purchase or rental of items necessary for the purpose and circumstances of your travel, and
ground transportation necessary for making interim purchases or rentals.
Proof of Financial Loss
Ask for an itemized receipt for each expense (if possible), and keep your receipts. If receipts are not available, keep detailed notes of your purchases (date, description, and amount).
Liability Limits
The airline is liable for your reasonable interim expenses caused by delay of your checked baggage up to a certain amount:
CAD$1,500 on Air Canada,
CAD$1,800 on Porter, and
CAD$2,100 (approx.) on WestJet.
You can claim more than these amounts if you can prove that the delay was a result of willful misconduct of the airline and/or its agents.
If your checked baggage has been delivered to you within 21 days, then:
Immediately upon delivery, inspect it for damage. If damage is found, you must complain to the airline in writing within 7 days. See Damaged Baggage for further steps, and
within 21 days of receiving your checked baggage, you must complain to the airline in writing.
If your checked baggage has not been delivered to you within 21 days, then it is deemed to be lost for the purpose of compensation. See Lost Baggage for further steps.
If the airline refuses or ignores your claim, then you need to enforce your rights by commencing a legal action within a specific amount of time of your flight. The limitation period is set out in the applicable provincial statutes.
If you miss this deadline you lose your right to compensation.
Where and How to Commence Legal Action
You may choose between numerous venues for suing the airline, including:
The province where you purchased the ticket.
The province where the final destination on the ticket is located.
The province where the airline has its principal place of business.