Air Canada has apologized and offered compensation for bumping a 10-year-old off a flight, the boy's father said on Monday, after the Canadian family's story sparked headlines following a high-profile incident involving overbooking by U.S. carrier United Airlines.
Brett Doyle said his family, who first tried unsuccessfully to check in his older son online, was told at the airport there was no seat available for the boy on an oversold flight from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, to Montreal, where they were connecting to a flight to a Costa Rica vacation last month.
The entrepreneur from Prince Edward Island said the family of four then drove to Moncton, New Brunswick, to catch a different flight to Montreal only to discover at the airport that it had been cancelled.
"I thought it was a joke, that there were hidden cameras or something," he recalled by phone from Charlottetown.
Doyle said the family contacted Air Canada, the country's largest carrier, in March, but only received an apology and the offer of a C$2,500 trip voucher after the story was published by a Canadian newspaper on Saturday.
Air Canada could not immediately be reached by Reuters for comment. An airline spokeswoman told the Canadian Press: “We are currently following up to understand what went wrong and have apologized to Mr. Doyle and his family as well as offered a very generous compensation to the family for their inconvenience.”
Doyle, whose family finally arrived in Montreal and was able to connect to Costa Rica, said he understood the public outcry after a 69-year-old passenger was dragged from his seat on a United plane in Chicago on April 9 to make space for crew members.
"People are fed up," he said of airline overbooking. "You shouldn't be able to sell something twice."
United's parent company, United Continental Holdings Inc , which is still recovering from the public relations debacle, apologized again on Monday for the passenger's forceful removal, while reporting quarterly earnings.
Doyle said the incident on United Flight 3411, which spread rapidly on social media after being shot on video by passengers, resonated with his family.
"I ... said things could always be worse," he said after hearing about the United incident. "At least we weren't thrown off the plane."
Reuters
Tue Apr 18 2017
An Air Canada Boeing 777 taxis at Sydney airport after being given the all clear to resume its journey to Vancouver July 28, 2011. - Photo Reuters/Tim Wimborne
Nahas helikopter Lumut: DUN Sabah bertafakur seminit hormati mangsa
Ucapan takziah itu disampaikan Timbalan Speaker DUN Sabah, Datuk Al Hambra Tun Juhar sebelum memulakan sesi soal jawab pada sidang DUN.
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Pas puji tindakan pantas Menteri Pertahanan
PAS memuji tindakan pantas Menteri Pertahanan Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin dalam mengendalikan tragedi dua helikopter terhempas yang mengorbankan 10 anggota dan pegawai Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysi
Suspek kes tembak di KLIA berdepan tujuh pertuduhan
Hafizul Hhawari mohon dibicarakan terhadap kesemua pertuduhan yang dibacakan di hadapan Hakim Nik Habri Muhamad.
Warga emas hidup 'berteman' lebih 2 tan sampah
Sudah menjadi tabiat lelaki ini yang hidup sebatang kara mengumpul sampah di dalam dan luar rumahnya tetapi bukan untuk dijual.
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Lori bawa 10 keranda tiba di Jabatan Forensik HRPB
Kesemua 10 jenazah akan dibawa ke Batalion 23 Rejimen Askar Melayu Diraja, Ipoh bagi istiadat rasmi sebaik proses bedah siasat selesai.
Piala Asia B-23: "Saya bermain dengan teruk dalam setiap perlawanan" - Mukhairi Ajmal
Ketua pasukan Harimau Muda kecewa dengan prestasi sendiri sepanjang Piala Asia B-23.
Niaga AWANI: KL20: MyDIGITAL tingkat daya saing ekosistem startup
Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif, MyDIGITAL, Fabian Bigar berkongsi pandangan beliau berkenaan pembangunan ekosistem startup di Malaysia dan peranan MyDIGITAL dalam usaha tersebut seiring penganjuran KL20 baru-baru ini.
#NiagaAWANI
#NiagaAWANI
Mansuhkan undang-undang yang menindas hak asasi
Hakisan ruang sivik di Malaysia seperti yang dilaporkan dan tindakan keras yang diambil terhadap kebebasan asasi menuntut tindakan segera daripada kerajaan.
Niaga AWANI: Strategi pelaburan graduan muda di sebalik tekanan inflasi
Pensyarah Kanan, Sekolah Perniagaan Dan Ekonomi, UPM, Dr. Lau Wei Theng berkongsi tentang bagaimana graduan di Malaysia boleh meningkatkan literasi pelaburan di sebalik prospek ekonomi yang tidak menentu.
#NiagaAWANI
#NiagaAWANI
Niaga AWANI: Prestasi Bursa Malaysia setakat 24 April 2024
Jumlah dagangan naik kepada 3.73 bilion unit bernilai RM2.79 bilion daripada 3.49 bilion unit bernilai RM2.53 bilion pada Isnin.
#NiagaAWANI
#NiagaAWANI
Penumpang jatuh selepas buka pintu pesawat
Seorang penumpang Air Canada cedera selepas terjatuh kira-kira enam meter apabila dia membuka pintu pesawat baru-baru ini.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Air Canada gantung tugas 800 pekerja belum vaksin
Syarikat penerbangan terbesar Kanada, Air Canada, menggantung lebih 800 pekerja kerana belum menerima suntikan vaksin COVID-19.
Sebulan selepas dibenar terbang, pesawat Boeing 737-8 Max mendarat cemas akibat masalah enjin
Pesawat yang mempunyai tiga kru penerbangan itu menerima signal mengenai masalah pada salah satu enjinnya.
Pesawat mendarat cemas di Madrid selepas alami masalah enjin, tayar
Juruterbang meminta kebenaran membuat pendaratan 30 minit kemudian selepas sebuah enjin pesawat berkenaan rosak dan tayarnya pecah ketika berlepas.
Penumpang dihalang guna tandas pesawat, 7 jam duduk beralas kencing sendiri
Wanita berusia 26 tahun itu menggunakan perkhidmatan penerbangan Air Canada ke Lapangan Terbang Dublin dari Bogota di Colombia.
Gara-gara berhijab, remaja tidak dibenarkan menaiki pesawat
Syarikat penerbangan Air Canada menerima aduan ramai susulan insiden seorang remaja dipaksa tanggalkan hijabnya sebelum menaiki pesawat.
CEO Boeing yakin tahap keselamatan model 737 MAX 8
CEO Boeing, Dennis Muilenburg yakin dengan tahap keselamatan pesawat Boeing 737 MAX 8.
Halang kanak-kanak naik pesawat, Air Canada kemuka permohonan maaf
Seorang jurucakap syarikat penerbangan itu memberitahu Canadian Press, pihak mereka sedang menyiasat punca kejadian tersebut.
Wanita kendali pesawat ke Jeddah: 'Bagus tapi ironik' - Netizen
Sedikit ironik apabila wanita menerbangkan pesawat itu ke sebuah negara di mana wanita tidak dibenarkan memandu kereta.