Air Transat rating

4.5/10Axel score · #74 of 77

2.3/10Repriceability · #76

Checked October 26, 2026 · How Axel rates airlines

Rigid Eco Standard rules leave little room to recover price drops

Axel considers Air Transat a weak choice for travelers who want flexibility after paying. Eco Budget cannot be changed, while newly booked Eco Standard tickets are non-refundable and offer no ordinary price-drop recovery. September's low cancellation rate helps, but poor punctuality and baggage restrictions mean the fare needs to be compelling to justify the compromises.

Best
OAG reported only 0.09% of flights cancelled in September 2026.
Eco Flex includes one checked bag and allows full refunds until 24 hours before departure.
Children aged 2 to 13 receive free adjacent standard seats with parents on the same family booking.

Worst
Eco Budget on US routes permits only a personal item, not an overhead carry-on.
New Eco Standard bookings from January 28, 2026 are non-refundable outside applicable exceptions.
Only 66.75% of flights arrived on time in September 2026.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back?

RarelyRepriceability 2.3/10

Rarely. Eco Budget cannot be changed. Eco Standard changes require a fee plus any higher fare difference, with no changes within 24 hours of departure. The current US fee is unconfirmed. For Eco Standard, a lower fare produces no refund or credit. New Eco Standard bookings from January 28, 2026 are non-refundable outside applicable exceptions. Eco Flex allows cancellation for a full refund before its 24-hour departure cutoff, allowing you to rebook. For scheduled flights to or from the US, cancellation within 24 hours is fully refundable when booked at least seven days before departure. No universal travel-credit validity period or transferability rule was confirmed. Online redemption requires your name on the credit.

Axel's fare-rule sample contained 10 tickets, with 0% recorded as changeable. Its observation period was not provided, so this is a limited observation, not a guarantee of another ticket's terms.

Air Transat fares
Fare	Changes	Cancel	Carry-on	Bags	Seat
Eco Budget	No changes	Non-refundable outside the qualifying initial 24-hour cancellation window and statutory refund exceptions.	Fee	0	Free at check-in
Eco Standard	Changes cost a fee plus any higher fare difference and are not permitted within 24 hours of departure. The current US-route fee in USD could not be confirmed.	For new bookings from January 28, 2026, ordinary voluntary cancellation is non-refundable. Air Transat's current US fare overview is undated and advertises paid modifications, not refundable cancellation. Its airline-branded bulletin dated January 27, 2026 explicitly withdraws Eco Standard cancellation refunds from January 28 across all programs, including the United States; earlier tickets retain their original conditions. This dated update takes precedence over the older refundable-with-fee wording still present in the undated general conditions. Qualifying initial 24-hour cancellations and statutory refunds remain exceptions.	Included	0	Free at check-in
Eco Flex	No change fee	Free cancellation for a full refund up to 24 hours before departure. Cancellation inside that cutoff is not included.	Included	1	Free choice
Club Standardpremium economy	No change fee	Refundable before the 24-hour departure cutoff, less a cancellation fee. The August 8, 2024 US-specific update states $50 per person, per direction, refunded to the payment method on file. That report does not identify the dollar currency, so a current USD fee is not confirmed.	Included	2	Fee

Fare difference on a cheaper change: Lost. The US conditions deny a refund when the ticket price is lower at modification or cancellation. No residual travel-credit entitlement is stated for an Eco Standard change.
Same flight, lower price: No fee-free price-drop recovery is offered on ordinary Eco Standard bookings outside the initial cancellation window. The airline's US conditions restrict reductions to new bookings and deny lower-fare refunds; no update date is displayed. Eco Flex can instead be cancelled without penalty before its cutoff and rebooked, but that refundable-fare workaround is not an Eco Standard repricing benefit. These pages were checked October 26, 2026.
Credits (Travel credit): No universal validity period for newly issued ordinary travel credits was confirmed. The expired summer 2026 promotion required the replacement trip to take place no later than 12 months after the originally scheduled return date, not 12 months after credit issuance.
24-hour rule: The confirmed full-refund guarantee is in Air Transat's U.S. Customer Service Plan, revised October 2024 and still linked from its current US passenger-rights page. It covers scheduled flights to/from the United States and permits penalty-free cancellation within 24 hours for reservations made at least seven days before departure. Call Air Transat or use the Manage My Booking cancellation form. The undated booking page instead says departure must be more than seven days away and does not state a route restriction. Its general form instructions alone do not establish an airline-wide full-refund guarantee. DOT requires eligibility at the exact seven-day boundary.
Same-day change: Ordinary fare conditions prohibit voluntary changes within 24 hours of departure. No separate same-day confirmed-change or standby product was confirmed.
Schedule changes: For US–Canada itineraries, a cancellation or significant change gives a refund right if the traveler does not accept or use the changed flight, alternative transportation or compensation. Significant changes include departure at least six hours earlier, arrival at least six hours later, different origin or destination airports, added connections or a cabin downgrade. Refunds must go to the original payment method, generally within seven business days for credit cards or 20 calendar days for other payments. Air Transat offers alternative transportation or a refund. Its statement that silence constitutes acceptance cannot remove DOT refund protection when the passenger neither accepts nor takes the alternative.

