Accessible travel
Air Canada is committed to being a leader in accessible travel. We believe in providing our services and reimagining our spaces with accessibility in mind.
Severe allergies
Kids 8 to 11 with severe allergies must travel with a parent or guardian, or a support person 16 or older, as do youth 12 to 18 if they are not able to self-administer their medication.
Because we can't control the presence of allergens that other passengers may bring on board (e.g. peanuts, pet dander), it's possible for these allergens to remain on or between seat cushions, despite aircraft grooming policies.
To assist you in avoiding the risk of exposure, we can set up a buffer zone for you.
What is a buffer zone?
A buffer zone is a small group of seats on board the plane where:
- We advise the passengers around you to refrain from consuming your allergen if you have a food allergy or using a scented product if you have a scent allergy.
- No passengers travelling with pets will be seated if you are allergic to cats or dogs.
This small, designated area allows our crew to help minimize your risk of allergen exposure. The exact area or size of the buffer zone will vary depending on your specific flight. You will need to request a buffer zone in advance.
Here are the general conditions of our buffer zone seating:
- We don’t have full aircraft buffer zones or make general announcements regarding allergies.
- Once on board, customers seated in the buffer zone are briefed by our crew before takeoff and asked to avoid consuming or using any products containing your allergen.
- You can ask to board ahead of others so that you can deep clean your seat of any potential allergens. For this, please arrive at least 30 minutes ahead of the recommended boarding time. If you choose not to board ahead, we may ask you to board after other passengers so that our agents can help you better.
- In our Air Canada Signature Class cabin, the buffer zone will be your suite.
How to request a buffer zone
To request a buffer zone, please contact us at least 48 hours before departure1.
Severe allergies to cats or dogs
If you have a severe allergy to cats or dogs, be sure to always carry your medications, as well as hand sanitizer, and take precautions such as bringing wet wipes to clean surrounding areas.
Severe food and other allergies
Although we always do our best to help and protect those who have severe allergies, please remember that we can’t fully control the aircraft environment or what other customers may bring on board.
What we’re doing
Here are a few of our initiatives around the packaged snacks2 we offer on board:
- We’ve phased out peanuts from all packaged bar snacks offered on board in all our cabins.
- Wherever possible, we’ve replaced other packaged snacks with non-peanut alternatives.
- All our packaged snacks feature a label listing the ingredients.
What you can do
Despite our best efforts, the products we serve and offer for sale do contain various ingredients that may be allergens for some customers. If you're allergic or sensitive to products that may be found in an aircraft cabin, please be sure to always carry:
- Medication
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet wipes to clean surrounding areas
- Your own snacks
1. Rest assured that we’ll make a reasonable effort to accommodate requests made within 48 hours.
2. We do not assume liability when it comes to the information on ingredient labels of the packaged food items we serve.
Questions before or during your trip?
We understand the importance of a great travel experience – Air Canada Accessibility Services is here to answer your questions and guide you through the process of planning your trip. Please contact us using the information below.
Air Canada Accessibility Services
Phone
1-800-667-4732 (toll-free for Canada and U.S.)
1-514-369-7039 (long distance charges apply)
TTY (teletypewriter): 1-833-754-3650 (toll free for Canada and U.S.)
437–880-6224 (long distance charges apply)
VRS (video relay): 1-833-768-2256 (toll free for Canada and U.S.)
437-880-6226 (long distance charges apply)
Fax
1-888-334-7717 (toll-free for Canada and the United States)
514-828-0027 (long distance charges apply)
Note: Please include your date of travel (day/month/year), last name, first name, and booking reference in the subject line.
e.g. 26/SEPT/2024, Jones, Mary, N3EI4E
In your email, please include your phone number and let us know if you use video relay/TTY so we can get in touch if we need more information.
