How WestJet teams worked tirelessly to recover from strike disruptions

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WestJet is actively working to assist all affected passengers following a labour strike that began on Friday, June 28, and significantly disrupted operations. The strike coincided with the busy July long weekend, a peak travel season in Canada, resulting in limited availability across WestJet’s network and alternative airlines, complicating rebooking efforts.

WestJet complies with the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) and is committed to arranging alternative travel plans within 48 hours of a flight cancellation. If this is not possible, passengers will be entitled to a refund of their original form of payment.

Under the APPR, airlines are not required to pay compensation for hotel and meal expenses in situations beyond their control, such as labor strikes. Courts have classified strike declarations as work stoppages and have ruled affected flights as outside the airline’s control under the APPR. Nevertheless, in some cases WestJet has exceeded its APPR obligations by offering hotel accommodations to passengers stranded abroad.

WestJet strives to process APPR claims within 30 days. Passengers are encouraged to submit claims for eligible expenses through WestJet.com.