One Canadian family is still out $13,000 months after a WestJet employee strike grounded hundreds of flights.
Richard Zeller, 45, is a logistics and third-party logistics lead based in Calgary, Alberta. Zeller has been a loyal WestJet customer for more than twenty years, citing their “top-notch” customer service as the reason for his long-standing loyalty.
On June 28, he, his wife, and their two children flew to Chicago to visit family and go sightseeing, but the nightmare started when it was time for the Zellers to head home. Zeller said they received a notification on June 30 prompting them to check in for their flight but were “absolutely floored” when they were told their July 1 flight was cancelled.
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“If WestJet wanted to cancel our Chicago to Calgary flight due to the strike, they had all weekend to do so, not give us false pretenses that we would be going home as scheduled,” he explained.
But the family’s nightmare started soon after.
“We learned through our two days stuck in Chicago that WestJet did not rebook us on either of their July 2 or July 3 flights,” he recalled.
Zeller shared a screenshot of two scheduled flights that “they never put us on,” as well as a notification from WestJet that states, “Unfortunately, we do not have another WestJet or partner airline flight to offer within 48 hours of your original departure.”
A flight notification from WestJet (Supplied)
He said WestJet offered to reimburse them $150 a night per adult when they were stuck in Chicago for two nights. However, since no rooms were available, Zeller said they extended their stay at the hotel, adding that “$150 doesn’t cover that.”
The cost of getting home
Finding affordable flights home would be difficult because it was the July 4th weekend.
“There were limited options, but as WestJet pointed out to us, they could not find us any flights, so we had to fend for ourselves,” said Zeller.
The family eventually booked a flight to Calgary via Vancouver; however, they had to pay over $8,000 for four tickets.
That’s not their only unexpected expense.
“We were also under the impression from WestJet’s communication to us that they could find ‘no accommodation available in Chicago,’” Zeller stated. “We also spent close to $2,000 to extend our hotel stay in downtown Chicago for two more days.”
Other expenses the family incurred due to delays were additional meals in Chicago, two days of extra parking at Calgary Airport, and two days of pet care for their dog and cat.
The Zeller family in Chicago (Supplied)
“All in all, the charges that we incurred were over $13,000,” he explained.
Zeller refuses to initiate a refund for their return flights.
“We had decided not to initiate that yet, assuming that accepting any form of refund would include a waiver of relinquishing WestJet of any further culpability,” he said.
“Our feeling is that WestJet did not even try to find us replacement flights or accommodations, even though we were able to find alternative flight arrangements through United Air Canada that departed two days later — even if WestJet could not, as they claimed.”
Overall, Zeller said he’s probably spent five to six hours trying to contact WestJet but is “not getting anywhere.”
“WestJet is claiming that due to the strike, this is an uncontrollable event, and they are not accountable as per Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) regulations,” he said.
“But those same regulations stipulate they should have found us a replacement flight within 48 hours — either of their own two flights or on the flight we had found on our own — to get us back to our destination are being ignored, as well as ignoring all attempts from myself to point that out to them. They can’t pick and choose which regulations to follow and ask their customers to front the bill when it suits them.”
WestJet responds
In an email to Daily Hive, WestJet said that during the strike, it experienced “very high volumes for phone, email, and social media support channels,” so Zeller was not contacted “in a timely manner.”
The airline representative stated, “We sincerely apologize to Mr. Zeller and his family for the inconvenience they experienced travelling from Chicago to Vancouver.”
In a July 5 release, WestJet states that for situations “outside the carrier’s control,” the company isn’t required to provide compensation for meals or hotels. The airline must also offer alternate travel arrangements within 48 hours, but guests can request a refund if this is not possible.
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“The courts have held that the declaration of a strike marks the onset of a labour disruption. Therefore, flights disrupted due to a declaration of a strike and the strike itself are considered outside of a carrier’s control under the APPR,” reads the statement. “Despite this, in certain instances, WestJet went above and beyond its APPR obligations and provided hotel nights for guests stranded abroad.”
Zeller said he’s “frustrated beyond belief” and will do everything to avoid WestJet until they “can show ownership and accountability for their actions.”
“My family, and all the other people affected, should not have to pay out of pocket for an internal issue between WestJet and their staff,” he said, adding that he wishes he had some advice for people in a similar situation.
“Right now, we are reviewing options to seek legal counsel to recoup our losses. If we are successful, hopefully, I will have some tips to share.”