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On March 18, the European Union clarified its Rule 261, making clear that cancelled flights are eligible for refund in the original form of payment. That seems clear enough doesn’t it? But believe it or not, some airlines are still trying to wriggle out of it by steering their customers towards accepting a future re-booking or travel voucher.

Photo by Chris Helgren/Reuters files

Take KLM as an example. When I was advised — a full eight days after the Rule 261 clarification was issued — that my flight had been cancelled I was offered only two options: either choose another trip by Sept. 30, or postpone my trip and receive a travel voucher valid for a year.

Trying to reach anybody in customer service at the airlines these days is next to impossible, of course. It took an e-mail to the CEO of KLM demanding a refund as per EU 261 to achieve the desired action.

So where do the Canadian airlines stand on this? Like the airline industry in general they have in most cases enjoyed a wonderful decade of growth. Air Canada’s Feb. 16 news release reporting its 2019 annual results quoted president and CEO Calin Rovinesco talking about the firm’s 87 per cent return on shares and gleefully reminding everyone that Air Canada has been the top performing stock on the TSX for the past decade with a 3,575 per cent return. Yes, that’s three-five-seven-five per cent.

As of last Dec. 31, Air Canada held $5.9 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. To put this number in perspective, its total annual 2019 expense for wages, salaries and benefits was $3.9 billion. And labour is its second-biggest operating expense after aircraft fuel.