Air Canada Reviews 

My recent experiences with Air Canada have been below expectation and consistent since 2018. It is budget in approach and does not have a feel of a national airline, in my opinion. The staff are not consistently proactive and friendly. They are working with budget offerings which must be frustrating. The food is average to poor. The tv and movie streaming is poor (cuts in and out so the flow is disrupted), and the internet may or may not work. My seat pocket had rubbish and headphones from a previous flight implying poor cleaning standards between flights and the bathrooms are not filled with all types of tissues and towels for the pre landing rush. I'm not commenting in a nit-picky way as things do happen but i feel this is worth sharing. 

Absolutely terrible, nightmarish service. My entire suitcase was stolen—it never made it to me from the airport; it was stolen by Air Canada. My fiancé and I were traveling for our pre-wedding trip. My engagement ring, cosmetics, jewelry, clothes, shoes, and necessary medications were all stolen from the suitcase. The airline assures me I’ll get compensation and reimbursement for the lost suitcase and items, but I’m getting nothing from them, and they can’t help me. I reported the matter to the police immediately upon arrival and have now engaged a lawyer. People, never use this airline—I was robbed of nearly £3,000, not counting a second suitcase. The airline, in league with the mafia at Punta Cana airport, rifled through my entire suitcase. It’s a disgrace. I won’t let this slide—they are thieves.My lawyer has already taken action; this will end up in court, and the airline will be held liable for the theft of my belongings—I have never experienced anything like this in my life. But my lawyer stepped in—a disgusting airline, the worst in the world; don't choose them. 🤬🤬🤬

Good service to and from Europe, Back in Montreal air canada switched us from premium economy to economy even though sold as premium, and this plane was likely the oldest plane they own. Poor seating, dirty, and crew was either really tired or just should find another line of work. Then Air Canada in Montreal transferred our bags going to Austin to a plane to Boston, Gate said they would get to us the next day . Air tags say they made it to AUS the next day, but the CSR there says they are just too busy to find them and get them to us. Now two days sitting somewhere at home airport and put off again. Worst customer service in airlines. Web site poor. Lost baggage system stinks , How they are in business is a conundrum,

I wish I could give zero stars.

You are the main Canadian airline, representing Canada, a country considered one of the most developed in the world, yet you put that reputation to shame.

You are the worst airline I have ever used, and I have used many. Your customer service is also the worst.

You mislead people and take their money. I upgraded my ticket specifically to include checked baggage. The ticket was clearly more expensive for that exact reason. Now, while trying to check in, I find out that baggage is apparently not included for my specific trip.

Why would you offer this upgrade during the booking process when my trip details were already fully documented? So you took more money from me for nothing? Just to trick people into paying more?

Shame on you and shame on this level of greed. And for what? You have the worst airplanes, the worst service, and the worst food.

What started as a minor almost reluctant claim against the failure of the in-air entertainment system, initiated at the prompting of the cabin crew, has morphed into a classic example of how a customer care/relations system should not operate and put off a regular private customer.

The 'compensation' offered by Air Canada, without any prompt as to a specific compensation sought, turned out to be a modest discount on a future flight - it not being clear as to whether this was off an official price. It was explained to them that, whilst this tied me in to booking with Air Canada, thereby removing the need for them to pay Expedia a commission, it prevented me from getting an extra discount from Expedia if a hotel was booked at the same time. Rather than being of benefit to me, it would most likely cost me.

The response was that this is all they can do, with the almost implied suggestion that I was lucky to get even that, followed by a host of platitudes and sanctimonious pleasure at allowing them to benefit from my complaint in the future.

I really don't care about the compensation but what I do notice is whether a company is minded to 'care' for its relationship. In this case, res ipso loquitor, and confirmed by the low rating of Air Canada on this site. Clearly they don't care that I will now make every effort to avoid Air Canada.

Downgraded So an Employee Could Take My Seat

I was extremely disappointed with my recent Air Canada experience.

On the morning of my flight, I received an email notifying me that I had been downgraded from my original seat assignment. I then had to check in again, but the system would only allow me to select either two checked bags or no checked bags at all, there was no option for the one checked bag included with my ticket.

At the airport in Paris, I was also informed that my luggage would only be checked to Montreal rather than my final destination of Vancouver, which added unnecessary stress and confusion.

