A Canadian parliamentary committee is calling for sweeping changes to Canada’s air passenger rights rules, including better compensation regulations for those facing delayed or cancelled flights, and tougher enforcement of the rules.
Canadian Press reports that the recommendations, tabled in Ottawa on Tuesday (April 18), comes after chaotic travel seasons over the summer and winter holidays brought on by soaring demand, labour shortages and winter storms.
The House of Commons standing committee on transport offered 21 recommendations, including stronger monetary penalties, smoother processing of compensation claims and automatic payout offers after cancellations, significant delays or denial of boarding.
The Globe and Mail said the committee is recommending that passengers automatically get compensation for delays or cancellations, rather than being forced to ask the airline for compensation and then complain to the Canadian Transport Agency if they’re not happy. It also said the committee wants a review of rules that seemingly allow airlines to cancel flights due to what it deems as “safety” concerns, an issue frequently cited when airlines shut down scheduled flights.
The strongly-worded report now goes to the House of Commons, and will serve as advice to Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. The minister isn’t bound to follow any of the recommendations, but he has frequently stated that the government is determined to provide stronger protection to Canadian travellers.
FORBES TOP 23 PLACES FOR 2023: CANADA, AUSTRALIA, GRENADA AND HONG KONG MAKE THE LIST
Forbes Travel has come out with a list of 23 top places to visit in 2023. Two cities in Canada, Victoria and Edmonton, made the list. Victoria was cited for its polite residents, charming atmosphere and lovely natural landscapes. Edmonton was singled out for its craft breweries, local indigenous culture and “vibrant urban centre.”
Forbes said Hong Kong offers “diverse cuisine, a burgeoning arts and culture scene and more than two hundred jungle- and beach-covered islands.” Having been several times, that’s a pretty darned good description.
I’m a big fan of Australia. Forbes said Tasmania has a “wild and untouched with a landscape of wind-battered mountains that tumble into a frothy blue ocean, with a world-renowned food and drinks scene,” while the Northern Territory has “outback desert landscapes, hidden swimming holes, colorful outdoor markets, Aboriginal rock art, camel rides, traditional art galleries and spectacular Uluru in the red center.”
Also mentioned were the Isle of Skye in Scotland (“a place to escape the pace of modern life and take a breath”) and Grenada (“world-class beaches, picturesque waterfalls and plenty of news for 2023.”)
Toronto Pearson Airport. JIM BYERS PHOTO
CTV News reports Alghabra last month said the Trudeau government wants to prevent airlines from claiming safety concerns to avoid compensating passengers.
“We are working on strengthening and clarifying the rules to ensure that we make a distinction,” he said. “Obviously we don’t want planes to fly when it’s unsafe to do so, but there are certain things that are within the control of the airlines, and we need to have clear rules that put the responsibility on the airlines when it’s their responsibility.”
Alghabra said specific changes would be tabled in the House of Commons, which has now been done, and that travellers can expect “major changes” to Canadian passengers’ rights sometime this spring.
The zoo in Sydney, Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
UNITED BETS BIG ON AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
United Airlines is planning to grow its service to Australia and New Zealand later this year, the carrier’s latest bet that travelers will continue to book international trips.
CNBC says the expansion to 66 weekly flights between the U.S. and the two countries amounts to a 40% increase in flights from last year. The new schedule includes nonstop flights between San Francisco and Christchurch, New Zealand starting Dec. 1, and from Los Angeles to Auckland on Oct. 28. United is also adding service from both San Francisco and Los Angeles to Brisbane, Australia, and it’s using its largest plane to fly between San Francisco and Melbourne, Australia.
The Rocky Mountaineer’s Rockies to the Red Rocks tour takes you from Denver, Colorado to Moab, Utah. Photo Courtesy Rocky Mountaineer.
BIG TRIP TO COLORADO AND UTAH ON THE WAY
I’m very excited about a coming trip to see some of Colorado and the great U.S. National Parks in southern Utah. We’re taking the U.S. Rocky Mountaineer train from Denver to Moab, Utah beginning Sunday, April 23. Before that we’ll have a day in Denver, which should be great. We’ll have a night in Glenwood Springs, Colorado along the way, and then the train will let us off in Moab, Utah. We’ll then have four days to explore Moab, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Kanab, and Zion National Park. Probably there will be some stops along the way at Capitol Reef and other places. I’ve wanted to see these parks for many, many, many years so I’m really pumped. It’s not a lot of time, but it’s all I could manage as we head for a couple days in Las Vegas and then Lana’i, Hawai’i. Keep an eye on my social channels, including Twitter (@jimbyerstravel) and Instagram (@jimbyerstravel1) for updates and pics along the way.
