Passenger help

• What information and documents do I need to submit a complaint?

  You will be asked in the form to provide information about your flight and the problems you experienced. You will also need to upload your documents throughout the form. It will be easier if you have your all information and documents in one place on your computer, tablet or phone. The documents will need to be in a digital format for upload, as we cannot accept physical copies.

  Documents and information you will need:

  • Proof that you contacted the airline in writing
  • Airline ticket, booking confirmation or invoice
  • Airline booking number or reservation code
  • Booking details, including the complete flight itinerary

  Documents and information you may also need:

  • Receipts for out-of-pocket expenses related to the problem you experienced
  • Ticket number
  • Boarding pass
  • If you were denied boarding (bumping), you will need written confirmation of what the airline offered you

  For baggage-related issues, you may also need:

  • Property Irregularity Report (PIR) or Incident report
  • Damaged property report, if provided
  • Complete list of missing or damaged items, including the value per item
  • Receipts for replacement items

• Can I submit a complaint about an accessibility issue?

  Persons with disabilities have a right to barrier-free travel. The CTA can help with issues about the:

  • accessibility of flights to, from, and within Canada
  • accessibility of airports in Canada
  • accessibility of transportation services by an airline or terminal in Canada
  • accessibility of trains, ferries and buses that operate between provinces or territories or between Canada and the United States, as well as rail stations and ferry terminals in Canada

  Submit an accessible transportation complaint

  For more information about the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations, visit our Accessible Transportation page.

• What are the eligibility criteria for an Air travel complaint?

  Your complaint must meets the following criteria:

  1. Your complaint has to involve a flight incident that the CTA can address, such as a flight delay. Please visit our website for a list of things that the CTA cannot address such as airport security screening or airline customer service.
  2. You, or the people you are submitting the complaint for, actually experienced the flight incident raised in your complaint. For example, you cannot submit a complaint about something that you heard about on the news.
  3. You are looking for compensation, a refund, or reimbursement for expenses from the airline related to the flight incident raised in your complaint. The CTA cannot award compensation for pain and suffering, or loss of income.
  4. You have already sent your complaint to the airline in writing before submitting the complaint to the CTA, waited 30 days for the airline's answer, and your complaint remains unresolved.
  5. Your complaint cannot be vexatious or made in bad faith.

  You should also note, if it is clear from the information provided in your complaint, that the airline has fulfilled its obligations under the tariff (the legal document that contains the terms, conditions and other rules that apply to your airline ticket), the complaint may be ineligible. For example, if the airline has already provided you with the compensation you were owed, your complaint would not move forward.

• Are there time limits or deadlines for submitting a complaint?

  You should act upon your complaint as soon as possible. This will help you establish your case (which may be more difficult after time has passed) and ensure that copies of your documents are available.

  Before you submit a complaint to the CTA, you must contact the airline and wait 30 days for their reply.

  Deadlines to contact or submit a complaint to the airline:

  • Damaged baggage: file a claim with the airline within 7 days of receiving your baggage.

  • Delayed baggage: file a claim with the airline within 21 days of receiving your baggage.

  • Lost baggage: file a claim with the airline as soon as possible. Your baggage is considered lost when it is delayed for 21 days or when the airline admits to losing the baggage before 21 days.

  • Flight delays and cancellations: file a request for compensation with the airline within 1 year of the delay or cancellation. The airline has 30 days to make a payment or explain why not.

• Do I have to show up in person?

  No, your case resolution and any exchange of information or documents will be done electronically.

• Are there any costs or fees to submit an air travel complaint?

  No. It doesn’t cost anything to submit an Air travel complaint to the CTA.

• Do I need a lawyer?

  No, you can complete the Complaint form and any actions required during the complaint resolution process yourself. You can, however, have a friend, family member, representative or lawyer submit your complaint form, but you and anyone included in your complaint, must have actually experienced the flight incident raised in the complaint. 

• Can I submit a complaint on behalf of someone else?

  Yes, as long as you have their consent. Parents/legal guardians do not require consent to act on behalf of their minor children.

• Can I submit a complaint about any problem I experience while flying or at the airport?

