A B.C. couple says Air Canada ruined their dream vacation after the airline refused to take their bags off a flight.
“We were so looking forward to it for four years and it was taken from us by Air Canada,” said Alyssa Yell.
Yell and her partner Paul Suter had booked a horse trekking adventure in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. However, the Vancouver Island couple says the trip began unravelling before they arrived at the airport on Sept. 1, 2023.
The day they were scheduled to depart Vancouver International Airport, Suter and Yell say they received a notice from Air Canada early that morning stating their scheduled flight was delayed.
That was later followed by another notice indicating the same flight would be further delayed due to pilot scheduling issues.
The couple was flying from Vancouver to Montreal with a connecting flight to Istanbul. They say that connection was crucial because if they didn’t make it, they wouldn’t arrive in Mongolia on time. The horse trek is non-refundable.
Suter says an Air Canada agent told the couple they wouldn’t make their connection. “Now what do we do?” said Suter.
Suter said he was directed to an Air Canada customer service desk where an agent issued them new flights now leaving Vancouver to Los Angeles with a connecting flight to Seoul, Korea ensuring they would arrive in Mongolia on schedule.
The couple says they were instructed by the Air Canada agent to retrieve their bags at the domestic baggage claim area at YVR and have them removed from the original flight and rechecked internationally.
“What she (the agent) achieved was the approval to remove our bags from Flight 306 and she gave us instructions on how we were going to get our bags from the baggage claim downstairs in the domestic terminal and then collect them and recheck them on to our new international flight to L.A.,” said Suter.
However, Suter and Yell say Air Canada employees at the baggage claim counter wouldn’t remove their bags from the original flight that was scheduled to leave for Montreal. “The agent basically said that they will not delay Flight 306 any longer to Montreal in order to get our bags off and they will not be removed,” said Suter.
With their four bags containing all their camping essentials stuck on their original flight and the couple now rebooked on a different flight to L.A., Suter and Yell say it was impossible to arrive in Mongolia on time and made the heartbreaking decision to cancel their trip.
“Knowing that our bags are in the air on the way to Montreal and we don’t know when we are going to see them again and we need our bags to make this trip and holiday of a lifetime happen,” Suter said. “We know we can’t replace the items that are flying across the country without us without a great deal of time and effort to put everything that we would need for this trip together.”
The couple ended up filing a claim to get their luggage. As it turns out, the couple says one bag never left Vancouver and the other three arrived at their Vancouver Island home 24 days later with tags indicating their luggage had flown to Mongolia without them.
Gábor Lukács president of the non-profit Air Passenger Rights says Air Canada is guilty of a safety violation for not removing the bags in the first place and the couple should be fully reimbursed for their losses.
“Clearly, if the passenger tells you I am going abroad I need my baggage or else I won’t be able to travel, and when there is also the security risk aspect it is common sense to remove the baggage from the flight and to refuse to do so that, is in my view, willful misconduct,” he said.
“That goes beyond the normal misplacing a baggage in good faith. The airline has to refund the entire airfare. That’s what the APPR (Air Passenger Protection Regulations) says that’s what they have to do. It’s black and white there is no doubt about it.”
Turkish Airlines refunded the couple $8,000 for the returning leg of the flight. As for Air Canada, Suter and Yell say they received $400 each from Air Canada for the delayed flight and a 25 per cent off one-time use coupon for future travel with Air Canada.
They also received $4,652.67 from Air Canada for their luggage which went missing for over three weeks. In addition, they have each been given Air Canada vouchers worth $2,000 for future travel. They have not yet received a full refund for their flights.
Air Canada told Global News it was in compliance with all security measures over baggage handling.
When Consumer Matters reached out on the couple’s behalf, Air Canada stated:
“…We are expediting the refund of their tickets, which is taking longer than normal as the fares were originally purchased and ticketed through another carrier. As well, Air Canada’s policy is to meet all APPR requirements, and compensation in this case will be paid as appropriate in situations where passengers elect not to travel. Finally, we are providing additional, goodwill gestures. We remain engaged with the customers.”
Air Canada also stated it was in compliance with all security measures over baggage handling. Transport Canada told Consumer Matters there are requirements in place for airlines with respect to matching checked baggage with passengers on board flights, but wouldn’t provide more information stating it would compromise the safety and security of travelers.
Still, the couple says they are out thousands of dollars for the loss of their dream vacation.
“It does not replace the holiday that we are missing,” said Yell.
“Air Canada led us astray.”
Comments