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Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulations

Summary of Key Terms & Conditions

This notice contains important information about your rights under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, SOR/2019-150 (the “Regulations”). If you are travelling on a flight operated by Emirates, to or from Canada, these protections apply to you.

Notice

If you are denied boarding, your flight is cancelled or delayed for at least two hours, or your baggage is lost or damaged, you may be entitled to certain standards of treatment and compensation under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations. For more information about your passenger rights, contact your air carrier or visit the Canadian Transportation Agency’s website.

Si l’embarquement vous est refusé, ou si votre vol est annulé ou retardé d’au moins deux heures ou si vos bagages sont perdus ou endommagés, vous pourriez avoir droit, au titre du Règlement sur la protection des passagers aériens, à certains avantages au titre des normes de traitement applicables et à une indemnité. Pour de plus amples renseignements sur vos droits, veuillez communiquer avec votre transporteur aérien ou visiter le site Web de l’Office des transports du Canada.

A. Delays and cancellations

  1. Alternative travel arrangements and refunds

    1.1 Situations within our control, including those required for safety purposes

    If your flight is cancelled or delayed for three (3) hours or more due to reasons within our control, including those required for safety purposes, we will:

    1. book you on the next available flight (operated by Emirates or another airline we have an agreement with) on any reasonable route to your destination, that departs within nine (9) hours of your original scheduled time of departure; or
    2. if we cannot do this, we will book you on a flight (operated by Emirates or any other airline) on any reasonable route to your destination, that departs within forty-eight (48) hours of your original scheduled time of departure; or
    3. if we are still unable to provide a confirmed reservation as described above, we will book you on a flight (operated by Emirates or any other airline) on any reasonable route to your destination, from another airport that is within reasonable distance of your departure airport. In such cases, we will provide transportation to the new departure airport.

    If you refuse the alternative travel arrangements we offer, we will: (i) refund your ticket and return you to your point of origin if you are no longer at the point of origin indicated on your original ticket and your travel no longer serves a purpose as a result of the delay or cancellation and (ii) in any other case, refund the unused portion of your ticket. You can request a refund via our online refund request form.

    1.2 Situations outside of our control*

    If your flight is cancelled or delayed for three (3) hours or more due to reasons outside of our control*, we will:

    1. book you on the next available flight (operated by Emirates or another airline we have an agreement with) on any reasonable route to your destination, that departs within forty-eight (48) hours of your original scheduled time of departure; or
    2. if we cannot do this, we will, at your choice:
      1. book you on the next available flight (operated by Emirates or any other airline) on any reasonable route to your destination, or alternatively re-route you from another airport that is within reasonable distance of your departure airport to your destination. In such cases, we will provide transportation to the new departure airport; or
      2. refund any unused portion of your ticket.

  2. Assistance

    In the event your flight is cancelled or delayed due to reasons within our control, including those required for safety purposes, and (i) you were informed of the disruption less than twelve (12) hours before the original scheduled time of departure, and (ii) you have waited two (2) hours or more since the original scheduled time of departure, we will provide you with the following:

    1. meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the length of the wait and the time of day;
    2. access to a means of communication, where feasible; and
    3. when an overnight stay is required, accommodation and roundtrip transportation from the airport to the accommodation, subject to availability and within reasonable distance from the airport.

    Please note that we may limit or not provide the assistance described above, if doing so would further delay your travel.


  3. Compensation

    If the cancellation or delay of your flight is due to a situation within our control (excluding situations required for safety purposes) and the arrival at your original destination is delayed for three (3) hours or more, you may be entitled to receive compensation. Compensation for delays and cancellations is based on the arrival time at your final destination, as follows:

    Total delay at final destination stated in your original ticketAmount (CAD)
    Three (3) or more hours, but less than six (6) hoursCAD 400
    Six (6) or more hours, but less than nine (9) hoursCAD 700
    Nine (9) hours or moreCAD 1,000

    Please note that:

    1. if you refuse alternative travel arrangements as they no longer accommodate your travel needs, you will be entitled to receive compensation of CAD 400.
    2. You will not be entitled to compensation under the Regulations, if (i) you are informed of the delay or cancellation at least 15 days before your scheduled time of departure or (ii) you have already received compensation for the same event under another passenger rights regime.

    To receive compensation, you must file a request via our Customer Affairs Department, within one (1) year of the date of the delay or cancellation. Our team will provide compensation, or an explanation as to why compensation is not payable, within thirty (30) days of receipt of your compensation claim.

B. Denied boarding

In exceptional circumstances, there may not be enough space available on a flight to accommodate all passengers with confirmed reservations. If such a situation arises, we may deny boarding to some passengers in accordance with the rules of the Regulations and the policies set out in our Tariff.

  1. Alternative travel arrangements and refunds

    1.1 Situations within our control, including those required for safety purposes

    If you are denied boarding involuntarily due to reasons within our control, including those required for safety purposes, we will:

    1. book you on the next available flight (operated by Emirates or another airline we have an agreement with) on any reasonable route to your destination, that departs within nine (9) hours of your original scheduled time of departure; or
    2. if we cannot do this, we will book you on a flight (operated by Emirates or any other airline) on any reasonable route to your destination, that departs within forty-eight (48) hours of your original scheduled time of departure; or
    3. if we are still unable to provide a confirmed reservation as described above, we will book you on a flight (operated by Emirates or any other airline) on any reasonable route to your destination, from another airport that is within reasonable distance of your departure airport. In such cases, we will provide transportation to the new departure airport.