Score breakdown

Repriceability 35%2.3
- Standard fare change fee: 4.0/10 · Eco Standard: Changes cost a fee plus any higher fare difference and are not permitted within 24 hours of departure. The current US-route fee in USD could not be confirmed.
- Lowest fare flexibility: 0.0/10 · Eco Budget: Voluntary changes are not permitted.
- Lower fare on the same flight: 0.0/10 · No fee-free price-drop recovery is offered on ordinary Eco Standard bookings outside the initial cancellation window. The airline's US conditions restrict reductions to new bookings and deny lower-fare refunds; no update date is displayed. Eco Flex can instead be cancelled without penalty before its cutoff and rebooked, but that refundable-fare workaround is not an Eco Standard repricing benefit. These pages were checked October 26, 2026.
- Credit terms: 7.0/10 · No universal validity period for newly issued ordinary travel credits was confirmed. The expired summer 2026 promotion required the replacement trip to take place no later than 12 months after the originally scheduled return date, not 12 months after credit issuance.
- Cancel the standard fare: 0.0/10 · For new bookings from January 28, 2026, ordinary voluntary cancellation is non-refundable. Air Transat's current US fare overview is undated and advertises paid modifications, not refundable cancellation. Its airline-branded bulletin dated January 27, 2026 explicitly withdraws Eco Standard cancellation refunds from January 28 across all programs, including the United States; earlier tickets retain their original conditions. This dated update takes precedence over the older refundable-with-fee wording still present in the undated general conditions. Qualifying initial 24-hour cancellations and statutory refunds remain exceptions.
- Risk-free window: 7.0/10 · The confirmed full-refund guarantee is in Air Transat's U.S. Customer Service Plan, revised October 2024 and still linked from its current US passenger-rights page. It covers scheduled flights to/from the United States and permits penalty-free cancellation within 24 hours for reservations made at least seven days before departure. Call Air Transat or use the Manage My Booking cancellation form. The undated booking page instead says departure must be more than seven days away and does not state a route restriction. Its general form instructions alone do not establish an airline-wide full-refund guarantee. DOT requires eligibility at the exact seven-day boundary.
- Same-day change: 0.0/10 · Ordinary fare conditions prohibit voluntary changes within 24 hours of departure. No separate same-day confirmed-change or standby product was confirmed.
- What Axel saw: does not apply · fewer than 10 attempts · Axel repricing attempts
Refunds and disruptions 20%6.9
- Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 8.0/10 · Covered by: US_DOT_refund_rule, EU261, UK261, Canada_APPR, Brazil_ANAC_400, Turkey_SHY; Coverage depends on the route: Canadian APPR applies to flights to, from and within Canada; U.S. refund rules apply to U.S. flights; EU261 generally covers Air Transat departures from the EU/EEA, not its Canada-to-EU flights; UK261 covers UK departures. Brazilian ANAC rules and Turkish SHY rules are relevant to its Brazil services and departures from Türkiye respectively. Air Transat is a large carrier under APPR. Its published disruption policy provides meals and communication after two hours for qualifying airline-controlled disruptions, including safety-related ones, and hotel accommodation and transfers when an overnight stay is necessary. It also publishes rebooking on partner airlines and, subject to the applicable time thresholds, other carriers. These are principally legal obligations, not verified benefits beyond the law. No separate standing promise of additional cash compensation beyond applicable law was confirmed.
- Refund conduct: 7.0/10 · 2026-09-28 Canadian Transportation Agency; 2023-7 U.S. DOT $525,000
- Refund complaints: no data, median 5.1/10 used · too few US passengers to measure
Reliability 15%4.9
- On-time arrival: 2.7/10 · 66.75% on time (2026-09-01 to 2026-09-30. Air Transat, as published in OAG's North America monthly rankings. Cancellation percentage is directly published, not derived from a completion factor.) · OAG North America monthly rankings, September 2026
- Cancellations: 10.0/10 · 0.09% cancelled (2026-09-01 to 2026-09-30. Air Transat, as published in OAG's North America monthly rankings. Cancellation percentage is directly published, not derived from a completion factor.) · OAG North America monthly rankings, September 2026
Fees and transparency 15%5.3
- Carry-on in the lowest fare: 0.0/10 · Eco Budget on US routes includes only a personal item. A separate overhead carry-on is not permitted; additional luggage must be checked for a fee. The schema's fee category describes this paid checked-baggage requirement, not a purchasable cabin-carry-on allowance.
- First checked bag: no data, median 6.0/10 used · Eco Budget and Eco Standard include no checked bag on US routes; Eco Flex includes one and Club Standard two. The transborder tariff issued May 14, 2026 publishes CA$54 prepaid for the first bag up to 23 kg. A current advance-purchase USD price could not be confirmed. The May 4, 2026 notice changes prices for purchases within 24 hours of departure from June 1, 2026; those are not advance-purchase prices.
- Seat in the lowest fare: 6.0/10 · free_at_checkin
- Children seated with a parent: 5.0/10 · Eco Budget advance seat selection costs extra, but standard seats can be selected free during online check-in starting 24 hours before departure. Children aged 2–13 inclusive and their parents or guardians on the same family booking receive automated, free adjacent standard-seat assignments, visible fourteen days before departure. Fees may apply to changing those assignments. No fare-family exclusion is stated.
- Price shown is price paid: 10.0/10 · No fee-display findings in 5 years
Complaints and handling 10%5.2*
- Complaint rate: does not apply · too few US passengers to measure
- Mishandled bags: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Bumping: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April to June 2026
Loyalty fairness 5%5.4*
- Miles expiry: does not apply · A definitive public expiry rule for Air Transat Rewards was not confirmed. The test-phase notice says program terms and benefits may change before launch. VIPorter is a separate program and its rules should not be substituted for Air Transat Rewards rules.
- Devaluations: does not apply · No loyalty program with published terms was found
- Award pricing: does not apply · unknown