  We can help with these issues:

  Compensation for a flight delay, cancellation or tarmac delay

  Depending on the reason for the delay or cancellation, the airline may have to offer assistance (food/drinks, communication, overnight accommodation), rebooking, refunds, or compensation for inconvenience.

  Note: Tarmac delays are when the plane is delayed on the ground, with the doors closed, before take-off or after landing.

  For more information about flight disruptions, please visit Flight delays and cancellations

  Compensation and expenses for lost, delayed or damaged baggage

  Deadlines for filing baggage claims:

  To be eligible for compensation, refunds or reimbursement, you must have filed a claim with the airline:

  • within 7 days of receiving your damaged baggage
  • within 21 days of receiving your delayed baggage on international flights
  • as soon as possible for delayed baggage on flights within Canada
  • as soon as possible for baggage that is considered lost

  If you did not submit a claim within these time limits, the airline could deny your claim.

  For more information about baggage complaints, please visit Lost, damaged or delayed baggage.

  Compensation for denied boarding (bumping)

  Denied boarding (bumping) is when there are more passengers with valid tickets who have checked in and arrived at the boarding gate than seats on the plane. This can happen if the flight is oversold or if the plane is changed to one with fewer seats.

  Note: Denied boarding is not the same as Refusal to transport, which is when a passenger is not allowed to travel on their flight because of problems with travel documents, pets, ticket payment, missed deadlines, behaviour, health, safety, or for security reasons.

  Depending on the reason for denied boarding (bumping), the airline may have to offer assistance (food/drinks, communication, overnight accommodation), rebooking or refunds, and compensation for inconvenience.

  Before bumping a passenger, airlines must first ask for volunteers. If you are moved to a later flight, the airline must provide you with a written confirmation of the benefits that you accepted. Compensation is only given if the reason for denied boarding was within the airline’s control.

  For more information on Denied Boarding (Bumping), please visit Denied boarding (Bumping).

  A refund of a ticket, part of a ticket, or a replacement ticket

  This is the full or partial amount you paid for your ticket to your original form of payment. The amount for a partial refund will be calculated based on the original ticket as shown on your ticket, booking confirmation, receipt, or invoice.

  A refund of fees paid (baggage fees, seating fees, change fees, unaccompanied minor fees, etc.)

  This is the amount you paid for your additional fees, including baggage fees, pre-booked seats or pre-paid meals.

  Reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses (accommodation, transportation, food/drink)

  This includes receipts for food and drinks, access to communication (Wi-Fi, phone or roaming charges), accommodation for overnight delays, and transportation to and from the accommodation.

  For baggage issues, this includes receipts for replacing or renting items that were lost or damaged as well as baggage fees.

  Other (refusal to transport, ticket issues, reservations, vouchers, credits, fares, loyalty programs, travelling with children)

  This category includes complaints about:

  • seating of children near a parent or guardian
  • unaccompanied minors
  • refund of ticket(s) as a result of a cancelled reservation
  • travel credits or vouchers
  • charges or changes to my ticket or reservation
  • issues with seating
  • error(s) with my issued ticket
  • airline fares
  • loyalty programs operated by an airline

  There are some issues we can't help with, but these other organizations may be able to help:

  Travel agents or tour operators

  The CTA may be able to review complaints about the air portion of travel booked through a travel agency or as part of a tour package. 

  Complaints about the land portion or services of travel booked through a travel agency or as part of a tour package (accommodation, transfers to and from airports, excursions, etc.) fall under provincial jurisdiction.

  Please consult the provincial or territorial government authority for consumers. Your travel agency or tour operator (including on-line reservations) must be registered with a provincial authority in Canada in order to help you.

  Customs, immigration, or security

  For complaints about customs, security screening, baggage inspection or airport security, visit the air transportation section of the Government of Canada Consumer Hub.

  Airport facilities and services (not related to accessibility)

  For issues related to airport facilities or services (not related to accessibility), you can contact the airport directly.