The biggest issue came when I was told that my Business Class seat was unavailable because it was supposedly broken and that there were no other seats available. My wife and I had originally booked seats together, but because of this downgrade we were separated for the flight.

When I boarded the aircraft, I was shocked to see someone sitting in the very seat I had been told was broken. My wife spoke with the passenger and learned that they were an Air Canada employee.

As a paying customer, it is difficult to accept being downgraded, separated from my spouse, and told a seat was unavailable, only to discover it was occupied by an airline employee. In my view, Air Canada should have prioritized its paying customers and accommodated the employee elsewhere.

The inconsistent explanations, poor communication, and lack of customer consideration made this one of the most frustrating travel experiences I have had. Based on this experience, I cannot recommend Air Canada and would hesitate to fly with them again.

My flight got cancelled twice in a row. One for storms but the other time for an airplane they could definitely fix. This left me stranded in Montreal. Flight attendants were EXTREMELY RUDE. This place sucks go do southwest

Terrible customer service and use unsuitable aircraft for long distance flights. Despite paying an additional cost for exit row/extra comfort seating we fell victim to an aircraft change without notification and were forced to sit in economy seats with the smallest seat pitch we've ever endured on a 6 hour overnight flight. Polite attempts to seek compensation/refund for the product not supplied met with a token gesture and dismissive customer service that quickly shut down further avenues for complaint. A shoddy airline that can't be trusted or recommended. Buyer beware.

I flew from Heathrow to Calgary YYC,when queuing for the toilet I was snapped at by a male cabin crew,who hissed at me I was in the wrong place.I also found the female crew quite curt and snappy,I always choose Air Canada as I have had wonderful experiences before The return flight was not much better,all in all I won’t fly with them ever again .Very disappointed!!!

Changed my flight time by 5hrs early with only 24hrs notice and they didnt honor our prepaid seats. Stuck us in two middle seats instead of beside each other. No compensation

Our small carry on bags were taken away for check-in for The SFO bound flight from Vancouver international airport. However, after boarding the plane we found that there were lots of empty overhead bins, even though most passengers already boarded, and many passengers with oversized luggage were allowed to carry on. The Air Canada employee at the gate was hostile, ill mannered and seemed to be selectively targeting passengers, Her english communication was pathetic. She deserved to be disciplined.

Weather is not Air Canada’s fault. This disaster was.

We were trapped on a diverted aircraft in Ottawa for nearly five hours with minimal communication, no meaningful support, and no clear plan. When we finally arrived in Montreal, Air Canada let our Barcelona flight leave literally minutes before we got there despite knowing exactly where our aircraft was all evening.

No coordination. No communication. No assistance. No accountability.

The weather caused the diversion. Air Canada’s incompetence turned it into a nightmare.

I had a booking with United with air Canada flight and just to get the booking number for air Canada , it’s impossible to get hold of anyone . There’s no email, there’s no chat ! Thats even full round trip business international . Hours of wait . They will tell you they will call back and they won’t . If ever it will be hours where you’re in middle of meeting or something . Horrible . Thank goodness I’m not with them . I thought Canada airlines would be better service that us airlines .

Buyer beware: a detailed account of declining service across two 2026 trips

I want to preface this by saying I gave Air Canada the opportunity to respond directly — I informed them via their post-trip survey that I would be posting this review publicly if my concerns went unaddressed. Based on two trips this year, I believe the decline in service quality is significant enough that other travelers deserve a clear, factual account before booking.

Trip 1: Ottawa – Dominican Republic (Air Canada Vacations)

The hotel portion of this trip was fine. The flight was not. Seat pitch was so tight that my knees were jammed into the seatback in front of me with zero recline available. There was no in-flight entertainment on an international flight. I experienced a panic attack before departure due to the cramped conditions and had to be reseated (my partner negotiated a seat change with the folks in our row). Cabin crew appeared overwhelmed and only managed one beverage/snack service for the entire flight due to the passenger load. This was a direct flight from Ottawa, with no business class cabin offered. I had never been on a flight with that many people, that cramped and uncomfortable.

