flights are grounded as the carrier's flight attendants have begun an indefinite strike. According to FlightAware, 63% of Air Canada's Saturday schedule is canceled, as well as 65% of Air Canada Rouge's schedule as of 7:30 a.m. ET.

The airline began winding down its operations on Wednesday in preparation for the walk-off and warned in a statement that it expects about 130,000 passengers worldwide to be affected each day of the strike.

Flight attendants walked off the job after their union negotiators reached an impasse with the airline management over wages and compensation.

Air Canada is offering a waiver to passengers whose flights might be affected, allowing travelers who booked their flight by Aug. 14 to move their tickets to travel between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12 without paying a fee or fare difference. More information about the waiver is available on Air Canada's website.

AirAdvisor, a consumer airline refund website, suggests that as many as 27,000 U.S passengers per day could be affected.

While Air Canada is not a major carrier within the U.S., it is a key link across the border and a popular choice for connecting flights to Europe and Asia for American travelers.

According to AirAdvisor, Air Canada has up to 135 flights a day from the U.S. to its hubs in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, with New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Miami seeing the most service. The airline operates some flights from the U.S. to other non-hub destinations in Canada as well.

Flights operated by Air Canada's regional partners, Jazz and PAL, will continue operating during the strike, so some services booked through Air Canada will continue, but the airline noted in its statement that those affiliates operate only around 20% of its services.

The airline warned that it is trying to get passengers reaccommodated on other carriers, but that seat availability is limited.

"Customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and they will be eligible for a full refund, which can be obtained online at www.aircanada.com or through the Air Canada mobile app. The company has made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide customers alternative travel options to the extent possible," Air Canada's statement said. "Customers will be notified of alternative travel options that are identified for them. However, given other carriers are already very full due to the summer travel peak, securing such capacity will take time and, in many cases, will not be immediately possible."

As a major United Airlines partner, thanks to both carriers' membership in the Star Alliance, United Airlines is likely to see the most overflow for rebookings among carriers in the U.S.

Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline in Canada. As a member of Star Alliance, its partners include United Airlines, Lufthansa, All Nippon Airways and a number of other global carriers.

Air Canada is the biggest airline connecting Canadian markets to U.S. destinations, and also a major option for those looking to connect from the U.S. to Europe or Asia.

“What makes this strike particularly disruptive is its timing and scope. We’re in the peak summer travel window, when planes are already running at 85-90% capacity and last-minute alternatives are scarce," Anton Radchenko, AirAdvisor's founder, said in a statement. "Air Canada isn’t just another carrier; it’s the primary connector between the US and Canada, handling thousands of passengers daily across leisure, business, and essential travel. When its network seizes up, the ripple effect touches every major US hub, from JFK and LAX to Seattle and Miami."

He said northern U.S. airline hubs are likely to see increased traffic as Air Canada passengers to and from overseas destinations get rebooked through American markets. U.S. passengers heading to Europe via Toronto or Montreal, or to Asia via Vancouver, are also likely to encounter issues during the strike.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.