Cancellations & long delays
If you were told 14 days or fewer before departure and you reached your destination three or more hours late, the flight may qualify — provided the cause was within the airline's control and not required for safety.
APPR · Air Passenger Protection Regulations
Bumped, cancelled, or stuck for hours? What Canadian air passengers are actually entitled to.
Federal regulations require airlines flying to, from, and within Canada to pay compensation in specific situations — yet most travellers never check whether their disrupted flight qualified. This guide explains the rules in plain language, and you can see where your own flight stands in a few minutes.
How this works: the eligibility check is free and places you under no obligation. If you later choose to file a claim, the service charges a percentage of the compensation recovered — and only if the claim succeeds. There are no upfront fees. FlightCompanion CA is a private service and is not affiliated with the CTA, Transport Canada, any airline, or any government agency.
- No obligation
- Free eligibility check
- Data protected
- Canadian passengers
The gap most travellers never close
A right that exists on paper, but rarely in practice
Since 2019, Canada has had one of the more detailed passenger-protection frameworks in the world. The Air Passenger Protection Regulations — the APPR — set out exactly when an airline has to compensate you, rebook you, or refund you when a flight goes wrong. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) enforces them, and in 2026 the rules continue to be tightened rather than relaxed.
The problem is not the law. It is that the burden sits with the passenger. Airlines are not required to write you a cheque the moment a flight is delayed; you have to ask, in writing, and you have to ask correctly. A traveller who does not know the difference between a delay "within the airline's control" and one caused by weather will often accept a meal voucher and a shrug — and walk away from money the regulations say they were owed.
This page lays out what the APPR actually covers, how much is at stake, and where the lines are drawn. None of it is legal advice, and none of it guarantees a payout. But knowing the rules is the difference between a claim you can make and one you never knew you had.
Scope
Four kinds of disruption the regulations address
The APPR applies to flights to, from, and within Canada, on Canadian and foreign carriers alike. Compensation and assistance depend on what went wrong — and, as the next section explains, on who was responsible.
Tarmac delays over three hours
When an aircraft sits on the tarmac, the airline must give passengers the chance to disembark after three hours (with a limited extension only if take-off is imminent), and provide food, water, working washrooms, and ventilation throughout.
Denied boarding (overbooking)
If you are involuntarily bumped from a flight that was oversold, and the situation was within the airline's control, fixed compensation applies — and it must generally be paid within 48 hours.
Lost or damaged baggage
For baggage that is lost, damaged, or delayed, compensation is governed by international conventions — up to roughly CA$2,300 — and the baggage fee you paid should be refunded when a bag does not arrive.
How much is at stake
The compensation tiers, in dollars
For delays and cancellations within the airline's control, the amount depends on how late you arrived at your final destination and on whether your airline counts as a large or a small carrier under the regulations. Carrier size is set by passenger volume, not brand size.
Delays & cancellations
Based on arrival delay at your final destination.
| Arrival delay | Large carrier | Small carrier |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 6 hours | $400 | $125 |
| 6 to 9 hours | $700 | $250 |
| 9 hours or more | $1,000 | $500 |
Large carriers are airlines that have carried two million or more passengers in each of the past two years — Air Canada and WestJet, for example. Lower-volume and regional airlines (which, depending on the year, can include carriers such as Porter, Flair, or Sunwing) are treated as small carriers and pay the lower tier.
Denied boarding & baggage
Denied-boarding amounts are the same for every carrier size.
| Denied boarding — arrival delay | Amount |
|---|---|
| Under 6 hours | $900 |
| 6 to 9 hours | $1,800 |
| 9 hours or more | $2,400 |
Baggage: lost, damaged, or delayed bags are covered up to roughly CA$2,300 under international convention limits, plus a refund of any baggage fee you paid.
The amount is fixed by regulation. Whether you receive it turns almost entirely on one question: was the disruption within the airline's control?
Important: these figures reflect the official APPR tiers. They are not a quote and not a promise of payment. Eligibility depends on your individual flight circumstances, the reason for the disruption, the applicable regulations, and the airline's response. Amounts and rules can change as the regulations are amended.
The deciding line
"Within the airline's control" — and why it matters more than the delay itself
Two flights can be delayed by the same number of hours and reach opposite outcomes. The reason recorded for the disruption decides whether money is owed. The regulations sort every disruption into three categories.
Within the airline's control
Commercial overbooking, crew scheduling, routine operational decisions. Here the airline owes compensation as well as care (meals, communication) and rebooking or a refund.
Within control, but for safety
A fault found in a pre-flight check, a broken seatbelt, a safety-driven decision. The airline must still rebook or refund you and look after you — but compensation is not payable.
Outside the airline's control
Weather that makes safe operation impossible, air traffic control instructions, security threats, a manufacturing defect, or labour action at an essential service provider. Care and rebooking still apply; compensation does not.
The word "weather" does a lot of work in disputes. A storm at your departure airport is genuinely outside the airline's control. A delay blamed on weather that was really a knock-on effect of an earlier crew-scheduling problem is a different matter — and that distinction is exactly what an eligibility review looks at.
Which rulebook applies
Canada's APPR or the EU's EC 261?
