Confessions of a YYC Travel Junkie

[Robbob]

Nvm

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Acey

Yeah Saturday is done for, just assume you're not flying if you're booked on WestJet this weekend.

That include incoming flights? Trying to see if we are getting out of Vegas

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Robbob

That include incoming flights? Trying to see if we are getting out of Vegas

If it’s today it depends on whether your plane is already there or at least on its way and whether westjet uses a 3rd party for their mechanics in vegas.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Robbob

That include incoming flights? Trying to see if we are getting out of Vegas

Yes most inbounds are also cancelling. Depends on whether or not the planes have any issue a tech needs to sign off on, but I'm pretty sure Vegas is contracted maintenance by a third party.

[Robbob]

We are flying into yeg instead of going to yyc, so I guess I can cross my fingers and hope the plane is here.

[Robbob]

Looking at flightaware and it has this info in the route part. The end parts end is no good.

Route RATPK3 FRNCK MLF PICHO PATIO DLN MIREK Q995 OILRS OILRS2

[OldDutch]

Kelowna flight now taking off 1:45 delay. Due to 2 flashlights that needed batteries. It was transport Canada regulations and took a guy when he finally showed a few mins to handle.

I share because if that minor issue stops flights without mechanics, than WS likely is really screwed.

[iggy_oi]

For anyone who’s wondering both sides are apparently talking again but as of right now the strike is continuing tomorrow.

[stampsx2]

Next up, air canada pilots have 60 days to figure out a deal before they go on strike.

Personally i hate the whole idea of strikes. It’s the customers who always take the biggest hits and have to make the most sacrifices.

I can’t imagine all the people who have their summer plans changed or ruined.

Sure we can say we won’t book with westjet, and what is that going to get me? An air canada monopoly?

It’s all so stupid to me. In my opinion it was very selfish of the union to try to get what they want by holding thousands of peoples plans hostage.

That’s the way i see it anyway. To each their own.

I might just be frustrated by all of this

[MoneyGuy]

Flew Air Canada two weeks ago. Old woman in the front walking to the rear bathroom has a bodily emergency and starts sh1tting herself and dropping it much of the way down the aisle. Flight attendants were young and didn’t handle it well. Thankfully, I was in a window seat. (Maybe the front bathroom was occupied.)

[btimbit]

I definitely feel for anyone affected by it, but I feel more for employees being taken advantage of.

Sadly the best way for a strike to be effective is when it messes up the business. Which sadly means messing things up for passengers.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Next up, air canada pilots have 60 days to figure out a deal before they go on strike.

Personally i hate the whole idea of strikes. It’s the customers who always take the biggest hits and have to make the most sacrifices.

I can’t imagine all the people who have their summer plans changed or ruined.

Sure we can say we won’t book with westjet, and what is that going to get me? An air canada monopoly?

It’s all so stupid to me. In my opinion it was very selfish of the union to try to get what they want by holding thousands of peoples plans hostage.

That’s the way i see it anyway. To each their own.

I might just be frustrated by all of this

I understand your frustration with the situation but I don’t understand why you put so much blame on the striking workers and no blame on their employer who were more interested in trying to lobby the government into giving them a get out of jail free card rather than do the right thing and treat their employees with respect.

Workers don’t go on strike for the fun of it. As much as you might think it’s selfish that other people’s lives are being disrupted by their actions, their lives are being disrupted even more so because they are losing almost all of their income right now. If a deal gets done within a few days I hope you’ll change your tune because that same offer could have been made before the dispute began to avoid all of this, but unfortunately the workers can’t accept an offer until it’s been made.

[8 Ball]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Flew Air Canada two weeks ago. Old woman in the front walking to the rear bathroom has a bodily emergency and starts sh1tting herself and dropping it much of the way down the aisle. Flight attendants were young and didn’t handle it well. Thankfully, I was in a window seat. (Maybe the front bathroom was occupied.)

That’s brutal. That poor woman must’ve been mortified.

[Ryan Coke]

Originally Posted by Remember1989

We are scheduled to fly to Paris on July 15, is it fair to assume they will be less interested in cancelling international flights?

If we lose faith in keeping that flight and rebooked a one way just to get there, would WJ credit us for the one way? (have a round trip flight with return leg in August).

Personally I wouldn’t stress about a flight on July 15th. Odds are very good it will be sorted by then, it would be stunning if something isn’t resolved in 17 days.

[iggy_oi]

Nm

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by 8 Ball

That’s brutal. That poor woman must’ve been mortified.

It gets worse. We were on a group tour so she had to spend 10 more days with everyone knowing of her mishap. Felt so sorry for her.

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

I understand your frustration with the situation but I don’t understand why you put so much blame on the striking workers and no blame on their employer who were more interested in trying to lobby the government into giving them a get out of jail free card rather than do the right thing and treat their employees with respect.

Workers don’t go on strike for the fun of it. As much as you might think it’s selfish that other people’s lives are being disrupted by their actions, their lives are being disrupted even more so because they are losing almost all of their income right now. If a deal gets done within a few days I hope you’ll change your tune because that same offer could have been made before the dispute began to avoid all of this, but unfortunately the workers can’t accept an offer until it’s been made.

I don’t think anyone who doesn’t know the details should pick sides. In labor disputes its often not black and white. For example WJ supporters are saying the offer from WJ would have made them the best compensated in industry.

All I am saying is its often sound bites we get, and our bias shows big time. The government medaling in this without doing a proper (read incompetent) job was a catalyst here. They seem to have made the union and WJ unhappy and created this mess.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

I don’t think anyone who doesn’t know the details should pick sides. In labor disputes its often not black and white. For example WJ supporters are saying the offer from WJ would have made them the best compensated in industry.

All I am saying is its often sound bites we get, and our bias shows big time. The government medaling in this without doing a proper (read incompetent) job was a catalyst here. They seem to have made the union and WJ unhappy and created this mess.

The second paragraph seems to be somewhat in conflict with the first one but in any event I’m just basing my statement on the facts that I have. We know that westjet was aware the employees had the right to strike and did nothing to prevent it as they did not reach out to the Union to re-engage in negotiations before the strike deadline. To me, that’s a pretty big red flag.

As for WestJet’s previous offer, my understanding based on the conversations I had today with some of the striking workers was that they are pretty close but the problem is that WestJet is offering them a raise in wages while cutting their employee share plan contributions in half which hugely negates the raise being offered and publicly boasted by the company. Seems like there could be a compromise that could be reached but when a company is basically saying we’ll give you a raise if we can recoup that money elsewhere from what we currently give you it’s not much of a raise is it? Two sides to every story obviously but that’s the information that I was given.

[Freeway]

A LOT of people stranded and having to haphazardly rebook coming out of the NHL Draft.

[Nyah]

Got the notification at 1 am that our flight from JFK back to Calgary this afternoon was canceled. I was up, luckily, and managed to get us the last two seats on the AC flight this afternoon instead (for a freaking fortune). The only other flights were milk route trips spanning the next few days that were $1000+. My husband gave up being on hold after a couple hours.

Absolutely brutal. I feel for people with kids mixed up in all of this.