Trip 2: Ottawa – Fort Lauderdale (booked via Montreal specifically to avoid Toronto Pearson)

I deliberately routed through Montreal to avoid Pearson, which I've found consistently lacking — limited device charging outside paid lounges (which are routinely full), despite many flights lacking in-flight entertainment, which makes device charging more important, not less.

The at 8pm, with departure set for the morning, Air Canada cancelled my booked itinerary and rebooked me through Toronto instead, citing mechanical issues. My departure moved from 6:30 am to 5:00 am and my arrival shifted from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. I was able to change flights to get an 11:30am arrival after searching through their website and app. I question whether this was genuinely a mechanical issue or a consolidation of two flights into one for operational convenience and cost saving — I have no way to confirm either way, but the timing and outcome were suspicious.

At the gate in Toronto, my carry-on was seized and gate-checked, with staff citing broken overhead bins on the aircraft. I had packed deliberately for a short weekend trip: one carry-on sized to fit sideways in the overhead bin, and one personal item that fit under the seat — no loose items, no duty-free, fully compliant with carry-on policy and being considerate of others. Air Canada no longer returns gate-checked bags planeside; instead, passengers must wait at the baggage carousel, which defeats the purpose of traveling light for a quick trip. I waited 45 minutes for my bag after landing.

The aircraft for this leg was an Air Canada Rouge plane in visibly poor condition — six overhead bins held shut with duct tape that looked weathered and old. No in-flight entertainment on this 3-hour flight. Seat pitch was again too tight to open my iPad. Cabin crew repeatedly hit my knee and shoulder with the service cart while passing.

Return flight: Fort Lauderdale – Toronto – Ottawa

My carry-on was again confiscated at the gate in Fort Lauderdale, despite meeting all size requirements, while I observed other passengers boarding with two or three carry-on bags, including an off-duty flight attendant who boarded with three bags and stowed them across the aisle from me overhead. The inconsistency in enforcement was hard to miss. This flight also departed roughly 40 minutes late due to full passenger load, and I again waited about an hour at the carousel in Ottawa for my gate-checked bag.

This aircraft did have functional in-flight entertainment and slightly more recline, but seat spacing was still too tight to comfortably use an iPad, and cabin crew again only completed a single service pass due to passenger volume.

Summary

Across both trips: consistently tight seat spacing with no recline, minimal or no in-flight entertainment, inconsistent carry-on enforcement, gate-checked bags no longer returned planeside, a same-day schedule change with a significant routing and timing impact, and crew stretched thin across full cabins. I also paid extra to select specific seats that were later changed without compensation, and had to pay again to reselect comparable seats.

I recognize air travel has changed industry-wide, and I don't say any of this lightly — these are two consecutive, documented experiences in the same calendar year, not an isolated incident. If you're booking with Air Canada, particularly in economy on international or connecting itineraries, I'd encourage you to set expectations accordingly and consider seat selection, carry-on policy, and realistic connection buffers carefully.

Very disappointed with the customer service experience regarding a recent booking. I had to cancel travel plans for a family member due to an unexpected visa denial—a situation entirely out of our control. Despite providing documentation and reaching out for support, Air Canada’s response was a rigid refusal to provide any flexibility, citing non-refundable fare rules.
I feel that as a loyal customer, I expected at least a degree of empathy or a goodwill exception for such a significant, unforeseen circumstance. Instead, I was directed to insurance, leaving me to absorb a $1,400 loss with only a minimal refund of airport taxes. I will be re-evaluating my loyalty to this airline for future travel and will be exploring other carriers moving forward.

I have been flying with Air Canada for many years and have held Super Elite status for several years.

Let me start by saying that this review is not about Air Canada's frontline employees. Throughout my travels, flight attendants, gate agents and airport staff have generally been professional, courteous and helpful. I have also always felt safe flying with Air Canada. In my experience, the people on the front line have consistently done their best.

This review is about trust.

Recently, during an international trip, I attempted to use my eUpgrade credits for the first time in many years. On the outbound flight, Air Canada later informed me that no upgrade request had been received, despite the fact that I clearly remember selecting the upgrade option during the booking process. On the return flight, my request was properly registered but was ultimately not honoured due to an aircraft change.

The result was simple: no upgrade on either flight.

I fully understand that upgrades are never guaranteed. That is not my complaint.

