Airline Air Transat

Air Transat is a Canadian airline based in Montreal. It was founded in 1986 by two former Quebecair pilots, Yvon Lecavallier and Pierre Ménard.

The airline has a fleet of 38 aircraft and serves 59 destinations. It operates in 19 Canadian airports. As its name suggests, Air Transat offers numerous transatlantic routes.

If you fly with this airline, there is a good chance you will depart from or return to a European airport.

Between Canadian and French legislation, which one applies in case of disruption? We explain everything.

Air Transat and European regulation

Air Transat is a Canadian airline. Therefore, it might seem that it is not subject to European regulations.

However, part of its operations takes place on European soil. It is subject to regulations for this part.

The Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 governs civil aviation within the European Community area.

It applies to:

All flights departing from an airport located in the European Community area (including Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland)
Flights to the same community area, operated by an airline based there.

As a Canadian airline, Air Transat is not covered by this second point.

However, if your Air Transat flight departs from a European airport, it is systematically subject to Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

Your Rights for Air Transat Flights Departing from the European Union

Air Transat covers several destinations in Europe, across 11 different countries.

If you depart from one of these airports, you are subject to Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. It guarantees you the following rights.

Arriving at Your Destination

When travelling to Canada, you must have a valid passport, and to board your flight, you must arrive at the gate on time.

If you meet these two conditions, Air Transat must transport you. However, in the event of a flight cancellation or overbooking, you may not be able to board.

In such cases, they must offer you a replacement flight at the earliest opportunity. This flight must be under the same conditions, with the same departure and arrival airports, the same flight duration, and no downgrade.

If no solution suits you, you can request a refund. A refund means waiving any further assistance or compensation later on.

Financial Assistance in Case of Flight Disruption

If your flight is significantly delayed, you might need to have a meal at the airport or stay overnight. Air Transat must cover your expenses.

Compensation, Subject to Conditions

If your flight is delayed by at least two hours, European regulations also provide a compensation schedule.

How Does Compensation Work?

The compensation provided by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 is fixed. The amount depends on the type of disruption, the extent of the delay, and the length of your flight.

In Case of Delay

If your flight is delayed, provided Air Transat is responsible, you may be compensated according to a fixed schedule. This amounts to:

€250 for a flight of less than 1,500 km with at least three hours delay
€400 for a non-community flight of 1,500 to 3,500 km or a community flight of more than 1,500 km with at least 3 hours delay
€600 for a non-community flight of more than 3,500 km with at least 4 hours delay.

From Europe, an Air Transat flight will be heading to Canada. Therefore, it falls into this last category.

In Case of Flight Cancellation

If your flight is cancelled, the situation is almost the same, with one detail. You are entitled to compensation, regardless of the delay. However, this compensation will be reduced if the delay does not exceed certain limits.

It decreases from:

€250 to €125 for flights of less than 1,500 km with less than 2 hours delay
€400 to €200 for non-community flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km or community flights of more than 3,500 km with less than 3 hours delay
€600 to €300 for non-community flights of more than 3,500 km with less than 4 hours delay.

In Case of Overbooking

Sometimes an airline sells more tickets than there are seats on the plane. If Air Transat does this with your flight, they must not only rebook you but also compensate you according to the same schedule as a flight cancellation.

claim compensation from air transat for a delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight

The APPR: Your Rights for Air Transat Flights Departing from Canada

Canada has its own traveller protection system. It has established a federal regulation: the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (or APPR).

Its compensation scheme applies to Air Transat flights departing from and arriving in Canada.

The spirit of the law is the same. To be exempt from compensating you, Air Transat must notify you at least 15 days before your journey, and in case of disruption, its responsibility must be cleared.

Otherwise, you are eligible for compensation, the amount of which varies according to the size of the airline.

If it is a large carrier (an airline that has carried at least 2 million passengers in each of the last two years), the compensation will be higher.

Air Transat, once a large carrier, is now considered a small carrier.

The compensation schedules are as follows.

In Case of Delay or Flight Cancellation

For a large carrier:

400 CAD (approximately €270) for a delay of 3 to 6 hours at arrival
700 CAD (approximately €475) for a delay of 6 to 9 hours
1,000 CAD (approximately €680) for a delay of more than 9 hours.

For a small carrier, the compensation is reduced. It amounts to:

125 CAD (approximately €85) for a delay of 3 to 6 hours
250 CAD (approximately €170) for a delay of 6 to 9 hours
500 CAD (approximately €340) for a delay of more than 9 hours.

In Case of Refund

As with European regulations, Canadian law allows you to cancel your flight with a refund after a certain delay.

But unlike European regulations, the APPR allows you to combine a refund with compensation. This combination comes with a reduction. Thus, the compensation will be:

400 CAD for a large carrier
125 CAD for a small carrier.

Is your Air Transat flight subject to European regulations? Delayed can assist you with your claim

Flights departing from Canada are subject to Canadian law, not European. It also ensures your rights but follows a different procedure.

However, if your Air Transat flight departed from a European airport, you are subject to both legislations.

But since Air Transat is a small carrier, compensation will be more advantageous under European law. We recommend this option.

Does all this seem complicated? Delayed can help you with your claim.