  They can help you with:

  • Lost and found: items left in public areas in the airport terminal buildings
  • Up-to-date flight information
  • Terminal maps
  • Food and shopping services
  • Baggage storage
  • Parking
  • Car rentals

  Airline customer service

  For complaints about airline customer service, you should contact the airline directly.

  Aviation safety

  For complaints about transportation safety or unsafe practices on the plane, you can contact the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

  Unfair competitive services, including false advertising

  For complaints related to false advertising, pricing, mergers and acquisitions; etc., contact the Competition Bureau of Canada.

  Human rights violation

  If you experience a human rights issue during air travel, such as discrimination on the basis of race, gender identity or expression, you can find out more about human rights complaints and processes or file a complaint directly with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

  Airplane noise complaints

  If you have an issue about airplane noise, you can get more information from Transport Canada's Managing noise from aircraft website.

  Bilingual airline service

  For issues related to bilingual service, please contact the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.

• What if my flight was outside of Canada?

  To submit an Air travel complaint with the CTA, your flight must have been to, from or within Canada, including connecting flights. This includes cancelled flights or connecting flights outside of Canada.

  For flights outside Canada, you can contact similar agencies in other countries or regions, such as:

  United States of America: Department of Transportation (DOT) Europe: National Enforcement Bodies (NEB) (europa.eu)

  However, if your travel itinerary includes a departure from or arrival in Canada, please consider it as an itinerary departing from or arriving in Canada.

You can check the status of your complaint online: case status update.

• My flight was delayed or cancelled, what am I entitled to?

  If an airline informs you of a flight delay or cancellation within their control 14 days or less before the original departure time, they will have to compensate you for the inconvenience of the disruption. The amount of compensation depends on the size of the airline and how late you arrive at your final destination.

  Depending on the circumstances, airlines may also be required to provide to you certain assistance such as food, Wi-Fi access, accommodation and communication, if you experienced a flight disruption. They may also be required to provide rebooking or a refund.

  To receive compensation for a flight delay or cancellation, you must make a claim directly with the airline in writing within one year of the delay or cancellation. The airline has 30 days to respond by issuing a payment or by telling you why it believes compensation is not owed.

• My baggage was damaged. What do I do?

  If your bag is damaged, contact the airline right away

  For damaged baggage: you must file a claim with the airline within 7 days of receiving your baggage.

  Failure to submit a claim within the set time limit could result in the airline denying your claim.

• My baggage did not arrive at my destination. What do I do?

  If your bag is missing, contact your airline right away.

  • For delayed baggage: you must file a claim with the airline within 21 days of receiving your baggage.
  • For lost baggage: you must file a claim with the airline as soon as possible after 21 days (baggage is considered lost if it has been delayed for 21 days).

  Failure to submit a claim within the set time limits could result in the airline denying your claim.

Confirming your complaint

On September 30, 2023, a new air travel complaint resolution process came into effect under the Canada Transportation Act (Act).

All complaints, including those submitted before September 30, 2023, must meet new eligibility criteria set out in the Act in order to move forward in the complaint resolution process.

What if I haven't received a complaint confirmation email yet?

If you submitted your complaint before September 30, 2023, you will receive an email from the Canadian Transportation Agency before your case moves to the complaint resolution process, This email will be sent to the email address you used on your original complaint. You can also check your spam folder if you cannot find an email. Please note: The wait time before an air travel complaint moves to the resolution process can be more than 18 months.      

Can I withdraw or cancel my complaint?

If your complaint has already been resolved with the airline or you do not want to continue with the air travel complaint resolution process, you must withdraw the complaint in the eServices Portal or use the secure withdrawal link in the complaint confirmation emails.  

How do I confirm my complaint information?

If you submitted a complaint before September 30, 2023, and receive an email from the Canadian Transportation Agency asking you to confirm your complaint information, you must:

• Click the unique eServices Portal registration link in the email
• Register in the Portal, the online platform where passengers and airlines can manage and participate in the air travel complaint resolution process.
• Select the complaint needing passenger confirmation
• Follow the 6 steps to review your complaint and add any information you think is missing, including details about the issues, what you are claiming, who was affected and/or any documents that may support your claim.
• Click the "Submit your confirmation" button when you are sure your complaint is complete.

