WestJet, pilots avert strike with 11th-hour deal, but more than 100 Friday flights cancelled
Carrier cancelled 29 per cent of flights scheduled for the day as of Friday morning
WestJet and its pilots' union reached a last-minute deal late Thursday, averting a strike ahead of the May long weekend, but hundreds of the carrier's Friday flights were cancelled.
As of Friday afternoon, the carrier had cancelled 107 flights, or 29 per cent of those scheduled for the day, according to tracking service FlightAware. The vast majority were out of Calgary or Toronto, with affected routes ranging from London to Las Vegas, Phoenix and Saskatoon.
WestJet subsidiary Swoop had cancelled 31 flights, or 67 per cent of those scheduled for Friday.
The company said it's now ramping up operations "as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, the full resumption of operations will take time."
Passengers are advised to continue to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport. The airline had already cancelled about one-third of its flight load Thursday as negotiations with its pilots' union went down to the wire.
Some 1,800 pilots at the carrier and Swoop were poised to walk off the job as of 2 a.m. PT Friday after the Air Line Pilots Association issued a strike notice Monday.
Travellers frustrated as long weekend plans in turmoil
Tommy Gilligan and his family had plans to travel to Canmore, Alta., for a wedding. But their 8 a.m. ET flight from Toronto's Pearson airport — a reservation of six people — was cancelled just a few hours before departure, with few details from WestJet.
"I'm very frustrated. Very, very frustrated," Gilligan told a CBC News reporter at the airport. "It's not one bit fair to us, to anybody here. Not one bit fair. I mean, it's a wedding. We planned it and planned it and then we never expected this in a million years."
The family was rebooked on a 6 p.m. Friday evening flight to Calgary. The wedding is on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Melissa Trimble was set to fly out to Las Vegas for her friend's bachelorette party, but her 9:30 a.m. flight was cancelled. WestJet rebooked Trimble and other guests on an indirect flight with a 16-hour overnight layover in Vancouver.
"So instead of getting to Vegas today at noon hour for my best friend's bridal bachelorette party, we are now getting there tomorrow at noon hour," Trimble said. "So we're losing a full 24 hours. And we're not being accommodated for much."
The group planned to be in Vegas from Friday to Monday because it aligned with everyone's schedules.
"You know, [we] paid a good decent chunk of money for the trip. And now unfortunately, we're kind of at a standstill. But you know, we're winging it. It's an adventure."
Swoop passenger upset by lack of customer service
Sarah Ziolkowska of Dartmouth, N.S. was set to fly by Swoop Airlines to Hamilton on Friday to visit her sister. Their brother was making the trip from Sarnia, Ont., by train so the siblings could reunite over the long weekend after more than a year apart.
But Ziolkowska's flight was cancelled by the subsidiary on Thursday afternoon, with no mention of a refund and no customer service number attached to the email.
Instead, there was a hyperlink that said the flight could be rescheduled through WestJet. But that site didn't list any new flights, nor did it give Ziolkowska a way to reach Swoop.
She and her sister tried several other avenues, including chatting with a bot that they say didn't respond to their queries, and calling WestJet's customer service line, which directed them to contact Swoop.
Swoop did not respond to a request for comment from CBC News by deadline.
WestJet's reputation won't take a big hit: prof
The late-hour settlement was in WestJet's self-interest, said Ian Lee, an associate professor of management at Carleton University.
"The demand has come back for airline travel. It is unbelievable, the demand ... whether it's American or Canadian demand or European demand, there's just a pent up explosion by consumers."
WestJet's reputation could suffer somewhat after this week's events, but many consumers have internalized a grin-and-bear-it attitude when it comes to flying, Lee added.
"If you're a Canadian and you're flying, you've got two, maybe three choices," he said, naming WestJet, Air Canada, and Porter Airlines, which offers fewer destinations. "We don't have an abundance of choices."
"The airlines know that. And so they don't have to be nice to us."
Key issues addressed
A deal-in-principle was reached late Thursday night after more than nine months of negotiations, the Air Line Pilots Association said in a news release shortly after 10 p.m. PT.
Pilots were bargaining for higher pay and better job security and scheduling, according to the union, which said they currently make about half as some U.S. counterparts. WestJet pilots also wanted better scheduling.
The tentative agreement provides "meaningful improvements" to job security, working conditions and wages, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said in a statement.
"Congratulations to both parties and our federal mediators on a good deal made," federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan tweeted shortly after the announcement of an agreement. O'Regan had been helping in the negotiations, which were held in Toronto.
The agreement "goes a long way to recognizing the value and expertise we bring to our airline every day," said Capt. Bernard Lewall, chair of the WestJet ALPA Master Executive Council.
"This contract will also help solve many of WestJet's pilot attraction and retention issues, benefiting everyone involved from our company to our passengers and fellow employees."
Pilots will now vote to ratify the agreement in the coming days, Lewall said.
With more than 4,000 flights scheduled over the next seven days, WestJet carries 28 per cent of Canada's domestic market, while Air Canada runs 47 per cent, according to flight data firm Cirium.
With files from Pete Evans and The Canadian Press
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