The backlog of air passenger complaints at Canada’s transport regulator has reached a new high, exceeding 57,000. Dissatisfaction over cancellations and compensation continues to persist more than three and a half years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past year, an average of over 3,000 complaints per month have accumulated at the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), with the current total more than three times higher than what it was in September 2022.
Chad Kerychuk and Melissa Oei, residents of Vancouver, are contemplating filing a complaint after experiencing a six-hour delay on a flight from their hometown to Halifax in August 2021. Despite purchasing higher-priced tickets for side-by-side seating in advance, they found themselves separated on the plane. WestJet, the airline they were traveling with, rejected their request for a partial refund. Kerychuk expressed disappointment, feeling that loyal customers were not being supported or treated fairly.
According to WestJet, the disruption was caused by unplanned maintenance, which falls under an exclusion from compensation rules. However, the federal government has recently passed legislation to overhaul Canada’s passenger rights charter, aiming to tighten loopholes and increase penalties for airlines. These measures are expected to take effect soon and eliminate the exclusion for unplanned maintenance.
The Canadian Press has reached out to both the CTA and WestJet for comment, but their responses have not been provided. Gabor Lukacs, president of the Air Passenger Rights advocacy group, believes that the escalating number of complaints reflects the government’s failure to create enforceable regulations that adequately protect passengers. Lukacs criticizes the complexity and loopholes in the Air Passenger Protection Regulations introduced in 2019. He also highlights the lack of enforcement and the need for higher fines to hold airlines accountable.
Amendments to the passenger rights charter will increase the maximum penalty for airline violations to $250,000, incentivizing airlines to improve their service and reduce the number of grievances. While some reforms won’t take effect until September 30, Lukacs believes that the CTA could take immediate steps to increase the maximum fine for violations and initiate consultations on the administrative cost of handling complaints.