November 4, 2024
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#1051 This is How the Airlines Screwed Us During the Pandemic
Documents reveal how Canada’s airline watchdog was pressured to bend the rules and leave Canadians holding the bag.
Jesse Brown
Host & Publisher
Cherise Seucharan
Reporter, CANADALAND
Caleb Thompson
Audio Editor
Bruce Thorson
Senior Producer
max collins
Production Manager

When COVID hit, the airlines were sitting with billions of dollars in cash that Canadians paid for flights that were all canceled. How much of that money was refunded? Why were vouchers offered instead? And why did the transport regulator that’s supposed to uphold the rules bend them to the advantage of Air Canada and other carriers? 

 

Reporter Cherise Seucharan has obtained newly-unearthed communications from March 2020 that show airline industry execs,  credit card companies,  and the transportation ministry, cooperating – perhaps collaborating, to pressure Canada’s airline watchdog to bend the rules. 

 

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Cherise Seucharan (Reporter) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor/ Mixer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Production Manager), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher), Caleb Thompson (additional production assistance)

Featured guests: Gabor Lukacs

 

Additional music by Audio Network

 

Further reading:

AG1 

 

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This episode features the audio short, “The Boat Blow-Up” by Sophie Woodrooffe (Gibsons, B.C.), one of the finalists from the 2024 Local Correspondents Audio Competition, a CanadaLabs initiative.

CanadaLabs, a hub for the next generation of audio journalists, is made possible with the support of Amazon Music, The Perspective Fund, and Canadaland Supporters.

Be part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a yearly Canadaland Supporter today and get 3 months of perks and benefits for free. 

 

 

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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