Air travel could be a little dicey over the next little while with a labour disruption looming at WestJet, the country’s second-largest carrier.
Flight attendants have served notice of strike action while the company has retaliated with notice of a lockout, but observers say some flights could be affected as early as today.
WestJet is allowing passengers to cancel or change their reservations penalty-free between now and Tuesday, something which travel advisor CAA recommends that people take advantage of if a disruption in service would leave them in a predicament.
Julia Kent, with CAA, says the compensation issue for cancelled flights is not black and white, as it depends on the situation.
Julia Kent (VOCM News)
She says a passenger’s rights are clearly spelled out in a plain-language document on the CAA website.
“Airlines are required to book you on another flight that they have a partnership with, if it’s cancelled, within a reasonable time frame,” says Kent. “If that’s not available, they have to book you on any airline within a reasonable time frame.”
She says that time frame is 48 hours.
“Your rights don’t disappear in the event of a strike or the possibility of a strike.”
