Transat to offer refunds for unused hotel nights, $200 future travel credit

Following this week’s travel disruptions caused by a potential pilots’ strike—which has now been resolved—Transat says it will automatically refund any unused nights in affected vacation packages.

The refund – offered with the recognition that some vacations, this week, were shorted – will be processed using whatever payment method is on file at travel agencies, wrote Julie Sareault, commercial director at Transat, in a letter to partners Thursday (Dec. 11).

“No action is required on your part,” Sareault wrote, noting that credit card refunds are generally processed within a few days, but depending on the financial institution, “it may take up to two weeks for the amount to appear on the account.”

“We are fully aware of the disappointment experienced by your clients due to their early return, and we sincerely apologize,” the letter reads.

In addition, as a “gesture of appreciation,” a future travel credit of CAD $200 per adult will be added to each booking file, Sareault wrote.

READ MORE: Air Transat pilots secure 60% wage increase: report

“Our operational support team plans to process all files in the coming days and send the credits by email,” she wrote. “Since the purchase was made through a travel agency, the agency may receive the applicable travel credit.”

In all cases, the travel credit will be valid for one year from the originally scheduled departure date and is non-transferable and non-refundable.

“We thank you for your understanding and the trust you have placed in us during this challenging situation,” Sareault wrote. “Our entire team remains committed to supporting you in planning your clients’ next getaways.”

Close call

Air Transat narrowly avoided a strike this week after reaching a last-minute tentative agreement with its 750 pilots Tuesday evening (Dec. 9), averting what could have been major disruptions at the start of the holiday travel season.

Eighteen flights were cancelled – and repatriation flights were operated – during the final hours of negotiations, with wages reportedly being the last sticking point.

Some details of the tentative deal, which pilots will vote on in the coming weeks, have now begun to surface.

Air Transat pilots are reportedly slated for an average pay hike of more than 60 per cent over the next five years, according to the Canadian Press.

Additionally, most captains at Air Transat, by 2030, could see their earnings increase by more than $100,000 annually.

Bradley Small, leader of the union representing Air Transat staff, told the Canadian Press that the agreement places members roughly on par with pilots at WestJet and Air Canada, who secured substantial wage increases in 2023 and 2024.

Union leaders plan to share the details of the deal with members next week in Toronto and Montreal, followed by a vote scheduled to conclude on Jan. 6.

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