Travellers, advocates react to new refund rules in Canada

New refund rules are in now place for stranded Canadian air travelers, but one travel advocate argues they do not go far enough.

Traveller Leslie Corbett landed Monday at Halifax Stansfield International Airport from Ireland.

“It was great and we had a good trip,” she said.

Corbett's travel companion, Tara Dawn Bickerton, said it was a smooth trip. Had there been any delays, she said, "I would hope that we would’ve been compensated and looked after."

It appears, going forward, Bickerton will get her wish. New refund rules for Canadian travellers are now in effect.

As of Sept. 8, airlines are now held to a strict standard when it comes to providing compensation for air travellers on cancelled flights.

“It’s going to be a challenge for the airlines to keep up with all of these restrictions that are in place," said travel agency branch manager Myranda Miller. "It’s great for the passengers.”

Air passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs said the new refund rules are, in fact, not new and have been in place since 2004.

“If a flight is cancelled for any reason, including reasons outside of the carrier’s control, passengers must be provided with a refund,” said Lukacs, who added some Canadian airlines are selling tickets for flights at a time when they cannot fully staff the flights and operate properly at airports.

“That is not a way to recovery and that is actually going to ruin the travel industry permanently.”

Lukacs says the new legislation by the federal government does nothing to address these staffing issues, which is key to improving air travel in Canada.