Hours of operation (Eastern Time)
Daily: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST
For issues when using an assistive technology tool:
1-844-347-4268 (toll-free for Canada and the United States)
Written confirmation of services
When you complete your booking, the assistance services you have requested will be indicated on your booking confirmation. Should you request services at the airport, one of our agents will be able to assist and provide you with written confirmation of this as well.
It is important to note that we can only confirm services that will be provided on flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or Air Canada Express.
For services on flights operated by other carriers, you will need to contact the other carrier directly to request and confirm any accessibility-related services.
Comments or concerns after your trip?
We’re committed to continually improving our accessibility services. We want to hear about your experience travelling with us.
Visit our customer support pageExternal site which may not meet accessibility guidelines and/or language preferences. and select Accessibility Concerns.
Select a topic then an issue from the dropdown menus.
Click Next.
Fill out the form with your information and details of the concern.
Our Commitments
As a partner to persons with disabilities, we make the following commitments:
Consult persons with disabilities and accessibility organizations, with a view to creating an enjoyable travel experience for persons with disabilities, whether in services or infrastructure, and providing a fulfilling employment experience in the workplace.
Develop and enhance accessibility features, policies and processes that broaden travel and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Train our employees and provide them with tools to encourage cooperation, lift barriers, and implement accommodations, both for our customers and our employees.
Promote a culture of respect and dignity in all our employees’ interactions with one another and with our customers and increase the representation of persons with disabilities within our workforce.
Collaborate with Canadian and international organizations and airport authorities to ensure that the needs of persons with disabilities are considered in the workplace and throughout their travel experience.
These commitments reinforce our dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion in safe, accessible air travel for all customers, and accessible employment for all Air Canada employees.
Mike Rousseau
President and Chief Executive Officer, Air Canada
Our Accessibility Plan
We are committed to being leaders in accessible travel and believe in designing our products, services, and employment with accessibility in mind.
Questions or concerns
Do you need assistance with your upcoming travel plans? Contact Air Canada Accessibility Services at least 48 hours before departure, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Phone:
1-800-667-4732 (toll-free for Canada and the United States)
1-514-369-7039 (long distance charges apply)
Email:
accessible@aircanada.ca
Feedback on Accessibility Plan
Using any of the options below, you can provide accessibility feedback (including feedback on this Plan), request an alternate format of our Accessibility Plan, or request a description of our feedback process.
We will acknowledge your feedback in the same format you utilize. You can also submit anonymous feedback.
Phone:
1-888-422-2408
(TTY and video relay available)
Mail:
Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
7373 Côte-Vertu Blvd. West
Ville Saint-Laurent, Quebec
H4S 1Z3
ZIP 1261
Director, Customer Accessibility
525 Viger Ave. Ouest
Montréal, Quebec
H2Z 0B2
Alternate formats
You can request our Accessibility Plan in any of the formats below by completing our online formExternal site which may not meet accessibility guidelines and/or language preferences..
Please allow 15 days
Large Print
Please allow 15 days
Braille
Please allow 45 days
Audio
Please allow 45 days
Website accessibility
At Air Canada, accessibility isn't just a checkbox—it’s an integral part of every innovation and interaction. We’re committed to providing the best possible travel experience to all people, addressing barriers in the built environment, products, and services that welcome and support people with disabilities.
Website accessibility
Air Canada is dedicated to making aircanada.com accessible to anyone with specific auditory, visual or mobility needs. We aim to enhance the accessibility and usability of our website by focusing on achieving level AA compliance as outlined within W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.
Compatible screen readers and tools
We consistently strive to accommodate diverse user preferences and guarantee accessibility across various platforms and screen readers. While we aim to address all feasible variations, for your convenience, we’ve listed the most popular ones below.
| Software | Recommended browser |
|---|---|
| NVDA (desktop screen reader) | Firefox  |
| JAWS (desktop screen reader) | Chrome, Edge   |
| VoiceOver on iOS (mobile screen reader for Apple devices) | Safari, Chrome  |
| TalkBack (mobile screen reader for Android devices) | Chrome |