Introduction
Thousands of Air Transat passengers are facing mounting anxiety as the airline edges closer to major flight suspensions amid an escalating labour dispute with its pilots. With the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), representing 750 pilots, moving toward potential strike action, travellers are reporting confusion, inconsistent communication, and a lack of clear guidance about their immediate plans. For many, especially those travelling for significant life events or international commitments, the uncertainty has created emotional and financial distress.
Travellers Caught in the Middle as Strike Deadline Looms
‘I feel completely helpless’
Among the passengers most affected is Ellen Braganca, a Toronto resident scheduled to travel to India this Friday for her daughter’s wedding. Her journey — involving connections in Lisbon and New Delhi — now hangs in the balance as Air Transat has yet to confirm whether her outbound flight will proceed.
Braganca told CTV News Toronto she first learned about the strike notice on Dec. 3, prompting her to immediately contact the airline by email to explain the urgency of her situation.
“I asked them for a refund, not a credit,” she said. “A credit does nothing for me. I need the money now to secure new tickets if they cancel my flight.”
Every day of silence has financial consequences. Braganca watches prices for flights to India climb steadily as she waits for any direction from Air Transat. She also faces a secondary problem — her travel visa for India is set to expire soon, leaving her racing against time.
“I did all the right things as a passenger,” she said, her frustration palpable. “We’re probably going to lose over $4,000.”
Repeated calls, little clarity
Braganca said she has called the airline’s customer service line several times over the last few days, only to receive little to no guidance. On Monday, she said, a representative told her there was nothing he could do before abruptly ending the call.
“You want to help me, and you’re going to hang up because you can’t find a solution?” she recalled saying.
Adding to her irritation is the airline’s lack of website updates — an issue echoed by many passengers. With no consistent communication, travellers feel abandoned at a time when they need reassurance.
“We try to do everything right as passengers, but they’re not giving us the courtesy to make informed decisions,” Braganca said. “We’re being held hostage to a ticket. And this is all happening right before Christmas. I’m almost in tears — I’m so upset.”
Canadians Abroad Are Also Facing Chaos
‘How are we going to get home?’
While some passengers worry about getting to their destinations, others already abroad are afraid they may not get home at all.
Shenifa Lahani, another Toronto resident, is currently vacationing in Punta Cana through an Air Transat package. Her return flight is scheduled for Dec. 12, but the looming strike has thrown her trip into disarray.
Lahani described the past several days as “an emotional roller coaster,” marked by uncertainty and a lack of direct communication from the airline.
“We keep asking ourselves, ‘What’s going to happen with our flight on Thursday? How are we going to get home?’” she said. “We haven’t heard anything from Air Transat — not even an email.”
Confusion at the resort
Attempts to seek clarification have only deepened her concerns. When Lahani called customer service, she was told to speak with the Air Transat representative at her hotel. But the representative offered contradictory information.
“He told us we were supposed to be on a flight back to Toronto on Monday night,” Lahani said. “Later, he said our flight was still scheduled for Thursday. We don’t know what to believe.”
With the app still showing her flight as “scheduled,” Lahani is left to guess what will happen.
“There’s no update, nothing. We’re in limbo,” she said. “We don’t know if we’ll need to stay longer, and if we do, we have no idea what it will cost. I wish they would just communicate with us better.”
Airline Updates Fall Short of Reassuring Travellers
Air Transat says flights are operating “for now”
On Monday afternoon, Air Transat issued a public statement saying that scheduled flights for Dec. 8 were operating normally. It also confirmed that it had added four extra flights to help travellers scheduled to fly on Dec. 10 reach their destinations earlier than planned.
The airline also announced a “special program” aimed at bringing as many travellers home as possible ahead of any potential strike. It added that negotiations with ALPA continued throughout the night and that “progress was made.”
“Our priority remains the same: to bring our travellers back home and limit the impact on their travel plans,” the airline said.
Still, despite this assurance, passengers say updates are sparse and lack the level of detail needed to help them make decisions.
What Passenger Rights Experts Say You Should Do
‘Passengers have more power than they think’
Gabor Lukacs, a well-known Canadian air passenger rights advocate, told CP24 that passengers should not feel pressured into accepting whatever Air Transat offers.
Although airlines often provide “goodwill options,” Lukacs said passengers aren’t obligated to agree to them.
“I recommend they stick to what is in the contract and the law,” he explained. “If you accept some of these goodwill gestures, you put yourself at the airline’s mercy.”
What to do if your flight is cancelled
If a flight is officially cancelled, Lukacs advised passengers to take the following steps:
1. Take a screenshot of the cancellation notice.
This serves as essential documentation.
2. Give Air Transat a few hours to rebook you.
Under Canadian regulations, the airline must attempt to rebook passengers either on its own flights or on a competing airline — at no extra cost.
3. If the airline fails, buy your own ticket.
Passengers are legally entitled to purchase a new ticket and then bill Air Transat for the cost difference, along with any additional damages.
“It is their obligation to buy you a ticket,” Lukacs emphasized. “Not for you to run after them.”
Conclusion
As the strike deadline approaches, travellers trapped in Air Transat’s uncertainty are facing mounting emotional and financial strain. From passengers attending once-in-a-lifetime family events to vacationers unsure how or when they’ll get home, the lack of clear communication remains a central frustration.
While Air Transat maintains that flights are continuing as planned and negotiations are progressing, many customers say they feel abandoned, misled, or ignored. With passenger rights experts urging Canadians to assert their legal entitlements, the situation highlights not only the vulnerability of air travellers during labour disputes but also the critical importance of transparency and timely updates from airlines.
Until a deal is reached, passengers remain stuck between travel commitments, rising ticket prices, and the possibility of being stranded — waiting for answers that, so far, have been slow to come.
