Air Canada ordered to pay family of 5 separated on ‘traumatizing’ flight

Canada largest airline has been ordered to pay a family of five who were separated on what’s being described as a 'traumatizing' flight last year.

Canada largest airline has been ordered to pay a family of five who were separated on what’s being described as a “traumatizing” flight last year.

Last month, the Small Claims Court of Nova Scotia found the family was entitled to $4,199.35 in compensation from Air Canada for their extended visit to India. The Halifax family was seeking a full refund, flight delay compensation and damages worth a total of $20,000.

In 2023, the family — a man, woman and three young daughters, one of whom was just one year old — had gone on an extended visit to India, and while there booked a flight home to Halifax leaving July 8, 2023, and arriving there a day later.

They booked on the Air Canada website, leaving from Hyderbad in southern India to New Delhi, New Delhi to Toronto on AC042, and Toronto to Halifax. According to the court ruling, they paid extra for a Latitude fare, which offered them priority boarding, free baggage and fully refundable tickets.

“The family arrived at Hyderbad airport having received text and email messages from Air Canada — first that there was a flight delay on the Delhi to Toronto flight, and then that this flight had been cancelled due to mechanical issues. Several proposed itineraries were communicated,” stated the ruling by Adjudicator Eric K. Slone.

“Ultimately, Air Canada notified the Claimants that they had been booked on an alternate itinerary from Hyderbad to Mumbai, Mumbai to Newark, N.J., and Newark to Halifax. They arrived home in Halifax slightly less than five hours later than originally planned. However, the flight experience was difficult and unpleasant, perhaps even traumatizing.”

Slone’s ruling stated the family had chosen their itinerary carefully. By flying through New Delhi to Toronto, they avoided the United States entirely and had preferred boarding in New Delhi as a benefit of their Latitude fare.

When they landed in Mumbai, they had to wait two hours in line to get their boarding passes, and ended up separated on the plane. Once they landed in Newark, they had to collect their 12 bags and load them on three trolleys and push them between the terminals that had flights to Canada. Had they been flying through New Delhi, their baggage would have been checked right through to Canada.