A volunteer-bump credit, an EMD from a disruption, a coupon for a broken seatback screen. Air Canada hands out several kinds of travel credit, and they do not all work the way you expect.
The single most common surprise: a voucher or EMD pays for the airfare, not an Air Canada Vacations package, not seat selection, and not bags in most cases. If you are booking a package, the voucher applies only to the flight portion if it can be used at all.
A service coupon is different again. It is typically valid on cash bookings only, so it will not knock points off an award fare, and it may be capped or restricted to specific routes.
You can usually apply only one voucher to a booking. On a round trip that often means a single voucher covers one of the two flights, not both.
Locate the voucher or EMD number, its value, the expiry date, and any restrictions in your email or your Air Canada wallet before you start booking.
Confirm whether it is flights only, whether it is for cash bookings only, and whether it is limited to certain regions, so you are not relying on it to cover a package or extras.
Many vouchers and EMDs cannot be applied online. Call the Air Canada Contact Centre, be ready for a hold, and apply the voucher to a single flight.
Pay the balance with a card and confirm the final total first. Taxes and surcharges the voucher does not cover can leave a larger balance than the face value suggested.
Timing varies a lot, and that is normal. Some travellers are handed a printed voucher at the gate on the spot, some receive an e-transfer within a couple of days, and some wait up to about thirty days through Customer Relations, which has no direct line to chase.
Protect yourself: note exactly what you were promised, by whom, and in what form, keep any paperwork, and wait the stated window before following up. If the deadline passes with nothing, that is the time to contact Air Canada with the details in hand.
Usually only on the flight portion, if at all. Vouchers and EMDs are generally flights only, not packages, seats, or bags. Confirm before you book.
Usually one per booking, which on a round trip often means one of the two flights. And it may not cover taxes and surcharges, so the real discount can be smaller than the face value.
Anywhere from on the spot at the gate to about thirty days through Customer Relations. Keep the details of what you were promised and wait the stated window before chasing.
Often not. Most vouchers and EMDs are phone-only. Service coupons differ and are usually for cash bookings within set regions.
Come in for a free conversation. We can read the restrictions, work out what it will actually cover, and find the booking where it does the most good.