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As contract negotiations continue, passengers face potential headaches from cancelled flights and trip disruptions as early as Sunday.

While Air Canada has shared advice for travellers ahead of a possible pilots strike, an airline passenger rights advocate has more tips for Canadians who may be affected.

Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights, an independent non-profit advocacy group in Halifax, advises travellers to avoid cancelling flights themselves so they can hold Air Canada liable for extra expenses. The airline must refund your airfare, in the original form of payment, if you choose not to travel after the airline cancelled your flight, he said.

“So my recommendation to passengers is always to wait until the airline cancels and then you have far more rights,” Lukacs said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday, noting Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, also known as the APPR, apply once the airline cancels flights. “If you cancel as a passenger, then you are at your Air Canada’s mercy as long as they are operating the flight. …

“Whatever the airline’s policy says, that’s what (a) passenger has to follow if you decide to cancel just because you’re chickening out from the travel.”

Pre-emptive cancellations

If the airline pre-emptively cancels flights before a strike, it should be responsible for passengers’ expenses, Lukacs said.

“As long as the pilots have not actually walked off the job, any cancellation that occurs is within Air Canada’s control,” Lukacs said. “(Airlines) are responsible for meals, accommodation and they also have to pay passengers a lump sum compensation up to $1,000 per passenger for these cancellations based on how long (of a) delay the cancellation causes.”

But once the strike officially happens, not including the strike notice, the airline doesn’t owe passengers any lump sum compensation, he said.

Getting refunds

Don’t accept the airline’s refunds of your airfare if your flight is affected by a strike and you still want to travel, Lukacs said.

“What airlines love doing is tell you we’re going to refund your airfare and then you can go and buy yourself a ticket on a different airline,” he said. “But in most cases, that new ticket is going to be way more expensive. So by accepting a refund, the airline may be able to wash its hands from the expense of your new alternate transportation. And under the law, it is the airline which is supposed to buy you a new transportation, not you.”

Collect evidence, such as recording audio conversations, in case of disputes. If the airline refuses to pay for the ticket, then buy the ticket yourself and after you finish travelling, send the bill to the airline, Lukacs said.

“And if they refuse to pay, take them to small claims court,” he said, noting it won’t require big fees, you won’t need a lawyer and the judges will be impartial. “Stand your ground. Don’t be a pushover.”

Rebooking options

If an airline cancels a flight because of a strike, it must always offer you two choices, according to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, or APPR.

One option is to rebook your flight free of charge, whether your destination is in Canada or internationally. If an airline can’t rebook you on one of its flights or through a partner airline, then it must place you on a competitor’s flight.

“Air Canada cannot wash its hands and say, ‘Sorry, we don’t have any flights. It has to take out its corporate credit card and buy you a WestJet or a Porter ticket even in business class if that’s the only thing available.”

Air Passenger Rights recommends consulting other websites.

“It may be beneficial to consult a flight booking website to determine what the next available flights in fact are, as some airlines may try to put you on flights departing many hours or days later, in contravention of their rebooking obligation under the APPR,” Air Passenger Rights says on its website.

A second option is to get a refund in the original form of payment within 30 days of “all unused flight segments and segments that no longer serve any purpose.” As well, you are entitled to complimentary transportation to your point of origin if you are not there already and there’s no longer any point to travel because of the cancellation.

What’s more, you may be compensated for out-of-pocket expenses, such as meals, hotels and lost wages, and inconvenience, for international travel, the group wrote on its website.

Itinerary in Canada

If your destination is entirely within Canada, your only protection during a strike is Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations(opens in a new tab), though you may have additional rights under other legislation. APPR applies to all flights to and from Canada.

According to APPR, a strike of an airline’s employees is considered “outside the carrier’s control,” but the airline must offer you the two options mentioned above.

What if you have an international flight?

If you bought a ticket in Canada but the flight is outside the country, you have additional rights to get your expenses and damages reimbursed under the Carriage by Air Act, Lukacs said.

The situation is different for passengers travelling internationally since they are covered by the Carriage by Air Act(opens in a new tab). The airline will need to compensate passengers for meals, accommodation, lost wages and other expenses, but not the lump sum that applies for Canadian destinations.

“It’s their own pilots and Air Canada is responsible for its own labour affairs,” Lukacs said. “There are several decisions from the European top courts interpreting the law and it’s clear that strikes are part of the normal business in an airline so they have to handle it. … It is not something that is outside their control in the eyes of the international law in Canada.” 

On the heels of Tuesday night’s presidential debate, Taylor Swift announced she is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

“Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.” she wrote.

She continued: “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”

Swift signed her post with her name and “Childless Cat Lady.”

