After a wild weekend of flight cancellations and stranded passengers caused by WestJet mechanics going on strike on Friday, ACTA is urging the airline to fairly compensate travel advisors for their “countless hours” working on behalf of clients during the disruption – which was resolved by Monday, though more cancellations were expected this week as the airline re-engages its fleet.
By midday on Tuesday, airline cancelled 76 cancelled flights scheduled, along with 71 delays according to tracking service FlightAware.
ACTA’s statement reads as follows:
“ACTA is deeply concerned about the impact of the recent WestJet disruptions on travellers, travel agencies, and travel advisors. While we’re relieved the strike has concluded, we recognize the significant challenges it has created.
We’ve heard from many of our members about the extreme difficulties they’ve faced in rebooking clients and securing appropriate compensation. The situation has placed an undue burden on travel agencies and travel advisors, who have worked tirelessly to assist affected travellers.
Although we appreciate the difficulty WestJet faced over the last few days, ACTA believes that when airlines face operational issues within their control resulting in cancellations, they should take full responsibility for all aspects of their customers’ bookings and make their customers whole for any losses incurred.
We’re also advocating for fair compensation for travel advisors who have spent countless hours managing these disruptions on behalf of their clients. Their time and effort should be recognized and compensated appropriately.
ACTA is committed to working with all parties involved to improve policies and procedures that protect travellers, travel agencies, and travel advisors during unforeseen disruptions. We will continue to push for solutions that ensure fair treatment for all parties involved in these challenging situations.”
Since Thursday, WestJet had cancelled over 1,100 flights scheduled between then and Monday – the busiest travel weekend of the season – the carrier said. About 150,000 passengers were affected.
The vast majority of Sunday’s trips were called off as WestJet pared down its 180-plane fleet to 32 active aircraft.
Travel Industry Today reached out to WestJet for a reply to ACTA’s concerns but had not heard back by press time.v