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CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Delays, cancellations, compensation disputes, Canada's transport agency is drowning in airline complaints
Travellers look at the arrival and departure board at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, Friday, Sept.13, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) A backlog of 85,000 complaints from air passengers is piling up at the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), and one advocate says the system is failing passengers. From delays and cancellations to compensation disputes, the CTA is drowning in complaints. 'It is going to take them more than two years to deal with just a current backlog,' said Air Passenger Rights founder Gabor Lukacs. Since the CTA resolution office launched in 2023, the number of complaints continues to grow. Lukacs said that the agency's method of dealing with grievances is complicated and ultimately fails customers. 'In Canada, they have this system where the airline will say, 'Well, it's outside our control, so we don't have to pay you anything,' he said, adding that, from the airline's perspective, it's easier and more profitable to refuse to pay and instead tell passengers to file a complaint through the CTA. 'So the Canadian Transportation Agency has the power to fine airlines that don't obey the law, but they're not using those powers,' he said. The CTA said it's proposing charging airlines nearly $800 for each eligible complaint, but for some airlines, the proposal is not welcome. 'Charging airlines $790 for each complaint, including the vast majority when we are found to have applied the legislation correctly, would not be balanced nor an equitable way of addressing the issue,' said Air Canada in a statement. "Air Canada cooperates with the CTA on a continuous basis, and our standard is to respond swiftly to all files transmitted by the agency and meet their response deadlines." 'The Canadian Transportation Agency's punitive proposal reflects a troubling disconnect between the Agency and the realities of Canada's economy and aviation sector,' said Westjet. 'Imposing additional costs on Canadian travellers, in an industry already oversaturated with high government taxes and fees, is very concerning—particularly during an affordability crisis in Canada." Westjet adds that the agency's priority should be dealing with improving its administration and reducing wait times. The CTA said, however, that in 2024-2025, the agency closed over 33,600 complaints, but did not say how many were resolved in favour of passengers. Lukacs said he's taking the CTA to court due to the agency's lack of transparency. 'Because not only that, it takes more than two years, and they have a huge backlog,' he said. 'They're also trying to gag passengers who have a case before them.' In the meantime, he says that if passengers have complaints against airlines, heading to a small claims court is a better option. CTV News reached out to Canada's Ministry of Transportation for comment, but did not hear back.
Local Italy
09-07-2025
- Local Italy
How will Italy's airport and airline strikes affect flights on Thursday?
People flying to or from Italy could see their travel plans disrupted on Thursday, July 10th, due to multiple airport and airline staff strikes. Italy-based pilots and cabin crew staff at British budget carrier EasyJet planned to strike for 24 hours on Thursday. The protest was called by Italy's USB union after negotiations with the airline to raise wages and improve work conditions for both pilots and on-board staff failed earlier this year, according to Italian media reports. Though the carrier hadn't made any official announcement regarding the walkout as of Wednesday afternoon, Italian media warned that both inbound and outbound flights may experience delays or cancellations due to the strike. Media reports also advised passengers due to travel with EasyJet on Thursday to check the status of their flight with the airline before leaving for the airport. Besides EasyJet staff, baggage handlers at airports around the country were also set to stage a 24-hour strike on Thursday. This was expected to overlap with several smaller strikes. Drivers at Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa planned to strike for the whole day on Thursday. Protests by airport ground staff were also expected at Cagliari Elmas (from 1pm to 5pm) and Naples Capodichino (from 11am to 3pm). Italy's flag carrier ITA Airways said in a statement on Tuesday that it had been forced to cancel 36 flights scheduled for Thursday due to the planned baggage handler strike. Cancellations included 16 flights to Milan Linate and five flights to Rome Fiumicino. A full list of cancelled flights was published here. Other ITA Airways cancellations couldn't be ruled out as the carrier advised anyone meant to be travelling with them on Thursday to check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport. The airline said that passengers affected by cancellations or changes to scheduled departure times would be able to rebook their journey free of charge by Wednesday, July 16th. In the event of cancellations or delays of over five hours, passengers could also claim a full refund by the same deadline, it added. Besides ITA, no other airline had announced flight cancellations as of Wednesday afternoon. Which flights are guaranteed? Flights scheduled to depart between 7am and 10am, and between 6pm and 9pm are protected from strike action in Italy and should therefore run as normal on Thursday, according to the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (Enac). Enac said that airlines will also guarantee the operation of several intercontinental flights, as well as a number of connections to and from Italy's major islands, Sicily and Sardinia. You can find a full list of guaranteed flights on Thursday on Enac's website. What to do if your flight is cancelled If you're flying within the EU or from an EU country to a non-EU one, you may have the right to either a refund or rebooking under Europe's Air Passenger Rights. This also applies to passengers travelling from non-EU countries to EU countries if the operating airline is licensed in the EU. Find full details HERE.