PHILADELPHIA –

In their first and perhaps only debate, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris described the state of the country in starkly different terms. As the two traded jabs, some old false and misleading claims emerged along with some new ones.

Trump falsely touts his economy

TRUMP: “I created one of the greatest economies in the history of our country. … They’ve destroyed the economy.”

THE FACTS: This is an exaggeration. The economy grew much faster under Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan than it did under Trump. The broadest measure of economic growth, gross domestic product, rose 4 per cent a year for four straight years under Clinton. The fastest growth under Trump was three per cent in 2018. The economy shrank 2.2 per cent in 2020, at the end of Trump’s presidency. And a higher proportion of American adults had jobs under Clinton than under Trump. During the Biden-Harris administration, the economy expanded 5.8 per cent in 2021, though much of that reflected a bounce-back from COVID.

Inflation has trekked down

TRUMP: “They had the highest inflation perhaps in the history of our country, because I’ve never seen a worse period of time.”

THE FACTS: While praising the strength of the economy under his presidency, Donald Trump misstated the inflation rate under Biden. Inflation peaked at 9.1 per cent in June 2022 after rising steadily in the first 17 months of Biden’s presidency from a low of 0.1 per cent in May 2020. It’s now seeing a downward trend. The most recent data shows that as of July it had fallen to 2.9 per cent. Other historical periods have seen higher inflation, which hit more than 14 percent in 1980, according to the Federal Reserve.

Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025

HARRIS: “What you’re going to hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former president intends on implementing if he were elected again.”

THE FACTS: Trump has said he doesn’t know about Project 2025, a controversial blueprint for another Republican presidential administration.

The plan was written up by many of his former aides and allies, but Trump has never said he’ll implement the roughly 900-page guide if he’s elected again. On the contrary, he has said it’s not related to his campaign.

Trump’s taxing and spending plan examined

HARRIS: “What the Wharton School has said is Donald Trump’s plan would actually explode the deficit.”

THE TRUTH: The Penn-Wharton Budget Model did find that Trump’s tax and spending plans would significantly expand the deficit by $5.8 trillion over ten years. But it also found that Harris’ plans would increase the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the same period.

A presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is seen from the spin room, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Matt Slocum/AP Photo)

Harris’ record on fracking examined

TRUMP: “If she won the election, fracking in Pennsylvania will end on Day 1.”

THE FACTS: Trump’s statement ignores the fact that without a law approved by Congress, a president can only ban fracking on federal lands.

The federal government owns about two per cent of Pennsylvania’s total land, and it is not clear how much of that is suitable for oil or gas drilling.

Republicans have criticized Harris for “flip-flopping” on the issue, noting that Harris said in the 2020 campaign that she opposed fracking, a drilling technique that is widely used in Pennsylvania and other states.

Harris has since said repeatedly that she won’t ban fracking if elected, and she reiterated that in Tuesday’s debate.

Trump misrepresents crime statistics

TRUMP, criticizing the Biden administration: “Crime is through the roof.”

THE FACTS: In fact, FBI data has shown a downward trend in violent crime since a coronavirus pandemic spike. Violent crime surged during the pandemic, with homicides increasing nearly 30 per cent between in 2020 over the previous year — the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records

Violent crime was down six per cent in the last three months of 2023 compared with the same period the year before, according to FBI data released in March. Murders were down 13 per cent. New FBI statistics released in June show the overall violent crime rate declined 15 per cent in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. One expert has cautioned, however, that those 2024 figures are preliminary and may overstate the actual reduction in crime.

Trump endorses false rumor about immigrants eating pets

TRUMP: “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats… They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”

THE FACTS: There’s no evidence to support the claim, which Trump and his campaign have used to argue immigrants are committing crimes at a higher rate than others.

Authorities in Ohio have said there are no credible or detailed reports to support Trump’s claim.

Jobs created under the Biden administration

“TRUMP: “Just like their number of 818,000 jobs that they said they created turned out to be a fraud.”

THE FACTS: This is a mischaracterization of the government’s process of counting jobs. Every year the Labor Department issues a revision of the number of jobs added in a 12-month period from April through March in the previous year. The adjustment is made because the government’s initial job counts are based on surveys of businesses. The revision is then based on actual job counts from unemployment insurance files that are compiled later. The revision is compiled by career government employees with little involvement by politically appointed officials.

Trump repeats false claims immigrants that noncitizens are being sought to vote

TRUMP: “A lot of these illegal immigrants coming in, they’re trying to get them to vote. They can’t even speak English. They don’t even know what country they’re in practically and these people are trying to get them to vote, and that’s why they’re allowing them to come into our country.”

THE FACTS: In recent months, Trump and other Republicans have been repeating the baseless claim that Democrats want migrants to come into the country illegally so they will vote.

