Thousands of Air Canada customers are still waiting an unreasonable amount of time for their refunds. This complaint remains months after the airline’s own three-day labor strike left their customers stranded in August. Gábor Lukács, President of Air Passenger Rights, expressed serious concerns regarding the airline’s handling of refund requests in a statement made on November 10, 2025, at 12:12 pm.
Lukács highlighted the airlines’ legal obligations to respond to complaint within 30 days. He thinks this timeline should extend to when payments are issued as well. He especially pointed out the lack of pressure from the federal government on Air Canada to speed up the refund process.
“That means those who incurred those expenses are paying tens of percent in interest charges on their credit cards, which is making it profoundly troubling,” Lukács stated.
Air Canada strike caused massive havoc, stranding hundreds of thousands of affected travelers such as Lynda Elstad. So as she got ready to board another flight with the airline earlier this month, Elstad told NPR about her frustrations.
It doesn’t appear they (Air Canada) have been doing anything,” she said.
Despite Air Canada’s claims on their website stating that 88 percent of claims have been settled, more than 8,000 cases are still awaiting resolution. The airline’s rep let us know that they’re currently processing some 1,400 requests per day. They are still on track to process the majority of claims by the end of November.
Even with this progress, Lukács is not optimistic about the timeline. He noted that Americans awaiting their refunds have already shown an extraordinary amount of forbearance.
The law couldn’t be more explicit. After an airline receives a complaint, they have 30 days to address it. Like many of you, I identify that response as including covering the cost. You can’t wait four to six weeks after you reply to cut a check,” he claimed.
Lukács encouraged consumers to do something if they are still waiting for their payments. This is even though Air Canada has accepted their claims.
If you’re still waiting for the payment and they’ve already admitted liability for what they owe you, make a move. Have Air Canada shortchanged you? Fight back by taking them to small claims court and recover what you’re owed!
The continuing saga raises questions about Air Canada’s treatment of customers and passenger emergence. Are they really serious about fixing what’s broken, and doing so in a timely manner? As customers await resolution, the pressure mounts on the airline to fulfill its obligations and restore trust among its passengers.
