What flight delays and lost luggage brings chaos to summer travel plans, Air Canada is advising travelers on how much time to leave between connecting flights.
After Air Canada cut its summer hours by more than 15 percent last week, they also increased the recommended minimum duration between connecting flights.
“We have readjusted flights to give customers more time to catch their flights. In addition, we have introduced policies so that customers can change flights or standby early at no charge if that gives them more connection time,” Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick told CTV News Toronto.
For those traveling internationally and making a connection through Toronto, the airline has increased the amount of time They suggest leaving between connecting flights in most scenarios for 30 minutes.
Here is the minimum duration Air Canada recommends rebookings for travelers connecting through Toronto Pearson International Airport.
- For passengers connecting in Toronto for travel within Canada, Air Canada now recommends at least 40 minutes to catch your second flight.
- Air Canada suggests at least 1 hour and 10 minutes for passengers coming from another Canadian city to Toronto before heading to the US.
- In the reverse scenario, when traveling from the US to Canada connecting in Toronto, a minimum of 1 hour and 40 minutes is recommended.
- For passengers coming from another Canadian airport with a connection in Toronto before heading to any other foreign destinations, the airline suggests a 60-minute connection.
- Sixty minutes is also recommended for travelers flying through Toronto from the US to an international destination.
- The minimum connection time for an international traveler arriving in Toronto before heading to another Canadian destination is a bit more technical. Air Canada generally suggests 1 hour and 15 minutes, but there is a recommendation of two hours through September 6, 2022 for anyone arriving in Toronto flying into Montreal from the following cities: Bogota, Doha, Dubai, Grand Cayman, City from Mexico, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, San José, Santa Clara, Santiago, Seoul, Shanghai and Port of Spain.
- International travelers heading to the US via Toronto are suggested to allow 1 hour and 25 minutes between flights.
- For a traveler coming from abroad and heading to an international destination, 60 minutes is suggested for a connection through Pearson.
What happens if I miss my flight?
When a flight is delayed more than three hours or cancelled, Air Canada rebook a passenger on the next available flight on a “reasonable route” from the same airport. The rebooked flight will be within 48 hours after the end of the event that caused the delay or cancellation, according to the rules.
In situations where multiple flights in an itinerary are delayed, causing a domino effect leading to missed flights, eligibility for compensation it is based on the interruption with the most significant contributing factor.
Ultimately, the airline will determine if the delay was under Air Canada’s control. For example, if additional time is needed for a catering or crew error, that would be within Air Canada’s control. But, if there was a maintenance issue or weather-related outage, the passenger will not be eligible for compensation.
Compensation for delays and cancellations is calculated based on your arrival time at the final destination. For delays between 3 and 6 hours, a passenger will be eligible to receive $400. When delays amount to 6-9 hours, that amount of money increases to $700. Delays that extend for 9 hours or more are $1,000.