“Meltdown”: One week later, WestJet is still feeling the effects of the mechanics’ strike

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WestJet is still feeling the effects of a two-day strike by aircraft mechanics that nearly shut down the airline’s network for 29 hours over the Canada Day long weekend and cost millions of dollars.

The work stoppage, which began on June 28, forced the airline to cancel more than 1,050 flights during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

The consequences of the unexpected industrial action continued into last week. WestJet canceled 244 flights from Tuesday to Saturday and at least 32 more on Sunday, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. Figures from the airline suggest that at least 170,000 passengers are affected.

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Fully resuming operations of a nearly grounded fleet of 180 aircraft to more than 175 destinations is complex, costly and time-consuming. In an email, WestJet said it was on track to resume operations immediately.

“We sincerely apologize to all guests affected by the strike,” said spokeswoman Madison Kruger. “Our teams at WestJet are working diligently to assist all affected guests as quickly as possible.”

Nevertheless, travelers expressed their frustration in a flood of messages and social media posts, reporting that the airline’s customer service had been difficult to reach for days.

April Miller of Arizona said she was on hold for 30 hours without getting through. Another, Harry Eskander, said Friday he had not received “a single email” from the airline since his family’s June 30 flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Toronto was canceled 16 hours before departure.

“WestJet completely ignored us, ruined our vacation, and we were too stressed emotionally and financially,” he said. The family eventually found seats on a Delta Air Lines flight for $2,500, he said.

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Many also spoke of rebooking issues. If an airline cannot make new reservations within 48 hours, Canada’s Passenger Rights Charter requires it to rebook travelers on “the next available flight” on any airline, including competitors, if that airline refuses to refund – an option that WestJet did not offer customers, according to the company.

Samuel Spencer’s flight was cancelled mid-way through his journey home to Calgary last week, forcing him to make a stopover in San Francisco.

“Despite seats being available on another WestJet flight (within 48 hours) and even for the same premium cabin seat I was assigned for my now-cancelled flight from SFO, the automated email from WestJet simply stated that they had no rebooking options for me and told me to request a refund,” he said.

There was no one at WestJet’s ticket counters and service staff could not be reached by phone, he said.

“It was quite a breakdown.”

When he finally rebooked a flight with Delta more than two days later, Spencer said he now incurred additional hotel, food and transportation costs of about $2,700.

“The fact that so many people are unable to rebook themselves – and completely unnecessarily – is not only a technological failure, but also a complete failure of contingency planning,” said Spencer, owner of the travel company Ocean & River Cruises.

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He called on the Canadian federal government and the Canadian Transportation Agency to hold the airline accountable.

WestJet has said it will offer refunds to guests if they cannot be rebooked within two days of the scheduled departure time. The company must respond to expense and compensation claims within 30 days, it added.

“Compensation for hotel and meals is not required under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations for situations beyond the control of the air carrier,” Kruger added.

Whether the cancellations, which come days after the strike ended, are due to factors beyond WestJet’s control remains a matter of debate, with the company on one side and supporters on the other.

A small claims court is one way to get reimbursement if the airline denies a claim, including for costs incurred on a last-minute flight – on WestJet or another airline – said Gabor Lukacs, president of the air passenger rights advocacy group. Customers can also file a complaint with the transportation authority.

A “cancellation fee” that WestJet mentioned in emails to travelers informing them that their flight had been canceled also caused a stir. WestJet did not respond to questions about the fee.

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The impact of last weekend’s work stoppage prompted the airline to withdraw its participation in Friday’s Calgary Stampede, a hometown event it has sponsored for decades. The move was “purely personnel-related” given the recent strain on staff, WestJet spokeswoman Morgan Bell said.

On June 28 at 5:30 p.m. MDT, about 680 mechanics walked off the job, despite U.S. Labor Secretary Seamus O’Regan’s order to enter into binding arbitration. The workers are essential to the daily inspections and repairs of the planes.

The country’s labour court ruled that the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association had the right to strike, surprising WestJet and Ottawa and forcing the Calgary-based company back to the bargaining table with the union.

On the evening of June 30, the two sides reached a settlement that focused primarily on wages and compensation, but before that, the travel plans of tens of thousands of Canadians for the long weekend were disrupted.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2024.

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