There’s no evidence for this, nor is there any evidence that noncitizens illegally vote in significant numbers in this country.

Voting by people who are not U.S. citizens already is illegal in federal elections. It can be punishable by fines, prison time and even deportation. While noncitizens have cast ballots, studies show it’s incredibly rare, and states regularly audit their voter lists to remove ineligible voters from the rolls.

Trump’s comments suggest that not speaking English is somehow prohibitive for voting in the U.S. — and that’s also not the case. In fact, the Voting Rights Act requires certain states to provide election materials in other languages depending on the voting-age population’s needs.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump presented different visions for the future of abortion rights during their presidential debate Tuesday.

Harris promised to sign a bill that reinstates protections for abortion rights that existed under Roe v. Wade if it reaches her desk as president while Trump would not commit to vetoing a national abortion ban if it comes to his desk.

During the debate, Trump — who claimed he wouldn’t have to veto a national ban — said he believes in exceptions for abortions in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.

“There’s no reason to sign a ban because we have gotten what everyone wanted,” Trump said, referring to leaving the regulation of abortion up to state governments.

At least 22 states have abortion bans or restrictions in effect since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe — ending federal protections for abortion rights. Of those states, 14 have ceased nearly all abortion services and four have six-week bans in effect, prohibiting abortion care before most women know they are pregnant.

Three of the five U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe were appointed by Trump when he was president.

Ten states will have reproductive rights-related questions on the ballot this November, nine of which specifically address abortion.

Voters in all six states that have had abortion questions on the ballot since Roe was overturned have voted to uphold abortion rights.

During the debate, Trump also falsely claimed that some states allow for the killing of an infant after birth. Killing a baby after birth is illegal in all 50 states.

Most states that allow abortions do so until fetal viability. But, there are no gestational limits on abortion in 9 states — including Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Gov. Tim Walz’s state of Minnesota — and Washington, DC.

BAGHDAD – Iraqi security officials said an explosion targeted a site used by the U.S. military next to Baghdad airport late Tuesday, one day before an expected visit by Iran’s president.

The expected visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Baghdad Wednesday would be his first official trip abroad since taking office.

Iraq’s security media cell said in a statement that an explosion was heard at 11 p.m. at the airport, in an area used by advisers to the U.S.-led international coalition.

The statement said Iraqi security forces were unable to determine the “type or causes of the explosion, and no party has claimed responsibility for it.” It added that the incident was under investigation and civilian air traffic continued as normal.

There was no immediate information on damages or casualties.

U.S. officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

An Iraqi security official at the airport, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, said that officials who were at the airport preparing for Pezeshkian’s visit heard “the sound of two strong strikes,” which apparently targeted a logistics support site for the coalition.

Over the past 11 months, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have periodically targeted bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq and have said that the strikes were in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in the war in Gaza.

One of those militias, Kataib Hezbollah, appeared to be trying to distance itself from Tuesday night’s strike.

Jaafar al-Husseini, the group’s spokesperson, said in a statement that the targeting of the airport was “carried out by suspicious hands, and its aim is to disrupt the Iranian president’s visit to Baghdad.”

MEXICO CITY –

Shootouts in the western Mexican state of Sinaloa have kindled fears that an intra-cartel war is about to break out in the wake of the arrest of legendary trafficker, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, in July.

One soldier and two civilians were killed on Monday, authorities say. Videos widely shared online showed heavily armed gunmen moving on foot or riding trucks in areas around Culiacan, the state capital, while gunfire echoes in the background. Many cars and business have been shot at.

Calm had returned by Tuesday morning, though some shops had closed at midday.

Analysts have predicted a war within the Sinaloa Cartel ever since Zambada’s arrest on July 25. The veteran cartel leader, believed to be in his mid-70s, alleges that a senior member of the Los Chapitos, another faction of the cartel, kidnapped him and then flew him to the United States against his will.

El Mayo and Los Chapitos, a grouping led by the sons of ex-Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, are widely believed to lead the two most powerful factions in the powerful crime syndicate.

One Sinaloa-based security official told Reuters fighters from the Los Chapitos faction entered areas controlled by Zambada to intimidate them. Some media reports, however, suggested that it was fighters loyal to Zambada who attacked Los Chapitos’ faction.

“It is believed that there may be more fighting and that these clashes are between the same two groups (within the cartel),” said America Armenta, an independent Sinaloan journalist in Culiacan.

Mexican authorities sent another 90 special forces soldiers to Sinaloa on Tuesday, taking the number of elite troops dispatched to the state since Zambada’s arrest to nearly 600.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the government is “watching and taking action” to ensure calm.

“It’s a confrontation, and I hope it’s temporary,” Lopez Obrador said in his daily press conference on Tuesday.