Snow brought Vancouver flights to a halt. What's next for passengers?

Passengers travelling through Vancouver International Airport have been experiencing mass cancellations and delays since unusually heavy snowfall across southern B.C. brought operations to a halt in the week before Christmas.

At one point on Dec. 20, all flights from YVR were suspended entirely. The majority of outgoing flights were either cancelled or delayed throughout the day, creating a backlog that has taken days to clear.

WestJet alone cancelled more than 400 flights during what is typically the busiest travel week of the year.

Passengers reported all kinds of horror stories: being stranded at the airport, waiting on the tarmac for up to 12 hours, or sleeping on a baggage carousel. Some have been at the airport for days.

Now for those who are stuck, anxiously waiting to see if they'll be able to get to friends and families over the holidays: what's next? 

In an email, YVR said passengers should check their flight status directly with their airline.

"We are asking people to please not come to YVR if you do not absolutely need to," wrote spokesperson Megan Sutton

Duncan Dee, former chief operating officer for Air Canada, said the weather and complete operational shutdown Tuesday morning don't bode well for travellers.

"For people who have delayed or cancelled flights at this point in time, the chances of them getting to their destination from Vancouver anywhere east is very slim," he said in an interview.

"So if they haven't already travelled, if they were impacted by the delays and cancellations, airlines will very unlikely have seats to put them on to get them where they need to go by Christmas."

Airlines to rebook flights within 48 hours

According to new Canadian regulations that came into effect Sept. 8, airlines must try to rebook cancelled flights within 48 hours.

Even if the cancellations are due to reasons outside of the company's control — in this case, heavy snowfall — anyone who isn't put on a new flight within two days is entitled to a refund or new travel arrangements at no additional cost.

The new rules are an extension of stricter air passenger rights laid out by the federal government in 2019.

According to the Canadian Transportation Agency, a quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator tasked with enforcing the regulations and settling disputes between airlines and customers, in the event of delays or cancellations, airlines must: 

• Communicate key information.
• Provide assistance.
• Offer alternate travel arrangements or a refund.
• Pay compensation for the inconvenience.

Passengers are supposed to be given a clear explanation for the disruption and updates at least every 30 minutes, until a new departure time or flight arrangement has been determined.

Airlines are also required to provide a reasonable amount of free food and drinks while passengers are waiting.

The CTA says large airlines have to book passengers on the next available flight they are operating, or a flight by an airline they have a commercial agreement with.

The new flight has to take a reasonable route from the airport to the passenger's destination, and depart within 48 hours of the event that caused the delay or cancellation.

Refunds required within 30 days

If the airline can't meet that obligation, it can pay out of pocket to put the passenger on a similar flight operated by any airline, or pay for the passenger to be brought to another airport that has a flight going to their destination.

The CTA says refunds cover whatever portion of a ticket wasn't used and go to the person who originally purchased it.

Airlines can offer travel vouchers instead, but only if they don't expire, and if both parties agree in writing to opt for a voucher rather than a refund.

The airline has 30 days to pay out the passenger in cash, credit or travel vouchers.

When passengers are delayed to the point where their ticket no longer serves its purpose — say the date of an event they were travelling for has already passed — the airline has to send the passenger back to their point of origin for free and refund the entire ticket.

Passengers can file a claim for compensation up to one year from the date a flight was delayed or cancelled. The airline then has 30 days to respond, paying out what's owed, or contesting the claim and explaining why it believes compensation isn't due.

If flight plans were disrupted and a passenger feels the airline hasn't met its obligations or has unfairly denied compensation, the CTA recommends contacting the airline in writing.

If a passenger doesn't hear back within 30 days or are still unsatisfied with the company's explanation, they can file a complaint with the regulatory agency.

The CTA has called the new rules a win for passengers, but some consumer advocates feel they don't go far enough, and have said the agency should be stricter on airlines and more efficient in reviewing disputes and getting passengers paid out.

This past summer, the CTA was dealing with a backlog of 18,200 complaints.