Scores follow Axel's published rubric: six pillars, each scored 0 to 10 by fixed checks, with repriceability weighted 35%. Facts were checked October 26, 2026. No data at all for Complaints and handling and Loyalty fairness, so they take the median of all rated airlines. No data for 2 checks (Refund complaints, First checked bag), each scored at the median of all rated airlines.

Refunds and disruptions

Rights depend on route: Canadian APPR, US DOT refund rules, EU261 for EU/EEA departures, UK261 for UK departures, Brazil's ANAC 400 and Türkiye's SHY rules can apply. Air Transat publishes meals and communication after two hours for qualifying airline-controlled disruptions, overnight hotels and transfers, and rerouting on other carriers subject to legal thresholds. These are mainly legal duties, not extra benefits. For qualifying unused US travel, refunds go to the original payment method if you do not accept alternatives.

In 2023, the U.S. DOT imposed a $525,000 penalty for late refunds and replacing refunds with credits. On September 28, 2026, the Canadian Transportation Agency issued a CAD 45,000 penalty notice for failures to offer refund or rerouting choices. Research did not establish routine refund delays or forced credits during October 2024 to October 2026.

Regulator actions since October 2021

September 2026, Canadian Transportation Agency: The CTA issued a CAD 45,000 penalty notice for 20 violations following a December 9, 2025 cancellation classified in the notice as outside the airline's control. It said Air Transat failed to offer the affected passengers their required choice between a refund of the unused ticket and a confirmed reservation on the next available flight operated by any carrier. Source
August 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency: The CTA imposed CAD 29,600 for missing passenger-rights information and prescribed notices on itinerary documents, plus failures to communicate required cancellation information for flights TS715, TS771, TS772 and TS399. The cited incidents occurred between April 2024 and January 2025; August 12 is the notice's issuance date. Source
April 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency: At Air Transat's request, the CTA entered into a compliance agreement concerning the November 1, 2023 TS499 enforcement action. This was a follow-up agreement, not a separately identified additional monetary penalty. Source
February 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency: The CTA imposed a CAD 11,000 penalty after Air Transat failed to promptly provide a suitable temporary replacement mobility aid to a passenger whose aid was lost upon arrival in Venice. The incident occurred July 8–11, 2023. Source
July 2023, U.S. DOT: Order 2023-7-10: Routinely failed to provide timely refunds for cancelled US flights, giving credits instead; $525,000. Source
November 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency: The CTA assessed CAD 40,880 for 146 violations involving delayed flight TS499 on April 22–23, 2023: 73 failures to provide reasonable food and drink and 73 failures to provide access to communication. The case subsequently became subject to a compliance agreement and was closed following a notice of compliance in August 2026. Source
March 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency: The CTA imposed a CAD 41,250 penalty for 15 violations involving itinerary documents issued in August 2022. Missing information included carriage conditions, passenger treatment and compensation rights, complaint recourse, and prescribed passenger-rights notices. Source
March 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency: The CTA imposed a CAD 38,500 penalty for 14 violations involving failure to communicate delay reasons through passengers' preferred available communication method, including accessible methods. The incidents occurred in August 2022. Source
August 2022, Canadian Transportation Agency: The CTA imposed a CAD 2,500 penalty for failing to explain the cancellation of flight TS681, scheduled for January 25, 2022. The violation concerned the cancellation notification issued on or about January 6, 2022. Source

