Air Canada flight attendants defy federal back-to-work order, travellers in limbo

After being ordered back to work by the federal government over the weekend, Air Canada flight attendants are refusing to leave the picket lines —openly defying the order from Ottawa. 

It’s a move that has already grounded hundreds of flights, leaving the travel plans for some passengers up in the air. 

Canada’s industrial relations board declared the strike by the airline’s 10,000 flight attendants illegal Monday morning. 

The union doubled down by noon, saying its members would not return to work.

Air Canada had planned to gradually resume flights over the weekend – but with the strike continuing, those plans are now on hold.

And it means major disruptions for people like Lola Kalder, who was supposed to start working at CityNews Montreal on Tuesday. Instead, she’s stranded in her hometown of Nice, France. 

“In the emails they send you, they say rebook online, but the only option is a refund. And then it just says, if you want to rebook, call this number, and you just never get through to anyone,” Kalder said.

She says she’s been up since four in the morning calling the airline for answers — but so far, nothing but radio silence.

“We’ve been calling. I started calling at 4 a.m. this morning, every hour on the dot,” Kalder said.

While Air Canada has offered her a refund, she and her fiancé say that they won’t get home since ticket prices have jumped nearly four times the amount they originally paid.

“Air Canada saw this coming. I don’t know why they don’t have a plan B,” said Patrick Ahad, Kalder’s fiancé.

Air passenger advocates say that travellers shouldn’t settle for a refund, but instead insist on their right to alternate transportation. 

Air Passenger Rights president Gábor Lukács says passengers have the right to buy a new flight elsewhere and charge it back to Air Canada.

“Under the law, the air passenger protection regulations, Air Canada has an obligation to rebook passengers on competitor airlines,” said Lukács.

He also says that passengers can bill the airline the costs for meals and accommodations, as well as lost wages.

“Air Canada is banking on people just not caring enough, not putting enough effort into it. But this is a very important thing.”

Meanwhile, at Montreal’s Trudeau airport — travellers are still scrambling for answers from the airline.

“They are not answering the phones. They are not talking to anyone. I tried to call them. They will tell you go online. And when I go online, they said nothing is there,” said Camille Loutfi, whose family is stranded in Paris. “Yesterday we were not sleeping. Just looking for alternate flights.”