Air Canada cancelled hundreds of flights Saturday as it began shutting down operations in response to a strike by flight attendants -- triggering summer travel chaos for its 130,000 daily passengers.

Flight attendants are demanding better wages and compensation for unpaid work. Currently, Air Canada only compensates flight attendants for the time they are in the air, but its attendants are seeking pay for the work they do before take-off and after landing, too.

Toronto – Air Canada suspended operations as more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike early Saturday after a deadline to reach a deal passed, leaving travelers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season.