WestJet clarification on labour strike and Air Passenger Protection Regulations

Due to the labour strike and related disruption to WestJet’s operations that began on Friday, June 28, teams across WestJet have been working diligently to support all impacted guests as the airline returned to normal operations.

Unfortunately, as the July long weekend was a peak travel period across Canada, limited availability existed both within our network and through alternative carriers, making options for reaccommodation extremely challenging.  

WestJet is operating in compliance with the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), which require that in the event of a flight cancellation, alternate travel arrangements be provided to guests within 48 hours. If this is not possible, guests are entitled to request a refund to their original form of payment.

Under the APPR, for situations outside of a carrier’s control, compensation for hotels and meals is not required. The courts have held that the declaration of a strike marks the onset of a labour disruption. Therefore, flights disrupted due to a declaration of a strike and the strike itself are considered outside of a carrier’s control under the APPR. Despite this, in certain instances, WestJet went above and beyond its APPR obligations and provided hotel nights for guests stranded abroad.

WestJet is obligated to respond to APPR claims received within a 30-day period. Guests are invited to submit a claim for eligible expenses via WestJet.com.  

For more information regarding the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), guests are encouraged to visit the Canadian Transportation Agency’s website. 

Additional information on historical cancellations and overall impact due to labour action is available on our newsroom here.