As Air Canada strike looms, passengers mull their options

Passengers across the country are bracing for the possibility of anAir Canada pilot strike, as more than 5,000 pilots with theAir Line Pilots Association (ALPA) could issue strike notice this weekend.

The airline said Monday that some services such as freight are already being affected, and it would have to start grounding aircraft as early as Friday ahead of a potential strike notice on Sunday.

Air Canada said it's increasingly likely that there will be a work stoppage, and that it will begin an orderly shutdown of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge once 72-hour strike or lockout notice is given.

Unless an agreement is reached, either side could issue notice as early as Sunday, which could lead to a full work stoppage as early as Sept. 18.

WATCH| Strike at Air Canadacould leave passengers scrambling:

Air Canada strike could leave passengers scrambling

12 days ago

Duration 2:47

Air Canada is preparing to start cancelling flights ahead of a potential pilots strike next week, leaving passengers looking for other travel options.

Among those who aretracking the potential job action is Ryan Schaapand his wife, who plan to honeymoon in Asia.

He says the prospect of awork stoppage around the time they are set to take off ontheirtrip, which includes stops in Vietnam and Japan,has led to "quitea bit of stress, quite a bit of worry, a little bit of anxiety."

They're scheduled to fly Air Canada from Vancouver to Singapore on Sept. 24, but thepotential of an airline shutdown has forced them to make some last-minute contingency plans.

"We decided upon ourselves that we weren't going to put this off," he said. "It was a now-or-never situation and we started looking into alternative plans and backup arrangements."

The couple has now booked two refundable alternative tickets to Singapore out of San Francisco.

"I don't know what type of Planes, Trains and Automobiles situation that we could find ourselves in heading to San Francisco, but we're flying to Singapore one way or another," he said, referring to the popular comedy movie where the protagonists have to scramble to find travel arrangements.

Advocate says passengers should sit tight and wait

So what should travellers do if they're scheduled to fly Air Canada in the coming days?

Air passenger rights advocate Gbor Lukcs says passengers should take a wait-and-see approach.

"If you change your booking, rebookyour ticket, or seek a refund nowbefore Air Canada cancelledyour flight, you are at AirCanada's mercy, their policies and so on," he said.

"Once Air Canada cancels your flight, thenthe Air Passenger Protection Regulations, the Montreal Convention, the Carriage by Air Act all come into play, and you have far more rights."

The Early Edition6:11A possible Air Canada strike could impact tens of thousands of passengers

Former Air Canada COO Duncan Dee explains how the airline could wind down operations in the event of a strike, and what passengers should do to prepare.

The airline says it will notify passengers if aflight gets cancelled, and they'll be eligible for a full refund regardless of the fare purchased. No cancellation fees will apply.

The airline says it will also try to rebook passengers on a different flight, though it cautions that space is limited.