WestJet continued to ramp up operations on Friday in an effort to restore the long weekend travel plans of thousands of passengers upended by flight cancellations before the airline reached a last-minute deal with its pilots.
Travellers stuck at airports expressed frustration with cancellations and delays, while others took to social media with stories of ruined vacations.
WestJet warned that the full resumption of operations will take time, and encouraged travellers to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.
WestJet and the Air Line Pilots Association announced a tentative deal to avoid the job action early Friday morning after eight months of negotiations.
Bernard Lewall, head of the Air Line Pilots AssociationB次元官网网址檚 WestJet contingent, said the union achieved its main goals: better pay, job security and work-life balance.
B次元官网网址淲e did receive significant wage increases,B次元官网网址� he said in an interview. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e secured our futures through job protection B次元官网网址� and weB次元官网网址檝e had improvements to our work-life balance.B次元官网网址�
Aviation expert John Gradek called it a B次元官网网址渓andmark agreement,B次元官网网址� saying it will set the standard for labour negotiations going forward.
B次元官网网址淲hat youB次元官网网址檙e seeing is a tectonic shift starting to appear in terms of the way in which union and management labour relations are going to evolve in Canadian aviation,B次元官网网址� said Gradek, a former Air Canada executive and head of McGill UniversityB次元官网网址檚 aviation management program.
The union will likely apply the same approach in bargaining with other airlines, he said.
B次元官网网址淭he pilot wage rate in Canada is going to go up, thereB次元官网网址檚 no doubt about it,B次元官网网址� Gradek added.
But he said pilot wages rising likely wonB次元官网网址檛 lead to higher prices for consumers, because of competition from ultra low-cost carriers.
While the tentative agreement avoided a strike, many travellers were still confronted by cancelled flights and foiled holiday plans.
WestJet cancelled 231 flights from Thursday through Saturday, topping the global list two days in a row, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.
The shutdown affected dozens of routes within Canada and to the U.S. and overseas, while flights at the WestJet Encore regional service and the WestJet-owned Sunwing Airlines were unaffected.
At TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Pearson Airport, WestJet travellers described cancelled and delayed flights, mainly to Central and Western Canada.
Tommy Gilligan was set to be on flight to Calgary early Friday for a family wedding and holiday in Banff, Alta.
B次元官网网址淭hey told us at 4:30 in the morning that it was going to be delayed, and now they just cancelled it,B次元官网网址� the 65-year-old from Burlington, Ont., said.
B次元官网网址淢y wife pulled some strings and weB次元官网网址檙e on a six oB次元官网网址檆lock flight tonight. IB次元官网网址檓 not happy right now B次元官网网址� my whole familyB次元官网网址檚 waiting for us.B次元官网网址�
The strike-related scheduling chaos with CanadaB次元官网网址檚 second-largest airline is B次元官网网址� totally ridiculousB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渘ot one bit fair to us,B次元官网网址� Gilligan said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think IB次元官网网址檒l use WestJet after this weekend.B次元官网网址�
Other travellers shared his frustration with the airlineB次元官网网址檚 handling of the situation, while also expressing support for the pilots.
Diran Adenugba, 44, was at the airport for a flight home to Saskatoon, the final leg in his return journey from Atlanta. His original flight was scheduled to leave Thursday evening, but was cancelled after WestJet grounded planes ahead of the strike deadline.
B次元官网网址淚 was rescheduled to fly out this morning at 9 a.m.,B次元官网网址� Adenugba said. B次元官网网址淚 got here to find out that flight was cancelled yet again.B次元官网网址�
He was rebooked on an afternoon flight to Saskatoon via Winnipeg, and said he has his fingers crossed he will get out of Toronto on Friday.
Still, despite the inconveniences, Adenugba remained sympathetic to the grievances of pilots.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not a pilot,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut if I were in their shoes, IB次元官网网址檇 want my demands to be met.B次元官网网址�
Travellers will likely blame the labour dispute and ensuing flight disruptions on WestJet, not the pilots, Gradek said.
The airline B次元官网网址渨as concerned about the value of the brand and their market share,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲estJet basically said, B次元官网网址楲etB次元官网网址檚 cut our losses.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Still, the bill for hundreds of cancelled and delayed flights will be B次元官网网址渋n the millionsB次元官网网址� for WestJet, Gradek said.
WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the agreement with the pilots provided B次元官网网址渕eaningful improvements to job security and scope, working conditions and wages.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲e appreciate we were able to arrive at a deal, however, recognize the impact on our guests and we sincerely appreciate their patience during this time,B次元官网网址� he said.
Meanwhile, Lewall with the union said the deal involves both financial and lifestyle gains for pilots.
The latter includes the ability for pilots to reschedule, trade or drop so-called deadheads B次元官网网址� when an airline requires a pilot to commute to a different airport than where they live to start their duty.
The union also secured the right to find a pension for the pilots, he said.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e pretty excited about the whole package,B次元官网网址� Lew all said, noting that the contract will help solve many of WestJetB次元官网网址檚 pilot attraction and retention issues.
The deal will be developed into a tentative agreement over the coming days, with a roughly one-week voting period to follow shortly thereafter, he said.
B次元官网网址淓ven though it was a very contentious time, last night after the agreement we all got together, shook hands and had a drink together,B次元官网网址� Lewall said. B次元官网网址淭he interactions with the company were always very professional, and never heated, so IB次元官网网址檝e got to tip my hat to the company.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址擝rett Bundale, The Canadian Press
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