Local Italy
16-06-2025
- Local Italy
How will Italy's transport strike hit flights and trains on Friday?
Disruption is expected to some of Italy's public services on Friday, with a general strike lasting 24 hours planned to hit transport and other sectors. It's unclear ahead of time just how big the strike will be, or how many people plan to take part. But as usual with strikes in Italy, the impact is likely to vary from one part of the country to another. For passengers planning to fly or travel by train on the day, here's a look at what to expect. Trains The walkout is to involve staff at both public and private railway companies, including Trenitalia and Trenord. Disruption is likely between 9pm on Thursday, June 19th and 9pm on Friday 20th. Passengers may face cancellations or delays to both long-distance services and Intercity and regional trains, though there no specific details of any cancellations had been published as of Monday. Trenitalia guarantees a minimum number of services deemed essential during strikes on weekdays, between 6am and 9am and again from 6pm to 9pm. Local public transport Rome, Milan and other cities across Italy are likely to also see disruption to local public transport services on Friday due to the strike. The walkout is likely to affect local bus, rail and tram services, with strike times varying from city to city. In Milan, services will be guaranteed to run in the morning until 8.45am and then from 3pm to 6pm, according to local public transport operator ATM. Rome's transport company ATAC said services will run until 8.30am and from 5pm to 8pm. Flights Plans for the general strike include a 24-hour walkout by airport workers, including baggage handlers and ground staff employed by both airports and some external companies. This could result in delays or cancellation to flights to and from Italian airports on Friday, as well as long waits upon arrival. No airlines had published details of any cancellations as of Monday morning. However, passengers flying on Friday are advised to check the status of their flight with their airline before setting off Which flights are guaranteed? Flights scheduled to depart between 7am and 10am, and between 6pm and 9pm, are protected from strike action under Italian law. published here by Italian air transport authority ENAC. What to do if your flight is cancelled If you're flying within the EU or from an EU country to a non-EU one, you may have the right to either a refund or rebooking under Europe's Air Passenger Rights. This also applies to passengers travelling from non-EU countries to EU countries if the operating airline is licensed in the EU. Find full details HERE. Why is the strike happening? Friday's general strike has been called by several of Italy's larger trade unions including USB, CUB, and FLAI. They're calling for cuts to defence spending and more investment instead in health, education, and transport, and more measures to ensure workplace safety, as well as demanding wage increases and contract renewals for public sector staff.
