Travellers booked on WestJet flights over the August long weekend may want to keep a close eye on developments as contract talks continue between the airline and its flight attendants’ union.
The union, which represents about 4,400 flight attendants, has said cabin crew could begin strike action as early as Aug. 2 if a deal is not reached.
Barry Choi, a travel and aviation expert, urged travellers not to rush into making changes to their travel plans.
“It’s a bit of a tricky situation,” he said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Wednesday. “There’s not much consumers can do right now, unless they’ve got a fully refundable flight.”
Choi said he would wait for the airline to announce its plans before making alternate travel arrangements.
“I’m hoping WestJet makes an announcement for a full refund, then I will literally instantly book another flight with someone else,” he said.
Choi said travellers whose flights are cancelled would generally receive a refund, but warned that pursuing additional compensation may not be practical for many people.
“If you’re gonna get a full refund and you can find an alternative way to get to your destinations, that’s not gonna cost you too much more. Just take it, because I don’t want to tap my money for a couple of years in court battles personally,” he said.
However, Choi said waiting until a flight is cancelled before booking another one could prove costly.
“That’s going to complicate things, because prices are already inflated, and if they do go on strike, there’s going to be even fewer seats,” he said.
Choi said he remains hopeful both sides will reach an agreement before any strike action begins.
“I think every single airline doesn’t want any bad press whatsoever,” he said. “It is in their best interest … to get a deal.”
Both WestJet and the union representing its flight attendants have said they want to reach an agreement before any job action takes place.
CUPE 8125 president Alia Hussain said the union does not want a strike, but believes its members’ concerns need to be addressed.
“The last thing we want to do is go on strike,” Hussain said.
WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the airline remains focused on reaching a deal.
“Our focus is at the table where we work with the union to come up with a contract that makes sense for our flight attendants,” he said.
“And we need a contract that works for WestJet and between those two, I am confident we will find an outcome that works for everyone.”
With files from CTV News’ Kathy Le, Luca Caruso-Moro and Andrew Johnson
