Air Canada apologizes to Cape Breton woman after cancelled flight keeps her from dying father
A Cape Breton woman has received an apology from Air Canada after she missed a flight home to see her dying father.
Allyson White and her brother were supposed to fly home last Thursday to see their father, who was in intensive care after going into cardiac arrest.
But their flight from Toronto to Sydney, N.S., was cancelled, leaving them stranded at the Toronto airport.
The siblings tried to get on another plane the next day, but the only seats available were in business class, at $4,000 each.
In the end, White had to say goodbye to her father over the phone while standing in line at Air Canada’s customer service desk at the Toronto airport.
"I think, minimally, they could have given us those seats that were open," White told CTV Atlantic on Wednesday. “They would not entertain the conversation of getting us on that flight."
A relative who is an Air Canada elite flyer was eventually able to rebook them seats on a flight to Halifax, a five-hour drive from their home in Cape Breton, the following day at 7:50 a.m., White recounted. When they finally landed in Nova Scotia, they drove directly to the hospital in Sydney.
White says they spent an hour with her father, who was no longer responsive at that point, before he was taken off life support.
Since her story aired on CTV News, White has received an apology from an Air Canada representative.
It reads in part: “I wish I could have been at Toronto Pearson with you personally to provide support … we are sorry for letting you down and so deeply so at such a difficult time. I have asked our finance team to review whether your tickets are eligible for a partial refund under our bereavement fares."
"They said the employees we dealt with weren't apathetic," White said in response to the airline’s apology. “It's insulting to hear that from a customer service email. They weren't there. They didn't experience the situation the way we did."
Gabor Lukacs, an air passenger rights advocate, has been following the story closely. He agrees Air Canada’s compensation offer isn't enough.
“As I understand, there was a flight. There were seats on that flight. They were just being cheap," Lukacs said. "If Air Canada really wants to make it right, they have to do two things. A: Provide a five-digit compensation cash, by a cheque. And B: Put an end to this ongoing problem of disobeying the relevant provisions of the APPR."
Since returning home, White has been busy making arrangements for her father's funeral, which is scheduled for Friday.
Air Canada has also offered her a total of $800 in "eCoupons," but she's still not sure if she'll accept any compensation from the airline.
"I don't think there is anything Air Canada can do at this stage, but the thought of anyone else going through what we went through is just awful," White said.
White says, after her father's funeral, she plans to drive to Halifax so she can fly back to Calgary with a different airline.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.