Does EU261 cover a cancelled Air Canada flight?

Only for flights departing an EU/EEA airport. A Rome to Montreal flight qualifies; a Montreal to Rome flight does not, because Air Canada is a non-EU carrier and that leg departs outside the EU.

Can I get a refund instead of rebooking on Air Canada?

Yes. If Air Canada cancels and the alternative does not suit you, you can request a refund to your original payment method rather than accept a rebooking or credit.

Can I claim both a refund and compensation?

Yes. The refund returns your fare; EU261 (EU departures) or APPR (Canada) compensation is a separate amount for the disruption. In a qualifying case you can claim both.

Air Canada cancelled flight refund: rights, EU261 and APPR

Q: What is APPR and does it pay compensation?

Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations are the domestic rules. Unlike the US, they DO provide tiered cash compensation when a cancellation is within the airline's control and not safety-related, scaled by how late you arrive and the carrier's size.

Air Canada is Canada’s flag carrier, and that makes its rules genuinely different from the US majors: a cancelled Air Canada flight can fall under two distinct compensation regimes depending on where it departs. As always, a refund (your money back) and compensation (a fixed disruption payment) are separate things — and with Air Canada, unlike US carriers, a fixed-compensation scheme does exist on the Canadian side.

Refund vs compensation

A refund returns your ticket price when Air Canada cancels and you decline the alternative offered. Compensation is a separate, fixed cash sum for the disruption itself. Two different frameworks can supply that compensation here: EU261 for European departures, and Canada’s APPR for flights governed by Canadian rules. You can be owed both a refund and compensation in the same case.

When EU261 applies

Air Canada is a non-EU airline, so EU261 protects you only on flights departing an EU/EEA airport:

Rome to Montreal (an EU departure): covered by EU261.
Montreal to Rome (a Canada departure): not covered by EU261, even though it lands in Europe.

For a covered cancellation notified less than 14 days ahead and within the airline’s control, EU261 compensation is EUR 250 (up to 1,500 km), EUR 400 (1,500-3,500 km) or EUR 600 (over 3,500 km).

Canadian APPR rules

For flights not covered by EU261 — including Canada-departing and domestic services — Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) apply. Crucially, and unlike the US system, APPR does include tiered cash compensation when a cancellation is within the carrier’s control and not required for safety. The amount scales with how late you ultimately reach your destination and with the size of the airline (Air Canada is a large carrier). APPR also sets out rebooking and a refund right when the offered alternative does not work for you. Compensation is not owed where the cancellation is outside the airline’s control or safety-related.

How to get a refund from Air Canada

If the rebooking does not suit you, request a refund to your original payment method, not a credit.
Use Manage Booking on aircanada.com or the dedicated claim and refund forms.
File compensation separately: EU261 for an EU departure, or an APPR claim otherwise.
Keep the cancellation notice, booking reference and any expense receipts.

Check before you fly

You can assess the cancellation and delay risk of your Air Canada flight with FlightGuard, based on weather, carrier punctuality and other signals. Data sources are listed at /en/sources/.