The Star
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Seven EU airlines to be investigated over baggage fee policy
Passengers flying around Europe on budget airlines have faced increasingly harsh baggage rules and fees in recent years. — dpa European consumer rights groups have criticised seven of the continent's leading low-cost airlines for allegedly 'exploiting' passengers by charging for hand luggage and enforcing sometimes confusing and onerous stipulations. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and 16 members from 12 countries have filed a complaint to the European Commission targeting Easyjet, Norwegian Airlines, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Vueling and Wizzair over their demanding 'undue fees' from passengers for carry-on bags. 'We are calling for an EU-wide investigation into the commercial practices of the targeted airlines and the wider sector,' the BEUC announced. 'We are taking action against seven airlines who are exploiting consumers and are ignoring the EU top court which ruled that charging reasonably sized hand baggage is illegal,' said BEUC director-general Agustin Reyna. Reyna cited a 2014 EU Court of Justice assertion that 'carriage of hand baggage cannot be made subject to a price supplement, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of its weight and dimensions and complies with applicable security requirements'. Reyna believes revising the EU's Air Passenger Rights regime is 'the perfect opportunity for the EU to clarify what services should be included in the basic ticket price'. 'Our data shows that consumers expect to see a small item and a piece of hand luggage when buying basic tickets,' he said, citing surveys carried out around the continent. Airlines in general have in recent years been tightening restrictions around and adding fees for baggage. These changes have affected long-haul trips run by more upmarket carriers based outside Europe but which fly to and from the continent. Some of these have cut the long-haul carry-on allowance to a short-haul-style 7kg – a limit that makes it very difficult to travel with cameras and related equipment – and require a fee for any checked baggage. 'We're asking for a small personal item and a piece of hand-luggage, be it a hand trolley, a suitcase or a backpack, to be accounted for in the price,' the BEUC said, in response to a question by dpa about baggage policies and fees applied by long-haul carriers. The BEUC added that any investigation or application of the rules would cover the sector as a whole, including all flights to and from Europe, and not just the seven European budget airlines named recently. 'We're also calling for establishing size and weight standards,' the organisation added. – dpa
CBC
03-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Air passenger rights group files court challenge to 'unconstitutional' rules it says muzzle travellers
Social Sharing Jill Rorabeck says she wishes she'd never turned to Canada's airline regulator to settle her dispute with Swoop Airlines. Not only did the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) side with the airline, Rorabeck can't even share the details of her dispute. The Toronto woman submitted a complaint almost three years ago with the CTA, which acts as a mediator between airlines and passengers in air travel complaints. She learned in January that she lost her case, but due to legislation passed in 2023 that prevents passengers from sharing full details of CTA decisions, she's not allowed to reveal key information about what happened. "No one can warn others about their experiences," said Rorabeck. "There is zero accountability on the part of the airlines or the CTA." The Air Passenger Rights organization — a Halifax-based nonprofit — has now filed a constitutional challenge in Ontario's Superior Court of Justice, arguing Canadians should have access to the decisions made by the CTA's quasi-judicial tribunal. "We believe that the way the complaint process has been set up at the Canadian Transportation Agency violates fundamental rights," said Air Passenger Rights founder Gábor Lukács. At issue is section 85.09(1) of the Canadian Transportation Act, which says once the CTA issues a decision, neither the airline nor the passenger involved is allowed to openly share the details — unless both parties agree. Since that rule was implemented, not a single case has been made fully public, which Lukács says gives airlines the strategic advantage of having access to previous rulings while passengers remain unaware of how complaints are being decided. "The only entities that benefit from this are the airlines," said Lukács. "Individual passengers don't have the experience or don't have the knowledge of what arguments work and don't work while the airlines compile these huge databases of their own cases." Prior to the 2023 changes, full decisions issued by the CTA were posted online, but now only basic information is available. So key details, such as the reasons behind a ruling, remain confidential. The regulator says the new system is faster, fair and more efficient. The lawsuit argues that the CTA has a quasi-judicial role, so rules that muzzle passengers violate the open court principle in law, which says court proceedings should be open to the public. It's a fundamental aspect of a democratic justice system, ensuring transparency and public confidence in the legal process, says Paul Daly, a constitutional lawyer and research chair in the Administrative Law and Governance program at the University of Ottawa. "The fact that decisions are not published and proceedings are kept confidential, it tilts the playing field in favour of the airlines," said Daly. "I, you or anyone else should be able to walk into any courthouse in the country any day of the week and attend a hearing or access documents … that are in the registry." As part of its legal argument, Air Passenger Rights asked for the decisions, reasons and all documents for five air passenger complaint files last July in an effort to demonstrate that the CTA systematically denies all such requests. The secretariat of the agency denied the request a month later, citing section 85.09(1) of the Canadian Transport Act as the basis for its refusal. "They are trying to use this provision as a way of refusing to disclose information that should be disclosed," Lukács said. The lawsuit argues that the current rules prevent Air Passenger Rights from doing its job, because it needs to know how complaints are being decided in order to provide information and resources to passengers and push for improvements. It also argues that the secrecy around decisions prevents media and other organizations from "effectively communicating information about air passenger complaint proceedings." The lawsuit calls for a hearing to be held by video conference. No date for the hearing has been set.
