Air Canada refund and cancellation policy
Travel plans can change sometimes. Learn more about the refund and cancellation process for a flight or service.
Ticket refund eligibility
I changed/cancelled my flight – voluntary refund
If you cancel your flight within 24 hours of purchase, you will receive a refund to your original payment method Any fare difference will apply for your new booking.
After 24 hours, your refund eligibility will depend on the fare type you purchased.
You can see your fare rules on the Trip Review page while you’re booking your flight. You can also find them on your itinerary receipt once you complete your booking.
Air Canada delayed/cancelled my flight – involuntary refund
If you choose not to travel or not to accept the rebooking options or credit option offered by Air Canada, you are eligible to get a refund for the part of your ticket you didn’t use in the following situations:
- Your flight has been cancelled by Air Canada
- Your flight is delayed by 3 hours or more in relation to your original departure or arrival time.
- You're rescheduled to travel on an itinerary which includes a departure from or an arrival at an airport that is different from the airport(s) on your original itinerary.
- You’re rescheduled to travel on an itinerary with more stopovers than the original.
- You’re downgraded to a lower cabin for an itinerary with a flight to and from the U.S.
Alternatives to a ticket refund
Rebook your flight by retrieving your booking.
Choose one of the following credit options: AC Wallet or future travel credit.
Choose the type of refund
- Refund for a ticket
- Refund for baggage fees
- Refund for travel options
- Refund related to accessibility services
Refund for a ticket
If you choose not to travel, please return to the original place of purchase to request a refund. See below for more information that could help you.
Air Canada
If you booked directly though Air Canada (including aircanada.com, Air Canada for Business, the Air Canada mobile app and our Contact Centres), Aeroplan, Kayak, Google Flights or Skyscanner, go to “Trips”.
Travel agent or online travel agency
If you booked with a travel agent or online travel agency, please reach out to them directly.
Air Canada Vacations
For Air Canada Vacations bookings, visit the Air Canada Vacations website.
Refund for baggage fees
If your checked bag is delayed and your baggage fee was collected by Air Canada, we will automatically refund the baggage fee paid once we receive your Mishandled Baggage Report.
If your flight is rescheduled or cancelled and you don’t travel, you can get a refund, including any baggage fees.
Request a refund for your baggage fees by submitting a form online.
Refund for travel options
For all itineraries that include service fees collected by Air Canada, if you paid for an extra service that was not provided by us, you may be eligible for a refund if:
- The extra service you paid for is not available for all the passengers who paid for that service. We will provide a prompt and automatic refund when the information about the unavailability of the service is known by Air Canada.
- The extra service you paid for is not available to an individual or several individuals (e.g. seat selection fee) only. We will provide a prompt and automatic refund when you notify us about not receiving the service.
To request a refund for your travel option, visit our online form, select Refund Request, then select Type of Refund Requested and choose from the Issue dropdown.
Refund related to accessibility services
A passenger with a disability and any of their travel companions who choose not to fly are eligible for a refund if:
- There is a change in accessibility features needed by a passenger with a disability due to a change in seating arrangement or aircraft.
- There is a change in the connection airport(s).
To request a refund for an accessibility service, visit our online form, select Accessibility Concerns, and use the dropdowns to specify what your concern is about.
Learn more about our accessibility services.
Refund processing times
We are committed to refunding all eligible tickets within 30 calendar days from the date we are required to process the refund.
For flights to and from the U.S.*, we will try our best to process refunds within 7 business days for credit card purchases and within 20 calendar days for other forms of payment.
Please note that credit card refunds will be issued to your original form of payment. Your statement may not immediately reflect the refund as it may take up to a billing cycle for the credit card company to process the refund and for it to appear on your statement. Processing times may vary by country, depending on the banking system.
*Subject to U.S. Department of Transportation refund rules.