MONTREAL – Air Canada today introduced a new web-based Self-Service Rebooking Tool to make it easier for passengers to get information about flights affected by events such as storms and then rearrange their travel to suit their needs using their computer or mobile device.

“It is an unfortunate fact of life that poor weather and other events sometimes disrupt an airline’s schedule but this new rebooking tool will make it easy and convenient for Air Canada customers to adjust their travel without having to line up or contact an agent. The Rebooking Tool will automatically notify customers when their flight has been cancelled or is expected to be cancelled, offer them an alternative flight and give them the option to choose a different flight or cancel their trip altogether,” said Duncan Dee, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

“Air Canada’s strategy is to use technology, such as web-enabled mobile devices and smart phones, including new Apple and Blackberry applications, and enhanced airport kiosks and website functions to communicate better with customers during times of disrupted operations and provide them more choices so they can plan accordingly. We will continue introducing even more technological features in the future to further increase convenience for our customers.”

The new tool launched today enables Air Canada to automatically:

– send an SMS or email message to customers notifying them of itinerary changes due to weather or other operational disruptions (where no electronic address is available, passenger information will be routed to call centres)

– provide customers with details on their rebooked flight when applicable

– offer customers the ability to select another flight if the new flight proposed by Air Canada is not acceptable

– post a link with Travel Advisories on www.aircanada.com to let customers easily link with the Rebooking Tool when bad weather is expected to disrupt the airline’s schedule