Confessions of a YYC Travel Junkie

[rain_e]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Like you said, we have limited choices and most passengers aren't going to accept inconvenient flights. My next flight is down to Vegas with WestJet (assuming they aren't on strike) and the only other direct option is Lynx which I don't fully trust. Air Canada requires a connection in Vancouver, Denver or elsewhere. I would honestly rather drive down there then fly with a connection with AC.

Air Canada has direct flights to Vegas. I've used it many times. Either it's sold out or not on the day you are looking for.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by sleepingmoose

According to this story, they're legally required to rebook you on the next available flight on any carrier.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/ahea...e-it-1.6403320

That seems to be confirmed here:

https://airpassengerrights.ca/en/blo...-are-my-rights

Interesting how that might even be physical possible. Doesn't westjet fly to Tokyo? Can they find and be willing the cover cost to do that for all those people on a single flight nevermind day after day. Looking online, some of those possible flights are more than double now.

I have to imagine they just cancel it and say sorry, here is your credit/money back. Thank you, come again.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

You'd think the easiest way to do that would have been to just operate some of today's flights over. Would have been a big advantage operationally, because they probably could have consolidated passengers from the other flights and then buy short haul tickets to get them to their destinations.

Downside to that is they would then have passengers stuck in Europe if the strike dragged on past their return dates and they would have been bound to get them home, probably on high $$ tickets. Simpler to cancel here and refund the fares.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Interesting how that might even be physical possible. Doesn't westjet fly to Tokyo? Can they find and be willing the cover cost to do that for all those people on a single flight nevermind day after day. Looking online, some of those possible flights are more than double now.

I have to imagine they just cancel it and say sorry, here is your credit/money back. Thank you, come again.

The article even admits that the current regulations only require them to do so when it's within the airlines control, and union labour issues do not qualify. So I guarantee Westjet will not be rebooking people, they'll just cancel and wish you the best.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

The article even admits that the current regulations only require them to do so when it's within the airlines control, and union labour issues do not qualify. So I guarantee Westjet will not be rebooking people, they'll just cancel and wish you the best.

Yeah, even if they cancel/give you your credit or money back it won't help people with hotel/car rental/other booking costs. I have a coworker with non-refundable bookings that are at risk. Poopy.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by rain_e

Air Canada has direct flights to Vegas. I've used it many times. Either it's sold out or not on the day you are looking for.

Maybe they do but the week that we are going there are no direct flights on any day. Maybe ever day is sold out, I doubt that is the case, but it seems like they aren't flying direct in the summer.

[DiracSpike]

Originally Posted by Acey

I'm not sure I fully understand at this moment, I'm not going in till later. But I see a WestJet 787 in the system departing empty to Rome at 18:05 tonight, so that one is for sure going. Presumably more flights will be setup for a couple of the others as well.

That's quite interesting. I've been keenly following the WestJet direct flights to Rome for a little while since I'm booked on that flight in three weeks and was pretty excited to fly direct there on the dreamliner. They cancelled passenger flight that was supposed to leave at 1805 but are now flying an empty plane over? I'd guess it would be to pick people up from Europe that were supposed to fly back on the return flight tomorrow but that doesn't make any sense because the lockout starts at 3am and they technically wouldn't have anyone to fly it home. And if they want to have planes on the ground ready to go, why not fly your passengers over tonight as scheduled while you're at it and keep that chunk of revenue and non-pissed off passengers. Or maybe they cancelled the flight this morning as a precaution but now in the afternoon are much closer to a deal but can't go back on un-cancelling the flight?

I'm morbidly curious to see how all this is going to play out

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Like you said, we have limited choices and most passengers aren't going to accept inconvenient flights. My next flight is down to Vegas with WestJet (assuming they aren't on strike) and the only other direct option is Lynx which I don't fully trust. Air Canada requires a connection in Vancouver, Denver or elsewhere. I would honestly rather drive down there then fly with a connection with AC.

I flew Lynx last weekend to Vancouver and the weekend before that to Las Vegas and it was great. Nice new plane, they didn't hassle anyone over carryon size, flights were all on time. The only real difference to WestJet is no drink and pretzel but that's it.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

I flew Lynx last weekend to Vancouver and the weekend before that to Las Vegas and it was great. Nice new plane, they didn't hassle anyone over carryon size, flights were all on time. The only real difference to WestJet is no drink and pretzel but that's it.

Major difference is flight frequencies and seat pitch which can be a major factor. WestJet is superior in both compared to the LCC's. On the other hand you can actually fly Lynx this weekend........

