Maritime travelers scramble to find new flights after WestJet strike resolves

The WestJet check-in section at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. (Source: Jonathan MacInnis/CTV News Atlantic)

The WestJet strike has been resolved, but some Maritime travellers are still feeling its effect.

“This morning at 4 a.m. both of us who were booked on the 1:15 flight – the WestJet flight from Halifax to Toronto – both had notices that we were booked on the July 4 flight,” says Glen Howie, member of the Paris Port Dover Pipe Band, which performed at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax over the Canada Day long weekend

Getting to Halifax was no issue, but going home is proving complicated and expensive for the group.

“The logistics of how do we get band equipment, how do we get people to and fro is becoming a logistical nightmare,” says fellow band member Paul Officer. “We had to pay out of pocket for an Air Canada flight to be able to get out today. So now the inquiry is will Westjet refund our initial flight but now with such a short timeframe, the prices have gone astronomically higher, are they going to do anything about the price difference?”

Michigan resident Elizabeth Collins is in the same situation. She was scheduled to meet her connecting flight to Toronto after a week-and-a-half vacation in Ireland.

“I found out just as I was boarding the plane in Dublin that it was cancelled so I had to either scramble to find another route from Dublin or just go ahead and get to Halifax and then try to get there from here,” Collins says.

The WestJet mechanics went on strike Friday night.

The carrier cancelled more than 800 flights between June 27 and July 2, affecting tens of thousands of passengers. Some cancellations were announced in the days leading up to the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association’s (AMFA) strike, but most came after it took effect.

The company has issued a statement saying it could take days for the airline to return to normal flight operations.

The timing of the labour action came just as the peak travel season took off.

“Canada Day weekend is very busy here at the airport, as it is all summer. It’s really the start of our peak summer season. More than 100 flights will be operating on a daily basis this summer. WestJet flights account for just about a quarter of those flights,” says Tiffany Chase, a spokesperson for the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

As WestJet works to recover stranded passengers, Chase recommends travellers check their flight status before going to the airport to make sure there are no further disruptions to their trip.