If you’re flying with WestJet over the next few days, the ongoing labour negotiations for the Flight Attendants and Westjet should be on your radar.
WestJet flight attendants have issued a 72-hour strike notice, meaning job action could begin as early as 12:01am MT on Sunday August 2. The union says they are continuing to negotiate but one of the main issues is that flight attendants are only paid while the aircraft is in motion, and they’re seeking compensation for the entire time they’re on duty. This is one of the same issues that Air Canada Flight Attendants had last year during their summer strike. WestJet has also issued a lockout notice, although both sides say negotiations are continuing.
What should you do if you have a WestJet flight booked?
An informed traveller is a calm traveller!
- Are you actually travelling on Westjet? Not all flights booked through Westjet are affected by the strike, Westjet Encore and partner airline flights are NOT affected.
- Check your confirmation email. Look for wording like:
- Operated by WestJet – This is a mainline WestJet flight. It will be affected by the strike.
- Operated by WestJet Encore – This is a regional flight operated by WestJet Encore. It will NOT be affected by the strike.
- Operated by Delta [or other airline] – It will NOT be affected by the strike.
- Check the flight Number. As a rough guide
- Flights numbers under 2000 are Westjet Mainline and will be affected by the strike.
- Flight numbers in the 3000s are Westjet Encore and will NOT be affected by the strike
- Flight numbers above 5000 may be partner airlines and may not be affected by the strike. Verify who is operating that flight!
- Check your confirmation email. Look for wording like:
- Monitor your booking. Check your email regularly and log into your reservation for updates.
- Change your trip. WestJet is currently allowing eligible travellers flying between July 30 and August 4 to make a one-time change or cancellation without change fees.
- Know your travel insurance. If you purchased travel insurance, review your policy to see whether labour disruptions are covered. Many travel insurances issued a notice once the strike vote happed a few weeks ago that further bookings would NOT be covered. So check those details!
- Avoid cancelling on your own. If you cancel your ticket before the airline does, you may lose rights to a refund or alternative travel options.
- Have a backup plan. If your trip is time-sensitive, it’s worth checking fares on other airlines in case you need an alternative. You can book a refundable flight on another carrier, albeit at a premium, and hold that second ticket just incase your flight is cancelled. If it isn’t, you can simply refund that new ticket!
What happens if your flight is cancelled?
Under the APPR, this counts as a disruption outside of the control of Westjet.
HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean that Westjet doesn’t need to help you. If WestJet cancels your flight, they MUST allow you to choose to either rebook you within 48 hours OR receive a full refund. However, this is a busy season and it would be impossible to book everyone on other carriers. There simply will not be enough space!
The good news is that a strike is not guaranteed. Labour negotiations often continue until the last minute, and agreements are frequently reached before any disruption begins. If you’re travelling this weekend or next week stay informed.
Happy Travels!
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