The strike ended after the airline reached an agreement with mechanics Sunday night, but it does not mean it’s over for passengers affected by flight cancellations and delays
The Calgary-based carrier cancelled 829 flights between June 27 and July 2 — over the busiest travel weekend of the season — disrupting travel plans for tens of thousands of Canadians over the long weekend.
Around 680 workers had walked off the job on Friday evening, June 28, despite a directive for binding arbitration from the labour minister and remained on strike until late Sunday evening on June 30, when an agreement was reached between the airline and the Airplane Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA).
AMFA echoed the same in its own news release, urging its members to return to work immediately. “We believe this outcome would not have been possible without the strike, but we do regret the disruption and inconvenience it has caused the travelling public over the Canada Day holiday period,” the union said in its statement.
“The people that were travelling right away were the most panicked,” he said. “The ones that (booked flights) a few weeks down the road knew they had time and just wondered about what those would (look like).”
He advised that passengers whose flights are affected should, first and foremost, get in touch with the airline and/or the travel agency who booked their flights, before making any decisions to rebook another flight. Passengers, depending on when their flight was booked, are entitled to a number of options, he added.
Here are the kinds of compensations and supports available to passengers affected by the strike and what a prospective passenger can do in the wake of an unprompted cancellation.
Flights cancelled during the strike
Cancelling flights in the midst of a disruption, like a strike, would be considered “outside of the carriers’ actual control,” Kaszas explained, and the carrier would be obligated to either rebook passengers on the next available flight within 48 hours or issue a full refund.
“The other option is that they would rebook with another carrier within the 48 hours,” he said. If the airline is able to provide passengers with an alternate flight that takes any reasonable route to their intended destination within the 48-hour timeframe, then passengers will not be eligible for a refund.
Flights cancelled before the strike
According to an online air passenger rights guide compiled by CAA, passengers impacted by flights cancelled before the strike wouldn’t be eligible to any extra compensation, as the cause would still be seen as out of the carrier’s control.
“If it’s unrelated to the strike e.g. mechanical, weather etc., then it depends on what (the reason) is,” Kaszas said, adding that the airline’s decision would then depend on the factors behind the cancellation.
Gabor Lukacs, president and founder of the Canadian consumer advocacy organization Air Passenger Rights, argued that any cancellations made prior to the strike should be considered within WestJet’s control.
When a cancellation is considered within an airline’s control, the carrier is obligated to provide meals, overnight accommodation when necessary and up to $1,000 in cash compensation per passenger, depending on how long a delay the passenger experiences as a result of the cancellation.
If a passenger then chooses to not continue travelling, the airline has to refund their original fare within 30 days as well as pay $400 as compensation for the inconvenience.
Should you rebook a flight?
Kaszas advised against rebooking another flight yourself without attempting to contact the airline.
“Not unless they’ve been told to go ahead,” he said, as it’s possible for a previously cancelled flight to be rescheduled for the same day.
If there is a need to rebook another flight, it’s preferred for the passenger to contact the airline and request them to rebook them to avoid unwanted extra costs. Passengers with flights cancelled due to the strike cannot choose to accept a refund; the airline will only offer one if they are not able to rebook another flight in the 48-hour time frame.
“They can go to our website for air passenger rights guide, they can visit the Canadian Transport Agency site, they can go to the airport, they can get a hold of the airline chat, there are a number of different options,” Kaszas said. “Their priority should be trying to get through to the airline.”
What happens if I can’t get hold of WestJet?
Legally, WestJet is obligated to provide passengers with these options, but for those who aren’t able to successfully contact the airline or feel as if they weren’t fairly compensated, they can file a claim with the Canadian Transport Agency, according to Kaszas.
“First you file with the airline,” he said. “And then if they don’t answer within 30 days or if they don’t give a reasonable response, you would go to the Canadian Transport Agency.”
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