Note: You must complete the steps in order.

Step 1: Review original submission

All the information and documents you provided in the original submission have been uploaded to the eServices Portal. Please check the information and documents carefully.

In the next steps, you will be guided through the information and documents required to meet the eligibility criteria in the Canada Transportation Act.

Step 2: Review / update documents

The documents listed are the original documents you submitted. You can add additional documents, such as tickets, receipts for expenses (if any), and all your communication with the airline. Note: the original documents cannot be removed.

This is the last chance to add additional documents.

Step 3: Review / update flights and issues

Review and confirm that the flight information in the complaint is correct.

For each flight, please make sure all issues, such as flight delays or baggage, are listed. You can have multiple flights and multiple issues. You can add, edit, or delete issues as required.

Step 4: Review / update desired outcome

You cannot do this step until steps 1-3 are complete.

In order to meet the new eligibility criteria, you must include the desired remedy or outcome you want.

Outcomes are based on the issues identified in Step 3: Review / update flights and issues. Outcomes can include:

• refund of ticket(s) and the amount you want

• reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses and the amount you want

• compensation for inconvenience (only for flight delays/cancellations or denied boarding). The amount is pre-determined by the Air Passenger Protection Regulations based on the size of the airline and the length of the delay arriving at the destination airport

• compensation for lost, delayed or damaged baggage and the amount you want

Step 5: Update incident description

Please review the original complaint summary in the Case details box. This is your last chance to update it with any additional details about your complaint that were not in the original submission. 

In the Case details box, you must include:

• a statement on whether you agree or disagree with the airline's reason for the incident and why

• a list of who was affected by the flight issue(s) in the original complaint

  • say if you were personally affected by the flight incident.

  • say if you are representing or submitting on behalf of other people who were personally affected by the incident and include their name(s). Note: You cannot add new passengers that were not listed in the original complaint. They would need to submit their own complaint.

Remember to click on the Save description button!

Step 6: Complete the confirmation

Once you have finished steps 1–5, you will be asked to:

• review the required documents list.
• agree that once you submit the confirmation you cannot make any further changes and the complaint will move forward. 

You must click the "Submit your confirmation" button for your complaint to move to the complaint resolution process.

When will the complaint be reviewed?

Once you have completed the review and clicked the “Submit your confirmation” button, you will see that the case on the Portal dashboard is now green and labelled as “Cases in progress”.

You will receive a Start Notice email when your case moves to the beginning of the air travel complaint resolution process.

You can use the eServices Portal to participate in the complaint review process. You will be able to:

• see the information and supporting documents related to the complaint
• get notifications from the CTA
• view the airline's answer to the complaint and submit a reply to the answer
• find out if the case meets eligibility requirements
• if the case is eligible, participate in mediation and/or read the final decisions and orders

Need more help?

The following guides will help you use the Portal and complete the steps to confirm your complaint.

• eServices Portal guide for cases requiring passenger confirmation
• Passenger eServices Portal Guide

You can also call 1-888-222-2592, Monday to Friday, from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm ET.
 

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) cannot provide explanations or comments on decisions that are made by Complaint Resolution Officers (CRO) about air travel complaints. The CRO’s decisions speak for themselves.

CROs are designated under section 85.02 of the Canada Transportation Act (Act) to resolve disputes between the two parties (the airline and the passenger) in air travel complaint cases if the parties are not able to resolve the dispute themselves. The CRO’s role is to assess whether a passenger complaint is eligible for the resolution process, mediate the dispute if both parties agree to try mediation, and, if necessary, make a final, binding and confidential decision.

Eligibility assessment

The CRO will determine if an air travel complaint meets the eligibility criteria set out in the Act. If a complaint is ineligible, it will not move forward in the complaint resolution process and the case will be closed.

Eligibility criteria were put in place (under subsection 85.04(2) of the Act) to ensure that passengers only bring forward issues that are under the CTA’s mandate and responsibility.

Complaints assessed as ineligible

In some situations, a passenger may be able to file a new complaint using the CTA’s online complaint form after receiving an ineligibility assessment. This would apply if the passenger can take the necessary steps to ensure their complaint meets the eligibility criteria.

