The holiday season is one of the busiest travel periods in Canada — and also one of the most delay-prone. Weather, staffing issues, and operational problems can quickly lead to long delays or cancelled flights. If your flight is delayed or disrupted, Canadian law may require the airline to compensate you.
Here’s what travellers should know about flight delay and cancellation compensation in Canada.
When airlines must pay compensation
Under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), airlines may owe compensation if:
1. Your flight is cancelled or delayed, and you arrive 3 hours or more late.
2. The disruption is within the airline’s control and not related to safety.
3. You were notified of the disruption 14 days or less before departure.
Compensation is based on your arrival time at the final destination on your ticket. (Post continues below.)
Compensation amounts depend on airline size
Large airlines. Most major Canadian airlines are classified as large carriers, including Air Canada (and its Jazz and Rouge brands), WestJet, Air Transat, Sunwing, Flair, and Porter.
If a qualifying delay or cancellation occurs, large airlines must pay $400 when a passenger arrives three to under six hours late, $700 for arrivals six to under nine hours late, and $1,000 for arrivals nine hours or more late. Even if a passenger chooses a refund instead of rebooking, a large airline must still pay $400.
Small airlines. Some regional carriers, such as Canadian North, are classified as small airlines.
In these cases, compensation is $125 for arrivals three to under six hours late, $250 for arrivals six to under nine hours late, and $500 for arrivals nine hours or more late. If the passenger opts for a refund rather than rebooking, the airline must still pay $125. All compensation amounts are in Canadian dollars.
| Delay Length | Compensation (Large Airline) | Compensation (Small Airline) |
| 3 or more hours, but less than 6 hours. | $400 | $125 |
| 6 or more hours, but less than 9 hours. | $700 | $250 |
| 9 or more hours. | $1,000 | $500 |
Time limits for claims
Passengers must submit a compensation claim to the airline within one year of the flight disruption. The airline then has 30 days to respond, either by paying compensation or explaining why it believes none is owed.
Before you contact the airline, check your eligibility
Courtready’s free flight delay and cancellation compensation calculator helps you quickly assess whether you may be entitled to compensation under Canadian law, based on your airline, delay length, and circumstances.
Before you file a claim, start with the calculator at Courtready.ca and know where you stand.
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