Dear Minister Freeland,
I hope you will take a few moments to read my letter and, more importantly, place yourself in my shoes. My family and I have just lived through an experience with Air Canada that I never imagined could happen in Canada. It has left us emotionally drained and financially devastated, and I am pleading for your help.
We booked what was meant to be a much-needed 10-day vacation in Mexico before I lost my job. After an incredibly stressful year, my husband and I scraped together $9,600 to take our two children, ages 7 and 11, away to relax and reconnect as a family. The trip was booked from August 8–18, and everything was going as hoped, until August 17, when our nightmare began.
We received an email from Air Canada telling us that our flight home the next day was cancelled. About 20 minutes later, a second email arrived stating that they could not find an “appropriate alternate itinerary.” The email suggested we either request a refund for the unused portion of our trip, call Air Canada Vacations (who never answered), or read their “customer commitment.” That was the extent of the support provided to a stranded family with two young children.
Can you imagine how gut-wrenching it felt to read those words, knowing we were now responsible for getting ourselves home, safely and without grave financial impact, while already carrying the weight of a job loss and a tight budget?
When we began looking for flights, it quickly became clear that Air Canada was not being transparent. Transat was still flying out all week, but seats were disappearing as we scrambled to book. Each time we tried to reserve, the flights vanished mid-payment. After hours of stress and panic, we finally secured seats home for Friday morning at the outrageous cost of $8,200.
We then had to decide: pay $650 per night to stay at our resort or downgrade. We chose to downgrade to save what little we could, which proved to be another blow. After our first night at the cheaper hotel, my family got sick. We spent the remaining three days holed up in that room, comforting our kids, reassuring them we’d be home soon, and worrying about how we’d recover financially.
We have since written to Air Canada’s chief legal officer, requesting reimbursement of our out-of-pocket expenses and lost wages, as is their obligation under Section 18.1.1 of the APPR and the Montreal Convention. Yet, I am reading stories of passengers being denied even after filling out Air Canada’s own refund forms that falsely suggest refunds are discretionary, when in fact, they are required by law.
Minister, I am writing to you for three reasons:
- I ask that you personally follow my case and ensure Air Canada makes this right. Spending an additional $10,000 to get home after paying close to $ 10,000 for the round trip is not simply unreasonable; it is unethical and financially devastating for a middle-class Canadian family.
- I urge you to hold Air Canada accountable and enforce the laws meant to protect passengers. The government cannot allow corporations to skirt the law and abandon Canadians in distress. If we allow this precedent to stand, we send a message that consumer protections and passenger rights are meaningless.
- I ask that you review the recommendations to amend the current APPR outlined in this document created by Air Passenger Protection Canada (a volunteer group who has been a significant resource for Canadians that have been impacted by unfair practices by big carriers): http://docs.airpassengerrights.ca/Canadian_Transportation_Agency/Consultations/2025-03-05--APR--Analysis_of_the_Proposed_Amendmens_to_Canadas_Air_Passenger_Protection_Regulations.pdf
Canadians placed their trust in this government for a second term. Now is the time to show that you truly care about the people you serve. Leaving families like mine to shoulder this burden alone undermines public faith and signals a lack of respect and compassion for citizens.
I hope this letter conveys the stress, anxiety, and devastating financial impact we have endured, and that you will use your authority to ensure Air Canada fulfills its legal and moral obligations, not just to my family, but to every Canadian who finds themselves in similar circumstances. We are not a family looking to profit from this fiasco; we simply wish to recoup our hard-earned money and memories of a family trip.
Respectfully,
Mala Dewan
