WestJet continues to feel the effects of a mechanics strike one week after it ended.
The two-day work stoppage that began on June 28 forced the airline to cancel more than 1,000 flights before the end of the Canada Day long weekend, one of the busiest travel windows of the year.
The fallout continued well into last week, as WestJet called off 100 trips on Friday and Saturday as well as at least 31 more today, according to tracking service FlightAware.
Experts say the task of fully resuming flights by a nearly grounded fleet of 180 planes across more than 175 destinations takes time.
WestJet says it is working to revamp operations and help customers as quickly as possible.
But travellers have registered their frustration in a torrent of messages and social media posts, saying the carrier’s customer service remained almost unreachable for days and failed to rebook them if they turned down a refund — an obligation after 48 hours under the country’s passenger rights charter.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2024.