[DiracSpike]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Major difference is flight frequencies and seat pitch which can be a major factor. WestJet is superior in both compared to the LCC's. On the other hand you can actually fly Lynx this weekend........

I was scared of the seat pitch on Lynx before flying on it because I'm 6'5 but didn't notice a difference there either. It's honestly better because the seats on their planes don't have a recline functionality.

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by Slava

Does anyone have any experience with Delta and refundable fares? We're debating booking these for a trip next week, with the idea being that we'll bail and get our money if the strike settles and we don't need them. I don't want to end up with a delta credit, and I also don't want to have a big fight to get some of the money back but not all of it for some reason. Thoughts?

I've not done a refundable fare, but I fly almost nothing but Delta for work and they have always been light years ahead of my experiences with AC/WJ when it comes to moving flights or using credits. Even with delays etc they have been super easy to deal with. 60-70 segments a year and they haven't let me down so far.

Check the fine print, but I think they'll be decent

Sent from my IN2025 using Tapatalk

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

they didn't hassle anyone over carryon size

This is a negative thing. It's hard to believe people think they should be allowed to bring whatever they want as carry-on.

[skudr248]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

That's quite interesting. I've been keenly following the WestJet direct flights to Rome for a little while since I'm booked on that flight in three weeks and was pretty excited to fly direct there on the dreamliner. They cancelled passenger flight that was supposed to leave at 1805 but are now flying an empty plane over? I'd guess it would be to pick people up from Europe that were supposed to fly back on the return flight tomorrow but that doesn't make any sense because the lockout starts at 3am and they technically wouldn't have anyone to fly it home. And if they want to have planes on the ground ready to go, why not fly your passengers over tonight as scheduled while you're at it and keep that chunk of revenue and non-pissed off passengers. Or maybe they cancelled the flight this morning as a precaution but now in the afternoon are much closer to a deal but can't go back on un-cancelling the flight?

I'm morbidly curious to see how all this is going to play out



I flew Lynx last weekend to Vancouver and the weekend before that to Las Vegas and it was great. Nice new plane, they didn't hassle anyone over carryon size, flights were all on time. The only real difference to WestJet is no drink and pretzel but that's it.

There are management pilots at WestJet not part of ALPA, likely the one's flying over to pick up passengers.

[DiracSpike]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

This is a negative thing. It's hard to believe people think they should be allowed to bring whatever they want as carry-on.

No sorry I meant the size of the “personal item” they allow you to carry on for free. I just had a backpack and was worried they’d measure it and say it was 2 cm too long width wise like some euro cheapo airlines do but they were super chill. I agree on people slamming their oversized hard shell bags into the overhead bins cuz they’re too cheap to check them, that is annoying.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by skudr248

There are management pilots at WestJet not part of ALPA, likely the one's flying over to pick up passengers.

I forgot about that, good point.

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by rain_e

Air Canada has direct flights to Vegas. I've used it many times. Either it's sold out or not on the day you are looking for.

Air Canada's nonstop flights from Calgary to Las Vegas are now seasonal. They are scheduled to resume on October 29th.

WestJet and Lynx are the only airlines with nonstop flights to LAS scheduled between now and late October. (Flair is scheduled for October 26th).

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

The article even admits that the current regulations only require them to do so when it's within the airlines control, and union labour issues do not qualify. So I guarantee Westjet will not be rebooking people, they'll just cancel and wish you the best.

I was helping a friend check in at the Air Canada counter yesterday and AC had a memo to their check-in agents about the upcoming WestJet strike and a temporary agreement for WestJet to rebook some passengers on International and Transborder flights, but didn't get a chance to read the whole thing.

Air Canada also has this posted up on their website: https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ruption.html#/

[Johnny199r]

Cancelled my Westjet flight home for next Wednesday (direct) and booked an Air Canada flight with a connection through Toronto. Annoying, but I didn't want to risk waiting until all the AC flights filled up

Flying is always a wonderful experience in Canada.

[Acey]

They're lining up all the WestJet planes in the deice area just like we did for covid and it's incredibly depressing.

[DoubleK]

I'm sad for all the people that booked on WestJet for travel to see some family or just to get away for some R&R this weekend.

Everyone loses in this situation. Employees, pilots, company and customers all lose.

[chemgear]

https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/co...n-pilot-strike

"There are limits to what we can do. We want to be generous, but we don't want to be stupid," said WestJet's CEO on the eve of a potential strike