Reliability

OAG's North America monthly rankings reported 66.75% on-time arrivals and 0.09% cancellations for Air Transat from September 1 to September 30, 2026. Axel sees a clear split: cancellations were rare, but punctuality was weak. These are monthly results, not an annual record. No qualifying calendar-year or rolling 12-month Air Transat figures were found as of October 26, 2026.

Fees

On US routes, Eco Budget includes a personal item, but no overhead carry-on or checked bag. Extra luggage must be checked. The May 14, 2026 transborder tariff lists CA$54 prepaid for a first bag up to 23 kg. A current advance-purchase USD price is unconfirmed. Eco Standard includes a carry-on, not a checked bag.

Advance Eco Budget seat selection costs extra, while standard seats are free at online check-in from 24 hours before departure. Children aged 2 to 13 receive free adjacent standard seats with parents on the same family booking. No fee-display findings were recorded in five years, but optional baggage and advance seats can raise the starting price.

Complaints

A US complaint rate per 100,000 passengers could not be measured because there were too few US passengers for the available measure. That is a data gap, not evidence of few complaints. U.S. DOT reports for April, May, July and August 2026 do not report Air Transat bag, wheelchair or scooter mishandling figures. Bumping figures were also not reported for April to June 2026.

Loyalty program

Air Transat Rewards was in an invitation-only test phase, with public launch targeted by the end of 2026. Published expiry rules and award pricing were not confirmed, so cuts over the last 24 months cannot be assessed reliably. VIPorter offers earning and redemption on qualifying Air Transat itineraries booked through Porter, but it is a separate program with separate rules.

Choose Air Transat if

You travel with only a personal item and can commit to fixed dates.
Choose Eco Flex when its refundable terms and included checked bag justify its price.

Book elsewhere if

You want to recover price drops on an ordinary Eco Standard ticket.
You need an overhead carry-on while buying Eco Budget on a US route.
You need dependable arrival times for a tight schedule.

Tips

Compare Eco Standard with Eco Budget plus checked-bag charges if you need more than a personal item on a US route.
Wait until online check-in opens 24 hours before departure to select a free standard seat in Eco Budget.
For qualifying US bookings made at least seven days before departure, use the 24-hour cancellation window if your plans or fare change.

Questions travelers ask

Does Air Transat charge change fees?

Eco Budget does not permit voluntary changes. Eco Standard charges a change fee plus any higher fare difference, but the current US-route fee in USD was not confirmed. Eco Flex has no change fee until 24 hours before departure. The US-specific Club Standard update effective August 8, 2024 also removes change fees. Any higher fare difference remains payable, and changes within 24 hours of departure are not permitted.

Can I get money back if the fare drops after booking?

Usually not on Eco Budget or Eco Standard outside the qualifying initial cancellation window. Eco Standard gives no refund or residual credit when a lower fare is available. Eco Flex can be cancelled for a full refund until 24 hours before departure, letting you book the cheaper fare separately. Eligible scheduled US bookings also have a full-refund cancellation window lasting 24 hours when booked at least seven days before departure.

How long do Air Transat travel credits last?

No universal expiry period for newly issued ordinary travel credits was confirmed. The expired summer 2026 promotion required travel by 12 months after the original scheduled return date, not 12 months after credit issuance. Online redemption requires your name to appear on the credit, and transferability was not confirmed. New Eco Standard tickets do not earn a credit through ordinary voluntary cancellation.

What do I get if Air Transat cancels my flight?

