Why it’s so hard to fight the airlines and how to do it anyway

In today’s Big Story Podcast, airline passengers in Canada have rights. They’re called the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, and they determine how much you’re owed if your flight is delayed, overbooked or cancelled for various reasons. The problem is, the compensation is often tough to get, and there’s very little incentive for the airlines to simply pay it every time.

Gabor Lukacs is the president of Air Passenger Rights, he says that the current penalties are not enough to compel airlines into complying with regulations.

“Currently, it is actually far more profitable for an airline to resist paying compensation in many cases, and occasionally be fined or be ordered to pay compensation by a court, than to actually consistently comply with the law,” says Lukacs.

In an effort to simply get what they are owed, some Canadians take the airlines to small claims court. Sometimes they settle, and sometimes they even win. But the process is long and difficult and doesn’t result in punitive action. So why is it so hard for some Canadians to get what they’re owed when the airline gets it wrong? And what should you do if it happens to you?