Four things decide whether the APPR owes you cash: who you flew, why the flight was disrupted, how late you arrived, and which airline actually operated the flight. Work through them in order and you will know where you stand.
Eligibility is not a feeling. It is a short chain of facts. Answer these four and the rest follows.
The APPR covers any flight that departs from a Canadian airport, on any airline, Canadian or foreign. It also covers flights into Canada in many cases. If you took off from Canada, you are inside the regulations.
This is the pivot. Within-control disruptions pay cash. Safety-required and outside-control disruptions do not, although they still owe a refund or rebooking. Crew shortages, overbooking, and most maintenance are within control. Severe weather and air traffic control are outside it.
Compensation is measured by arrival delay at your final destination, not departure. The thresholds are 3, 6, and 9 hours. Below 3 hours, no cash for a delay. Denied boarding is owed from the moment you are bumped.
The airline that flew the plane is responsible, not the one whose code is on the ticket. Large carriers owe more than small ones. Set both on the compensation calculator to see your figure.
Almost every disputed claim turns on this. The airline assigns the category, and it is not always right. The burden of proof is on the airline, so a vague reason is worth challenging.
This is the most common reason a valid claim gets denied. The flight is disrupted, you ask for compensation, and the reply says the cause was "unforeseen maintenance" or "required for safety." Both phrases are meant to move your disruption into the no-cash category. Often they do not belong there.
The whole claim turns on which kind of maintenance it was:
If your claim comes back with a vague maintenance reason, do not take it at face value. Push back in writing:
This trips up more passengers than anything else. They are two different things, and you can be owed both at once.
| What it is | Refund | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Money back for travel you did not take | A statutory payment for the disruption |
| When it is owed | You decline to travel after a long delay or cancellation | Only when the cause was within the airline's control |
| Depends on cause? | No | Yes |
| Paid as | Original form of payment | Cash to original form of payment |
A refund returns what you paid for travel you did not get. Compensation is a separate statutory payment for the disruption. You can be owed both. A refund applies regardless of cause when you choose not to travel after a long delay. Compensation applies only when the cause was within the airline's control and not required for safety.
Yes. The operating carrier is responsible, not the marketing carrier on your ticket. If an Air Canada coded flight is flown by Jazz, Jazz is the respondent. Carrier size also changes the amount: large carriers owe $400 to $1,000 CAD, small carriers $125 to $500.
It depends who strikes. The airline's own staff striking is generally within the airline's control. A third-party strike the airline does not control, like security screeners or air traffic controllers, is generally outside it. Rebooking and refund rights apply in both cases.
Usually yes. Securing fuel is part of operating a flight, so a fuel problem normally counts as within control and owes cash. A wider airport-level fuelling failure affecting all carriers may be classified as outside control. The airline has to prove whatever category it claims.
Not automatically. A vague "unforeseen maintenance" or "required for safety" label is meant to move your claim into the no-cash category, but routine and scheduled maintenance is within the airline's control and does owe compensation. The burden is on the airline to prove the cause was a genuine unscheduled safety defect. Ask in writing whether the work was scheduled or unscheduled, and escalate to the CTA if the airline does not back up its label.
Come in for a free conversation. We can help you understand what you are owed and how to build the claim.