Air Canada is less than two days away from a work stoppage, with flights being gradually suspended until flight attendants leave the job.
The Canadian airline began canceling flights on Thursday after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) provided its required 72-hour notice before going on strike. Negotiations between Air Canada and the union reportedly hit an “impasse” on Tuesday after eight months at the bargaining table.
“For the past nine months, we have put forward solid, data-driven proposals on wages and unpaid work, all rooted in fairness and industry standards,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, via CNN.
To make up for the inconveniences customers will be facing, Air Canada says it will try to get passengers booked on flights with other companies. The organization is also allowing anyone schedule to fly on Air Canada between Aug. 15 and Aug. 18 to change their flight to a later date, as long as they bought their ticket no later than Aug. 13.
Customers with canceled flights are also eligible for a refund, but that might not be enough for many. On social media, Air Canada is taking a beating from many members of the public.
Air Canada customers letting their frustrations out
Judging by their complaints, many travelers are angry at Air Canada for allowing things to get to this point.
“Hey @AirCanada– 3 HOURS on hold, DMs and emails sent! ZERO response. You drop a 72 hour strike notice and then vanish like you’re running a bike rental shop, not an airline. My Aug 16 flight is in limbo while last-minute fares skyrocket. Do better #aircanadastrike,” one customer tweeted.
“I will be heartbroken if I can’t fly to Toronto on Sunday but my god, @AirCanada, your workers deserve so much better. I talk to flight attendants all the time and every single one is burnt out, frustrated with their working conditions and many are angry. They deserve better,” a second customer added.
“Well – it took @AirCanada 10 years to win my loyalty & in 3 days it will have lost it,” a third person tweeted. “Our flight home is Saturday & they haven’t cancelled it – so to change our flight to ensure we get home looks like it will cost us $2k … totally within their control – lost my trust!”
“It’s astonishing that Air Canada would rather cut hundreds of flights than pay their workers for time when they are working,” a fourth person said.
“When it comes to PR over the looming FA strike, you’re losing BADLY, @AirCanada. Very, very badly. The public has firmly sided with the FAs,” a fifth person chimed in.
How long will the Air Canada strike last?
The earliest flight attendants can leave the job is 1 a.m. ET Saturday. As of now, there’s no indication of how long the lockout will last.
Air Canada says approximately 130,000 customers per day may be affected, with travel in the United States also impacted as well.
