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
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Cyclist issued fine for striking four-year-old girl crossing the street
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
Protest encampment cleared by Edmonton police early Saturday morning
A protest encampment set up on the University of Alberta campus was cleared early Saturday morning by Edmonton police.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
'We have no judge for you': Man's assault charges dropped weeks before trial due to lack of judges in Toronto
A man who was accused of sexually and physically assaulting a woman had his charges dropped in April, just weeks before he was set to stand trial in Toronto, due to a lack of judges in the region.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.