    If you refuse the alternative travel arrangements we offer, we will: (i) refund your ticket and return you to your point of origin if you are no longer at the point of origin indicated on your original ticket and your travel no longer serves a purpose as a result of the delay or cancellation and (ii) in any other case, refund the unused portion of your ticket. You can request a refund via our online refund request form.

    1.2 Situations outside of our control*

    If you are denied boarding involuntarily due to reasons outside of our control*, we will:

    1. book you on the next available flight (operated by Emirates or another airline we have an agreement with) on any reasonable route to your destination, that departs within forty-eight (48) hours of your original scheduled time of departure; or
    2. if this is not possible, we will, at your choice:
      1. book you on the next available flight (operated by Emirates or any other airline) on any reasonable route to your destination, or alternatively re-route you from another airport that is within reasonable distance of your departure airport to your destination. In such cases, we will provide transportation to the new departure airport; or
      2. refund any unused portion of your ticket.

  2. Assistance

    If you are denied boarding involuntarily, for a situation within our control, including those required for safety purposes, we will provide you with:

    1. meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the length of the wait and the time of day;
    2. access to a means of communication, where feasible; and
    3. overnight accommodation and roundtrip transportation from the airport to the accommodation, subject to availability and within reasonable distance from the airport.

    Please note that we may limit or not provide the assistance described above, if doing so would further delay your travel.


  3. Compensation

    If you have been involuntarily denied boarding for a reason within our control (excluding situations required for safety purposes) you will be entitled to choose, according to the rules in our Tariff, between an Options Voucher and monetary compensation.

    Monetary compensation is based on the arrival time at your final destination, as follows:

    Total delay at final destination stated in your original ticket Amount (CAD)
    Delayed by less than six (6) hoursCAD 900
    Delayed by six (6) hours or more, but less than nine (9) hoursCAD 1,800
    Delayed by nine (9) hours or moreCAD 2,400

    Please note that you will not be entitled to compensation if you have already received compensation for the same event under another passenger rights regime.

C. Tarmac Delays

If your flight to or from Canada is delayed on the tarmac after the doors of the aircraft are closed for take-off or after your flight has landed, we will provide you with the following:

  1. access to operable lavatories on the aircraft;
  2. proper ventilation and cooling or heating of the aircraft;
  3. food and drink, in reasonable quantities, considering the length of the delay, the time of day, and the location of the airport;
  4. the ability to communicate with people outside the aircraft, if feasible;
  5. access to urgent medical assistance, if required.

If your flight is delayed on the tarmac at an airport in Canada, unless it is not possible (including for reasons related to safety and security or to air traffic or customs control), we will provide you with an opportunity to disembark within three (3) hours after the aircraft doors have been closed for departure or three (3) hours after a flight has landed. Please note that an aircraft can stay on the tarmac for up to forty-five (45) additional minutes, if it is likely that it will take-off within that period, and we are able to continue providing the same assistance mentioned above.

If we allow passengers to disembark during a tarmac delay, when feasible, we will provide disembarking priority for passengers with disabilities and their support person or service animal.

D. Seating of children under the age of 14 years

We will make every reasonable effort to facilitate the seating of a child under the age of fourteen (14) years near their parent, guardian, or tutor (“Accompanying Adult”), at the time of check-in. Children under twelve (12) years of age will always be seated next to an Accompanying Adult. To look at seating options before your travel, please visit Manage Your Booking.

E. Lost, delayed or damaged baggage

We always strive to deliver your baggage in a timely manner following the arrival of your flight.

If you cannot find your baggage on arrival, or your baggage has been damaged, please contact our representative at the baggage services counter, prior to leaving the baggage reclaim area. Here you can fill out a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) which will contain a unique reference number that we will use to trace your baggage. You will then be able to use this reference number to check the status of your baggage. If you have left the airport without filling out a report, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. If your flight was not with Emirates, please contact the airline that operated your flight.

There are certain time limits that are applicable to filing a claim for baggage that has been damaged, delayed or lost:

  • Damaged baggage must be reported within seven (7) days after receiving your damaged baggage.
  • Delayed baggage but returned within twenty-one (21) days, must be reported within twenty-one (21) days after receiving your baggage.

If we are unable to locate your delayed baggage within twenty-one (21) days, it will be considered lost.

For international travel to and from Canada, the Montreal Convention 1999 applies and limits our liability for lost, delayed, or damaged baggage to 1,288 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) per passenger for baggage.


Questions and complaints

If you have any questions related to your rights under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, or to file a request for compensation, in the first instance, please contact our Customer Affairs department directly using the Feedback or Complaints Form.

You can also contact the Canadian Transportation Agency. For more information, visit the Canadian Transportation Agency website(Opens an external website in a new tab).

For full terms and conditions applicable to your carriage, please see our Tariff.

*According to the Regulations, situations outside a carrier’s control, include but are not limited to the following: war or political instability, illegal acts or sabotage, meteorological conditions or natural disasters that make the safe operation of the aircraft impossible, instructions from air traffic control, a NOTAM, as defined in subsection 101.01(1) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations, a security threat, airport operation issues, a medical emergency, a collision with wildlife, a labour disruption within the carrier or within an essential service provider such as an airport or an air navigation service provider, a manufacturing defect in an aircraft that reduces the safety of passengers and that was identified by the manufacturer of the aircraft concerned, or by a competent authority, and an order or instruction from an official of a state or a law enforcement agency or from a person responsible for airport security.