The following are examples of reasons why a complaint did not meet the eligibility criteria and how they can be addressed. Once addressed, the passenger could decide to file a new complaint:

• If a passenger has not clearly stated to the CTA what type of outcome they are looking for (a refund, reimbursement of expenses or compensation) in their complaint, they may file a new complaint and provide this missing information;
• If a passenger has not made a written request to the airline first to try to resolve the dispute, and if the dispute remains unresolved after 30 days, the passenger may be able to take this missing step and then file a new complaint with the CTA.

Passengers are encouraged to carefully read the eligibility assessment letter issued by the CRO as it will explain why the complaint is ineligible. The CTA cannot provide any further explanations or comments on how a passenger’s complaint may or may not meet the eligibility criteria. 

Learn more about the eligibility criteria.

Final decisions and orders

If an air travel complaint meets the eligibility criteria set out in the Act, a CRO will analyze and evaluate the positions and evidence provided by both parties, including the airline’s answer and the passenger’s reply, if submitted, and issue a final decision and order on the case. 

Note: Complaints that include multiple issues (i.e., a flight delay and lost baggage) or multiple outcomes requested (i.e., compensation for inconvenience, refund and reimbursement of expenses) may have more than one order in a decision.

These decisions and orders are binding on the parties. If a CRO makes an order against an airline in a final decision, the airline must comply with the order within the specified time. 

Once the CRO has issued a final decision in a case:

• the passenger cannot file a new complaint about the same issues;
• the CTA cannot provide further explanations about the final decision or order.

Publishing of decisions and orders

The Air travel complaint decisions and orders table lists the decisions and orders issued by the Canadian Transportation Agency for eligible air travel complaints as required by section 85.14 of the Canada Transportation Act. This table is updated quarterly.

Complaints that include multiple issues (i.e. a flight delay and lost baggage) or multiple outcomes requested (i.e. compensation for inconvenience, refund and reimbursement of expenses) may have more than one order in a decision.

Confidentiality of information

The information about the Air travel complaint decisions and orders that is required to be made public, as outlined in section 85.14 of the Canada Transportation Act, is:

• the flight number
• the flight date
• carrier control
• order statement (whether the airline is ordered to refund, compensate for inconvenience or compensate for expenses)

All other information about the decisions and orders is kept confidential and must not be published unless both parties — the complainant (passenger) and the carrier (airline) — agree to disclose it, as outlined in subsection 85.09(1) of the Canada Transportation Act. 

Challenging a CRO’s decision

The CTA’s role in the air travel complaint resolution process between the airline and the passenger officially ends when a final decision has been made.

Either party may challenge a CRO’s decision by filing a judicial review application with the Federal Court of Canada. More information on that process is available on the website: How to file an Application for Judicial Review. 

Airline answer and passenger reply are step 3 of the air travel complaint resolution process. The airline will be given 14 calendar days from the date of the Start Notice to review the complaint and provide information and/or documents to support its answer to the complaint. Once the airline provides its answer, passengers will be notified and have the option of submitting a reply within 4 calendar days. 

Airlines can request 4 additional calendar days to provide their answer to the complaint.

Passengers can request 1 additional calendar day to reply to the airline answer.

Submitting a request

1. Select the Request extra time button at the top right corner of the Airline answer or Passenger reply section of the eServices Portal.
2. Explain the reason for the extension request in the text box.
3. Click the Submit extension request button

The extension request will be approved in step 4 (Eligibility review) of the complaint resolution process. The extension may be declined, and any documents or information provided during the extension period would not be considered, if:

• the request is submitted outside of the eServices Portal
• the request is made after the deadline for filing an answer or a reply has already passed
• the request does not include the reason the original deadline could not be met.

For more information, please read the extension request section in these guides:

• Passenger eServices Portal Guide
• Airline eServices Portal Guide

An airline ceasing operations may leave passengers with great uncertainty, and in some cases may leave them stranded far from home.

To help passengers who may be affected, the CTA offers the following information and some practical tips for consumers.