A Miramichi woman on a European anniversary trip with her husband was supposed to be on a flight home Tuesday.
Instead she’s sitting in a downtown Lisbon hotel, her flight cancelled, hoping she might see even a penny back from WestJet for the unwelcome added costs she’s had to bear.
“We booked the hotel that we’re at for another two nights because we have no idea when we’re going to be home,” Marsha Manuel said.
WestJet cancelled hundreds of flights after cabin crew walked off the job Sunday. Like many travellers, Manuel has been trying to get a hold of the airline to rebook her flight amid the chaos of what WestJet is calling “recovery mode.”
The airline and the Canadian Union of Public Employees announced Monday they have reached a tentative deal to end the strike. Flights attendants are asking to be paid from the time they clock into work until they clock out.
WestJet says it’s in ‘recovery phase’ 1 day after tentative deal reached in flight attendants strike
CBC News reached out to WestJet for more information and has heard, so far, that it’s “entering the recovery phase following a labour disruption.” The airline did not disclose details of the tentative deal.
Manuel said she briefly spoke to a WestJet agent Monday but their call was cut off. Then, she was told she would have to wait five hours to hear back from an agent about a potential rebooking.
Twenty four hours after her flight was cancelled, she had not gotten a new one.
“I called Air Canada to book a flight to come back on Thursday but it’s going to be over $6,000 so I’m reluctant to do that,” she said.
“I feel WestJet got me here, they need to get me back.”
She and her husband are trying to make the best of a situation largely out of their control. As of Tuesday morning, Manuel had not heard from WestJet about whether it will refund the cost of hotels and other expenses.
“I’m all for them getting equal wages, but my gosh, there’s got to be a better system than what they have in place right now,” she said.
A Scouts Canada leader from a community near Quispamsis has been scrambling to keep 13 kids busy and safe. They are stuck in Copenhagen awaiting news from a mostly quiet WestJet.
“I have no update from WestJet,” Ryan O’Keefe told CBC News Monday, adding that some kids are there without a parent.
“I look up the app to see my ticket, and there’s no ticket there. There’s no itinerary.”
O’Keefe’s group was supposed to take the long flight home to the Halifax airport Sunday.
Speaking with CBC News Monday, O’Keefe said the group was bouncing between different hotels as parents and leaders tried to have flights rebooked.
They were met with long delays on the phone, or offers with layovers too long or complicated for a group with kids.
“At one point they had children going on on their own through cities, and I don’t think they’re paying attention to our group,” O’Keefe said.
The group of 12- to 16-year olds travelled from New Brunswick to Copenhagen to take part in an international camping event where ten of thousands of kids came together to learn about each other’s wilderness practices and culture.
O’Keefe said parents back in New Brunswick have been understanding but anxious to get their kids home. They’ve been sending photos of the kids to comfort them.
WestJet eventually agreed to cover hotel costs for the group, which came as a relief to O’Keefe.
“We’re looking at close to $3,000 a day just to house them and all the kids and feed them,” he said, adding that they are paying out of pocket to keep the kids entertained.
The group fundraised over $80,000 during two years to make the trip memorable, O’Keefe said.
“They deserve a good trip and a memorable trip. I’m just hoping it’s going to be memorable on good terms rather than dragging us out too long.”
Kevin Gleeton is a leader for a separate group of 19 scouts from the Rothesay area, and they were also stranded in Copenhagen following the jamboree. Members of the group, including Gleeton, have had their flights rebooked with connections through other countries first.
Arranging travel is more complicated when you’re with kids without a parent and have to follow strict supervision rules, Gleeton said.
“Scouts Canada is supposed to have two adults with each youth and especially the youth that don’t have parents with them, of which we have six,” he said.
WestJet is advising anyone traveling in the next few days to check that their flight is confirmed before heading to the airport.
“While this is an important step forward, the impact of recent labour disruptions on our scheduled flights means that a full return to normal operations will take time,” the airline wrote in a travel advisory on its website.
The airline said it will take several days to “fully restore our network.”
Flyers should keep an eye on their flight status and check their emails or texts for updates.
If an upcoming flight has already been cancelled, WestJet says it will try to get travellers rebooked on the next available flight.
Refunds can be requested through the airline’s website should people no longer wish to complete a booked trip.
The Greater Moncton Romeo LeBlanc International Airport only experienced minor disruptions, according to spokesperson Lauren Guitard.
Flights to Calgary were cancelled Sunday and Monday. But Guitard said flights to Edmonton and Calgary were on time Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the Fredericton International Airport said it did experience cancellations due to the strike. But WestJet flights were labelled as on time on its website Tuesday.
The Saint John airport does not offer WestJet flights.
