Canadian Airline-Rail Re-Protection Agreement?

[Blackwolf]

Good evening!

I think I've been on the receiving end of what I believe is this very agreement when traveling on VIA in 2008, but was not aware of it so clearly at that time. From my understanding, the language about it is pretty simple:

• If your Canadian-flagged airline carrier on a domestic Canadian route has delayed/cancelled/rebooked your flight due to a major event, and both your departure and destination city are served by VIA Rail, you can use your already printed airline boarding pass for travel on a VIA Rail train for no additional charge.
• Conversely, if your regularly scheduled VIA Rail train is severely delayed/cancelled/rebooked and regularly scheduled air service by way of a Canadian-flagged carrier on a domestic Canadian route is available serving your departure and destination city, an airline booking can be created to travel for no or minimal additional cost.

There is very little literature I can find giving concrete limits to this "Re-Protection" agreement, so I wonder if anyone here has more insight.

Here's what Air Canada has to say about the agreement:

Travelling with VIA RailWhen a major delay or cancellation disrupts your travel plans, you may be offered the option of travelling by VIA Rail when a train segment matching your itinerary is available. Should you choose the VIA Rail option, here's what you need to know:

• You'll need to contact VIA Rail to let them know that you've been affected by an Air Canada service disruption and wish to apply your Air Canada ticket to travel by train as per the Air Canada/VIA reprotection agreement contract.
• VIA Rail will ask you to present one of the following Air Canada documents prior to boarding the train:Your itinerary/receipt
• Your paper ticket
• The Air Canada Flight Interruption Manifest (FIM), which we'll provide if you do not have your itinerary/receipt or paper ticket.

[*]If you choose the VIA Rail option, you agree to waive any refund for the portion of your itinerary for which you accepted to travel by train.

I imagine there has to be some limits. I can see this being used without much difficulty between, say, Toronto <-> Montreal. Service by VIA Rail is relatively frequent and some might even say reliable here.

But say, this upcomming January, when me and Mrs. Blackwolf land in Toronto to connect planes for a final destination of Halifax, a major event (such as extreme weather) cancels our connecting flight and all other flights for two days. Would we be able to use this "Re-Protection" and gain VIA Rail tickets Toronto -> Montreal -> Halifax?

The chances of actually needing this kind of connection are very slim, but you never can be too prepared in today's hostile traveling environment!

 

[NS VIA Fan]

I was aware of this option but never had to use it. In the quote above it says “you may be offered the option of travelling by VIA Rail”....just wondering if this means Air Canada has to initiate the FIM for all effected passengers or you can request it on your own.

Anyway.....good luck on your trip to the Maritimes...good weather and hopes that all connections work.

(Right now it is +5 (41) with sun and cloud.....and only one night next week with temps below freezing so it’s certainly looking like a green Christmas)

 

[Blackwolf]

From what little info is available via Google and Bing searches, a few travelers reporting use of the service on internet blogs claim it to be remarkably simple. Seems the best way of using it is to tell the gate agent denying your boarding and/or putting you on a standby for an alternate flight of your intention to Re-Protect with VIA Rail. No one reports having any gruff from the airline staff, actually quite the opposite as it frees them from having to accommodate you themselves. Once you Re-Protect, you're essentially "on your own" with regard to changing your itinerary into a VIA Rail one. AC (the only carrier with reviews of people having done this) gives the passenger the FIM with their passenger info and sends them on their way. You, the passenger, then contact VIA Rail (which is worlds easier to do than get an AC rep on the phone!) and tell them your intentions. You're provided the info on your new train routing as well as a VIA Rail booking number to write down on your AC boarding pass, and then use that same boarding pass as your train ticket for travel.

Thanks for the well wishes. Its been a few years since Mrs. Blackwolf was home in Dartmouth. We're hoping for as easy a traveling experience as possible, and hopefully enjoyable as we sprung the "big bucks" for a front cabin upgrade with AC.

 

[jebr]

I have a related question on this.

If I were to have to use this on a trip that would be overnight on Via, would I be rebooked in coach (assuming I've purchased a coach seat) or could I be rebooked in a higher class of service? If I'm booked in coach, can I pay the differential to be upgraded to a higher class accommodation?

Hopefully I won't need to use it, but if the option is there, might as well know how to use it!