What are your rights as a passenger when it comes to flight delays?

EDMONTON – The excitement of leaving on vacation can quickly turn to frustration if your flight ends up getting delayed, especially if you end up waiting for hours, with little to no explanation or compensation.

That’s what ended up happening to Mike Brown in December, when he and his wife went on their first trip to Mexico. An initial two-hour delay turned into much more, pushing back their scheduled 4:30 p.m. arrival to around 1 a.m.

Brown says all he was offered from Sunwing was a $20 meal voucher.

“That’s what their compensation was for all the problems. That’s less than adequate, I would say.”

Expedia, the site he booked the vacation through, initially told Brown there was nothing they could do about it. After Global News contacted Expedia on Brown’s behalf, the company reimbursed him for his shuttle to the resort (which he ended up having to pay for out of pocket) and offered him a $200 travel voucher.

For Brown, it’s still too little, too late. He would’ve liked the company to have done more sooner.

“Other passengers booked through itravel2000, were upgraded to an ocean-view suite and they had their ground transfers paid for. Another couple on the bus had their stay extended by a day by their travel company,” he says.

So what exactly are you entitled to as a passenger? Well, it depends on which airline you’re flying with and what the scenario is.

West Jet:

“If your flight is delayed by more than a couple hours we’ll give you a meal voucher,” explains West Jet’s Robert Palmer. “If your flight is delayed to the point that it’s cancelled and it’s an overnight scenario, you’re not in your own home city, we’ll put you up in a hotel and we’ll give you food vouchers on top of that.”

Air Canada Vacations:

The company says it has no set written policy for handling these sorts of problems since there are many different variables that could cause delays, so staff operate on a case-by-case basis when dealing with them. Manon LeBlanc maintains that the company always keeps the customer’s interests in mind, though.

Sunwing:

This company also deals with compensation on a case by case basis. However, it doesn’t offer any compensation for delays less than eight hours.

Expedia:

“When a customer books a flight through Expedia.ca,” says the company’s vice president and managing director, Sean Shannon, “the contractual obligation is between the ticket issuer (in this case, the airline) and the customer. As such, the customer is bound to the rules and regulations imposed by the airlines as they relate to flight delays and regulations. These conditions vary by airline.”

To avoid disappointment, Expedia.ca encourages customers to familiarize themselves with the terms and conditions imposed by the airlines before they book. They also encourage travelers to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport. Should customers encounter a flight delay, they may contact Expedia.ca customer support agents who are available 24/7 to provide assistance as required. If a delay occurs once the person has checked in, the airline has full control of the booking and is, therefore, best equipped at handling the reservation. Nonetheless, should a customer contact Expedia.ca, the company will advocate with the airline on the customer’s behalf.

In general:

There is no legislation or rule in Canada stating that airlines or travel companies legally have to do anything for you if a flight is delayed.

Every airline has a “Contract of Carriage,” which must be on the company’s website. Passengers are advised to read it and check flight delay policies before booking.

If a passenger feels that a carrier has not complied with its terms and conditions, a complaint can be filed with the Canadian Transportation Agency. However, the passenger first needs to try and address the matter directly with the carrier.

If that doesn’t work, and if the CTA finds the carrier didn’t fulfill its obligations to passengers, the agency can order the carrier to compensate passengers for out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of the delay.

It cannot, however, order compensation to passengers for their pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment; nor can it impose penalties, or order the carrier to compensate every passenger on a flight for failing to follow its own terms and conditions.

So before you book, read the fine print, and remember that you usually get what you pay for. Also, if a delay does occur, try to be patient with staff and approach them to request hotel or meal vouchers if the delay is long enough.

You can learn more about your flight rights on the Transport Canada website.

With files from Julie Matthews, Global News
Follow @TrishKozicka