Canadian air passengers fed up with last minute flight cancellations
It was a frustrating weekend for anyone flying Southwest Airlines in the United States as more than 300 flights were cancelled and about 1,400 flights were delayed.
Last-minute cancellations have also been plaguing some Canadian airlines and passengers say it creates havoc as they try to scramble to rebook their travel plans.
"For our family it was devastating news," Pickering, Ont. woman Carol Everitt told CTV News Toronto.
Everitt was flying with family members to British Columbia to take her late husband Martin’s ashes to the west coast to fulfill his last wishes.
Their trip was planned for late August, but hours before they were to go to the airport they received a notice that their WestJet flight had been cancelled.
"They didn't say it was because of COVID, they didn't say the plane didn't arrive, they didn't say anything just 'Sorry there is nothing we can do,'" said Everitt.
While WestJet said they could go on another flight the next day, Everitt said she and her two family members ended up having to fly with Air Canada buying three tickets for $3,600.
"We had to book it and go because too many things were already arranged with others who also planned to be there," said Everitt.
Vanessa Stokes-Archer of Milton, Ont. flew to Halifax with her mother and twins and was to be joined a short time later by her husband, but when he went to board his Flair Airline flight it was cancelled while he was waiting at the airport.
"His flight was at 12:40 p.m. and he was told it was delayed a half an hour and then 20 minutes before that new departure time they said it was cancelled," said Stokes-Archer.
With no other Flair flight available for days, he had to search for another flight, cut his trip short and ended up paying $600 for a ticket with another airline.
"They offered no way to get him there and no compensation to help him," said Stokes-Archer.
Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights, said he is aware that flights are being cancelled in Canada because planes aren't full or there are staffing shortages.
"Airlines have been over-promising to the public. They have been selling tickets on flights which they don't really have the crew to operate. As a result they are cancelling flights and then trying to blame it on circumstances outside their control, which is meritless," Lukacs told CTV News Toronto.
Lukacs said when flights are cancelled passengers deserve compensation, but he said many airlines don't want to pay it.
"The laws are there, but they are not being enforced, they are not being followed," said Lukacs.
CTV News Toronto reached out to WestJet and Flair Airlines and asked why their flights were cancelled, but did not receive a response.
If your flight is cancelled in Canada, you could be eligible for up to $1,000. Lukacs advises passengers to take down as much information as possible, including added expenses and approach the airline for compensation.
Lukacs said if passengers are not compensated, they should consider going to small claims court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.