MONTREAL — Air Canada had the second-highest number of complaints about refunds to the U.S. Department of Transportation of any airline in May.
The department says Air Canada was the target of 1,705 refund complaints out of 10,415 filed against non-U.S. airlines in the month, outpacing all 80-plus foreign carriers in the category.
United Airlines was the only airline – domestic or international – to notch more refund complaints at 3,215.
Air Canada and other Canadian carriers have refused to reimburse most customers whose flights were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However the U.S., like the European Union, requires airlines to refund passengers. A complaint to the U.S. regulator offers a potential path to reimbursement for some Air Canada customers who have been turned down north of the border.
Despite the high complaint numbers, figures from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics show that Air Canada carries fewer passengers on flights with a U.S. segment than four U.S. airlines as well as British Airways and Lufthansa.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2020