For a qualifying cancellation, you can receive a refund or alternative transportation under the rules covering your route. On US itineraries, an unused ticket must be refunded to the original payment method if you do not accept or take alternatives. Explicitly reject an unwanted replacement and keep the correspondence. Qualifying airline-controlled disruptions also bring meals and communication after two hours, plus a hotel and transfers when an overnight stay is necessary.

How much do carry-on and checked bags cost?

Eco Budget on US routes includes a personal item, but no overhead carry-on. Additional luggage must be checked. The May 14, 2026 tariff lists CA$54 prepaid for the first checked bag up to 23 kg, while advance-purchase USD pricing is unconfirmed. Since June 1, 2026, the published first-bag price within 24 hours of departure is USD 60, with earlier pricing retained for reservations made before May 15, 2026. Eco Standard includes a carry-on but no checked bag.

Sources

Winter 2026-2027: A Wave of New Offerings Sweeps Across Air Transat's Network to the South and Europe, Transat A.T. Inc., 2026-04-17
Our fare classes, Air Transat
General Terms and Conditions, Air Transat
Aviso importante: Cambios en la tarifa Eco Standard/Economy, Air Transat-branded trade bulletin hosted by ConexiónTS, 2026-01-27
Air Transat U.S. Customer Service Plan, Air Transat, 2024-10
Manage My Booking, Air Transat
Seat selection, Air Transat
Family privileges, Air Transat
Redeem your travel credit for a flight online, Air Transat
Featured offers — flexibility offer conditions, Air Transat
Canada/US Transborder Tariff — Version 18, Air Transat, 2026-05-14
Club Class, Air Transat
Air Transat updates fare classes for domestic and U.S. flights, Travelweek, 2024-08-08
Baggage weight and dimensions, Air Transat
Changes to baggage fees effective June 1, 2026, Air Transat, 2026-05-04
Refunds, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2025-11-07
To/from United States, Air Transat
Buying a Ticket, U.S. Department of Transportation
Final Rule on Refunds and Other Consumer Protections — Small Entity Compliance Guide, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2024-12
Transat A.T. Inc. Reports Results for the Third Quarter of Fiscal 2026, Transat A.T. Inc., 2026-09-10
Q4 2025 Management's Discussion and Analysis, Transat A.T. Inc.
Air Transat Consent Order 2023-7-10, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2023-08-02
Air Transat A.T. Inc. — enforcement action issued August 31, 2022, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2022-08-31
Air Transat A.T. Inc. — enforcement action issued March 3, 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2023-03-03
Air Transat A.T. Inc. — enforcement action issued March 27, 2023, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2023-03-27
Air Transat A.T. Inc. — TS499 penalty, compliance agreement and notice of compliance, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2026-08-07
Air Transat A.T. — replacement mobility aid enforcement action, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024-02-09
Air Transat A.T. Inc. — enforcement action issued August 12, 2025, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2025-08-12
Air Transat A.T. Inc. — refund and rerouting enforcement action, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2026-09-28
Flight disruption: delay and cancellation — U.S. website, Air Transat
Large and small airlines, Canadian Transportation Agency
Air passenger rights — Your Europe, European Union
AirHelp reveals the best and worst airlines in 2025 AirHelp Score, AirHelp, 2025-11-19
Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025, Cirium, copy hosted by Poder360
On-Time Performance Review, Cirium
Air Transat Rewards member portal — invitation-only test phase, Air Transat
Air Transat to Launch Loyalty Program with Desjardins and Visa Canada, Transat A.T. Inc., 2026-01-19
Our Airline Partners, Porter Airlines
Changes to baggage fees effective June 1, 2026 — U.S. website, Air Transat, 2026-05-04
News — current travel and operating notices, Air Transat
Pilot union strike notice: Air Transat will have to implement gradual and orderly shutdown plan, Transat A.T. Inc., 2025-12-07
End of Strike Threat — Collective Agreement Approved, Air Transat
Customer Service and How to Contact Us, Air Transat
Web accessibility, Air Transat
Regulation on the Rights of Passengers Travelling by Air — SHY-Passenger, Türkiye Directorate General of Civil Aviation
Resolution No. 400 of December 13, 2016 — English version, Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency, 2016-12-13
Reimbursement and Compensation: Air Transat, AirHelp, 2026-03-04
Transat A.T. — News Releases, Transat A.T. Inc.
DOT Changed Its Processes To Address Rising Consumer Complaints but Can Enhance Its Procedures To Hold Airlines Accountable, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, 2025-09-17
Questions and Answers: TRAN — February 27, 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024-02-27
Help and contact — U.S. website, Air Transat

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