WestJet flight cancellations continue after mechanics strike ends, leaving travelers frustrated and confused

The surprise strike by WestJet mechanics has ended, but passengers can still expect disruptions and confusion this long Canada Day holiday weekend.

The Calgary-based airline said Monday that the impact of the strike, which began before the July 1 holiday, will continue in the coming days, meaning there will be more cancellations before full operations can resume.

Krrish Shah, who was visiting Toronto with his family, said he was having difficulty returning to Calgary after being informed of his flight cancellation at 2:30 a.m.

“It’s just really difficult at the moment,” he said. “My dad has to work, my mom has to work, I have to start working. They say nothing is available for the next three days and we’re really trying to figure something out.”

Speaking at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, Shah said he would likely have to fly back alone, separated from his family and at higher prices because he had received little help from the airline.

“Everyone’s brain is going crazy right now. Everyone is confused.”

The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) decided to strike on Thursday after Canadian Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan ordered the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to initiate binding arbitration to resolve outstanding collective bargaining issues between WestJet and the union.

The board nevertheless allowed a strike.

WestJet said that as of 11 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, 1,078 flights had been cancelled across Canada, including 292 on Monday and 27 on Tuesday. In total, more than 100,000 passengers were affected.

Since the strike began on Friday, the airline has grounded 130 of its 180 aircraft.

“We are grateful to be able to resume operations. However, we are fully aware of the ongoing impact on our guests and sincerely appreciate their patience and understanding,” Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement.

The story goes on

“Our teams are working around the clock to get the 130 aircraft parked across Canada safely back in the air as efficiently as possible.”

The company’s planes are parked at 13 airports across Canada. Eight of those have no crew bases, so workers must be transported to the planes. Parked planes also need to be serviced and safety checked before they can be returned to service.

The airline recommends that passengers check the status of their flight before departing to the airport and visit WestJet’s online Guest Updates page for more information.

“I don’t know what will happen”

Celina Marcellus paid for a separate flight on another airline after her WestJet trip from Edmonton to her home in Kelowna, BC, was cancelled.

She said prices for flights from Edmonton International Airport to Kelowna skyrocketed after the cancellation, so she ended up booking a flight to Abbotsford, BC, and arranging a ride to Kelowna so she could get to work on Tuesday.

“Needless to say, I’m pretty upset,” Marcellus said, adding that she wasn’t sure yet if she would receive a refund.

“The website wasn’t working and the phones weren’t working, so overall I’m pretty frustrated and don’t know what’s going to happen.”

AMFA said the agreement reached on Sunday brings significant improvements, including better social benefits and an immediate wage increase of 15.5 percent, followed by a 3.25 percent increase next year and 2.5 percent in each of the last three years of the five-year period.

“We believe this outcome would not have been possible without the strike, but regret the disruption and inconvenience it caused to travellers during the Canada Day holiday,” the union said in a statement on its website.

“The timing was coincidental, as the negotiation process did not follow a predictable timeline. We are happy that the strike only lasted 48 hours and that operations can now return to normal.”