My disappointment comes from the fact that after years of loyalty, maintaining Super Elite status, paying annual fees on a premium Aeroplan credit card, and often choosing Air Canada over competing airlines, the first time I attempted to use what I considered one of the most valuable benefits of that loyalty program, the experience was a complete failure.

What truly shocked me was the customer service response.

I was not expecting a free ticket, financial compensation or special treatment. I was expecting an acknowledgement that a long-standing Super Elite member had experienced a significant failure in one of the flagship benefits of the loyalty program.

Instead, the response felt purely administrative: one request had apparently never been received, the second could not be honoured due to operational reasons, my credits were returned, case closed.

At no point did I feel that my loyalty, my status or my long-term relationship with Air Canada carried any weight.

The missed upgrades did not make me lose confidence in Air Canada. The way Air Canada handled the situation did.

This experience forced me to ask a simple question: what is the actual value of Super Elite status?

I already travel frequently in Business Class. Priority boarding has little value to me. My luggage still arrives at the carousel. The eUpgrade program was one of the few benefits that genuinely justified my loyalty. After this experience, I no longer believe those benefits are worth the premium I have often paid to remain loyal to Air Canada.

I also believe Air Canada's lounge experience has fallen far behind the world's leading airlines. With the exception of the Vancouver Signature Suite, the gap between Air Canada and airlines such as Qatar Airways or Emirates has become increasingly difficult to ignore.

The real damage here is not the missed upgrades. It is the loss of trust.

For years, I willingly paid higher fares and accepted less convenient itineraries because I believed there was value in remaining loyal to Air Canada. Today, I am no longer convinced.

For the first time in many years, I am actively reconsidering both my personal and professional travel choices.

Horrible, dishonest airline that steals value from its customers. First I pay to select a seat—when I show up to check in, a lazy woman who is talking on FaceTime while speaking to me says “your seat was changed—I can’t help you call customer service”. Then I pay for online wifi which it says can be transferred between devices—there was no way to transfer, and the “high speed” wifi is extremely slow to even load web pages. Next the plane is so hot that I can’t sleep. They charge you for headsets for the in flight movies. Water is rationed out a jug. Don’t fly with these people. Take your business anywhere else.

I booked a flight from Denver to Toronto on 6 August 2026 and need to bring it forward by two days. A simple, straightforward request made well in advance of my travel date.

Despite repeated attempts across every available channel, I have been completely unable to reach anyone at Air Canada:

- Email sent — no response
- Online contact form completed — no response
- Called customer service and waited on hold for 60 minutes after navigating the automated system — no one answered
- Attempted to use the Manage My Booking self-service tool — it crashed repeatedly

I have now resorted to writing directly to the CEO and posting this review, simply to get someone to respond.

I am not asking for a refund, compensation, or anything extraordinary. I just need to change a flight date. The fact that this has proved impossible through any of Air Canada's official channels is a serious failure of basic customer service.

I will update this review if and when the matter is resolved.

I've had decent customer service with these guys before but certainly not this time.
They're stealing more than $500 for me because I had a flight that needed to be canceled for a valid reason. (Death in family) And they were supposed to give me my money back to my original payment method. They gave me the $500 in credits... Now these credits are expiring and I can't fly with their Canada because I have anaphylaxis anytime I try to board their antique airships...

I honestly don't have it to spend... The customer service person didn't seem to have a clue and was just making hmmm and other noises... Instead of saying anything useful.
I acted decent and I wasn't nasty on the phone at all... I just really wanted some help with this and they are screwing me over.

I have two days left to find a flight with Star Alliance in Europe... For under 500 Canadian dollars... Star Alliance seems to start at $2,000 for flights that you can get with other airlines for $50...

I no longer even live in Canada... I'm really disgusted with these guys and I will never fly with them or recommend that anyone else use this airline either.

Even if they get new nom-anaphylaxis airplanes that aren't 26 years old and made with tweed and dog hair...

Just terrible service.
She sounded confused when she said sorry for the death in the family... Well... Yikes. It was like she was asking a question.

With all the billions of dollars of government bailout money you would think that they wouldn't have to rob me as well.

The ticket I had, I cancelled within a week. I don't even think this crap is legal.

Our first flight was cancelled, and they hiked up for higher price. We had a fellow passenger who said they refused cancellation and got the same flight deal. When we called, we were told there were no options.