If your trip touches Europe, a second set of rules may come into play. The EU regulation, EC 261, covers any flight departing an EU airport — whatever the airline — and flights arriving in the EU on an EU carrier. Its compensation runs from €250 to €600, set by flight distance rather than hours of delay.
For an itinerary that connects through an EU airport, the segment leaving Europe can fall under EC 261 while your Canadian flights fall under the APPR. You cannot be paid twice for the same disruption, so the practical question is which regulation governs the flight that actually went wrong — and that comes down to where it departed and which airline operated it.
Sorting this out by hand is fiddly. Identifying the right regime for your specific route is part of what a free assessment is for.
Quick comparison
- APPR (Canada)
- Flights to, from, and within Canada. CA$125–$1,000 for delays, by hours late and carrier size.
- EC 261 (EU)
- Flights departing the EU, or arriving on an EU carrier. €250–€600, by distance.
- Both could touch your trip?
- Possible on connections through Europe — but only one applies to a given disrupted flight.
The process
Three steps, and you stay in control of all of them
1
Submit your flight details
Tell us the airline, route, dates, what went wrong, and your booking reference if you have it. It takes a few minutes and there is nothing to pay.
2
Get a free eligibility assessment
A claims specialist reviews whether your situation appears to qualify under the applicable regulations and replies, usually within 24 to 48 business hours.
3
Decide freely how to proceed
If it looks eligible, you choose whether to pursue a formal claim. No obligation, no upfront payment — and the fee, charged only on a successful claim, is explained before you commit.
Build your file
What to keep — before you forget the details
A claim is only as strong as the record behind it. Memory fades and airline systems are slow to share their side, so gather what you can while it is fresh:
- Your original booking confirmation and booking reference
- Boarding passes for each affected segment
- Every airline message about the delay or cancellation — emails and texts
- Receipts for meals, accommodation, and transport you paid for during the disruption
- Screenshots of app notifications and any departure-board photos
- A written note of the reason staff gave you for the disruption, and when
Education hub
Short guides to the questions that decide a claim
The detail lives in the edge cases. These explainers cover the points where claims are most often won, lost, or abandoned.
Was it really within the airline's control?
How to read the reason an airline gives, and the difference between a true weather event and an operational delay dressed up as one.
Common excuses that may not hold up
"It was weather", "all delays are out of our hands", a voucher pushed instead of cash — what the regulations actually require.
How the CTA complaint process works
You claim with the airline first; it has 30 days to respond. If it refuses or goes quiet, the Canadian Transportation Agency can step in — though its backlog means patience is required.
If the airline refuses to pay
A "no" from the airline is rarely the end. The escalation path — from a written follow-up to a CTA complaint and, in some cases, small-claims court.
How long do you have to claim?
Under the APPR you generally have one year from the disruption to put a compensation claim to the airline in writing. Court timelines differ by province.
How claims services charge
Most work on contingency: a percentage of what is recovered, payable only if the claim succeeds, with no upfront fee. The exact rate should be disclosed before you agree to anything.
In their words
How a few Canadian travellers used the check
"Our flight home was cancelled the night before and the airline just offered a rebooking. I had no idea the rules might mean more than that. The check explained where I stood without any pressure."
"I was bumped from an overbooked flight and didn't think anything could be done. Submitting the details took about five minutes and I finally understood whether it was worth pursuing."
"After a long delay I almost deleted the airline's emails. The guidance on what to keep was the useful part — I held on to everything and got a clear answer on eligibility."
These are individual experiences shared with permission. They describe the assessment process, not a promised result. Outcomes vary with each flight's circumstances, and compensation is never guaranteed.
Free eligibility check
See where your flight stands
Share what happened and a claims specialist will review whether it appears to qualify under the APPR or EC 261 — usually within 24 to 48 business hours. It is free, it is informational, and it commits you to nothing.
- · No upfront fees, ever
- · A commission applies only if a claim you choose to file succeeds
- · Your details are used only to assess your enquiry
Questions, answered plainly
Frequently asked questions
Does submitting my flight details cost anything?
The initial eligibility assessment is free. If you decide to proceed with a formal claim, the service typically charges a percentage of the compensation that is recovered — and only if the claim is successful. That fee structure is explained in full before you decide to proceed, and there are no upfront fees.
Am I obligated to anything once I submit?
No. The assessment is informational and creates no obligation to file a formal claim. After you receive it, you decide freely whether to go further. Submitting your details does not sign you up for anything.
How long does the whole process usually take?
The free eligibility assessment is usually returned within 24 to 48 business hours. A formal claim is slower and outside anyone's full control: depending on how the airline responds and on Canadian Transportation Agency processing times, it can take several weeks to several months to resolve.
Is FlightCompanion CA part of an airline or the government?
No. FlightCompanion CA is a private informational service. It is not affiliated with the Canadian Transportation Agency, Transport Canada, any airline, or any government body, and it does not act on their behalf.
Is compensation guaranteed if I qualify?
No. Eligibility depends on the specific flight circumstances, the reason for the disruption, the applicable regulations, the airline's response, and any CTA determination. Not all disruptions qualify, and even an eligible-looking claim is not a promise of payment.
How much time do I have to make a claim?
Under the APPR you generally have one year from the date of the disruption to submit a compensation claim to the airline in writing. If a matter ends up in court instead, provincial limitation periods apply and differ across Canada. When in doubt, it is better to start sooner.