WestJet sparks customer fury after refusing refunds for cancelled flights — again - CBC.ca | Canada News Media
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WestJet sparks customer fury after refusing refunds for cancelled flights — again – CBC.ca

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3 years ago

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WestJet has once again sparked customer fury after the airline cancelled several flights in July and told passengers they weren’t entitled to refunds. 

“It’s unacceptable,” said Shanie Couture.

With COVID-19 restrictions easing, the Quebec City woman booked her family of four on a round-trip flight from Montreal to Edmonton, departing July 24.

But almost two weeks later, WestJet cancelled the flight and rebooked the family on a new flight, which now included a stopover in Toronto each way.

Couture only wanted a direct flight, as she was travelling with two young children and had to drive more than 260 kilometres from Quebec City to get to the Montreal airport. 

“This is my one-year-old’s first time flying. I wanted to make it easier for them by taking only one flight,” said Couture. “So I wasn’t going to drive that distance to then have two flights to deal with.”

When she called WestJet and requested a refund for the $1,768 she spent on tickets, Couture said an employee refused her request, telling her she could only get a credit for a future flight. 

Couture unhappily accepted the credit, and spent an additional $2,369 to rebook her family on a preferable flight with another airline.

“I was very disappointed,” she said. “I work in customer service. If I can’t fulfil something for a customer, I give them a refund. I don’t give them a store credit. That’s not how it works.”

Shanie Couture is shown with her husband, Rock Leclerc, five-year-old daughter, Katherine, and one-year-old son, Nicolas. (Submitted by Shanie Couture)

CBC News interviewed four WestJet customers who each had booked flights to different destinations, all departing in July. In each case, WestJet cancelled their direct flight in mid-June and rebooked the customer on a longer flight that now included a stopover. In two cases, the new flights departed on different dates. 

Each passenger said they requested a refund — but were only offered a credit. 

Three out of the four passengers wound up rebooking with another airline, essentially paying twice for their tickets.

And there are dozens of similar customer complaints concerning WestJet flight changes posted on social media. 

In an email inquiry to WestJet, CBC News pointed out that Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) suggest the customers interviewed were entitled to refunds.

Under the federal rules, airlines must offer refunds for flights cancelled for reasons within their control, as well as offer to rebook passengers on another airline if it can’t find an alternative flight leaving within nine hours of the original departure.

Following several back-and-forth emails, WestJet responded that it had reviewed the customers’ cases and determined they deserved refunds, which the airline said it would now provide. 

“We apologize for the inconvenience and are reviewing our processes to make necessary improvements,” said WestJet spokesperson Morgan Bell in an email.

It shouldn’t be so difficult for passengers to get a refund they are entitled to, said Ian Jack, a spokesperson with Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), a non-profit that serves Canadian travellers.

“You should treat your customers right,” he said. “That clearly didn’t happen in this case until some extra pressure was applied.”

‘Putting people first’

Last year, after the pandemic dropped most air travel to a halt, WestJet and several other airlines faced criticism for refusing to provide refunds for cancelled flights. 

But by October 2020, WestJet changed its tune and became the first national Canadian airline to announce it would provide refunds for flights cancelled due to the pandemic.

“We are an airline that has built its reputation on putting people first,” WestJet president and CEO Ed Sims said in a statement at that time. 

That wasn’t the message Seema Shirali, of Markham, Ont., said she received when WestJet cancelled a direct flight she booked for herself and her husband, from Toronto to New York City, for July 30.

Seema Shirali was upset after WestJet cancelled her direct Toronto-to-New York flight, only offering a credit when she requested a refund. The alternative offered would’ve added 4.5 hours to her trip. (submitted by Seema Shirali)

The airline rebooked the couple on flights with a stopover in Atlanta, adding almost 4.5 hours to what was originally a 2.5-hour trip. On top of that, Shirali’s husband was booked to fly home one day earlier than his original return date.

That meant his four-day trip to visit the couple’s daughter would last only three days.

“The problem was that he has very little time,” said Shirali. “I was really upset.”

WestJet refused to give her a refund, she said, so she begrudgingly accepted a $502 credit for the couple’s departing flight, as well as her husband’s return flight and rebooked them with another airline — at an additional cost of $707. 

“Now we have credits and money locked up,” said Shirali. “What if this happens again? Like, do I really want to use WestJet again?”

‘Unpredictable demand’ during COVID

When CBC News first contacted WestJet last week about its recent spate of flight cancellations, the airline made no mention of offering refunds.

WestJet had to make flight adjustments “to accommodate unpredictable and inconsistent demand trends that are being influenced by changing [government] travel policies and guidance,” said Bell.

She added that the airline was “doing our best to resolve complaints.”

The federal government says it will soon ease restrictions for fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents returning from international travel. 2:14

WestJet didn’t specify if it deemed the flight adjustments as outside of its control, due to the pandemic. 

Consumer advocate Jack argues that, at this point, the move is a controllable business decision.

“The airlines have had months to figure out how to manage under these circumstances, to understand what their [passenger] loads tend to be.”

CBC News outlined to WestJet the airline’s pledge to refund pandemic-related cancellations, the APPR rules on refunds for flights within an airline’s control, as well as U.S. Department of Transportation regulations mandating that airlines flying to and from the United States provide refunds for cancelled flights — no matter what the reason.

Two out of the four customers interviewed were booked on flights to the U.S. 

Bell responded that WestJet had determined the four customers did indeed deserve refunds, but didn’t provide the reasons behind the decision. 

As for Couture, she said a WestJet agent contacted her Thursday evening to start the refund process. 

“If they really do reimburse me I’ll be really happy. It’s just — it’s sad that it took this to get reimbursed.”

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) said it has received complaints involving this matter and is monitoring the situation. Two customers CBC News interviewed had filed complaints with the CTA. 

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The #1 Skill I Look For When Hiring

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11 hours ago

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September 17, 2024

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File this column under “for what it’s worth.”

“Communication is one of the most important skills you require for a successful life.” — Catherine Pulsifer, author.

I’m one hundred percent in agreement with Pulsifer, which is why my evaluation of candidates begins with their writing skills. If a candidate’s writing skills and verbal communication skills, which I’ll assess when interviewing, aren’t well above average, I’ll pass on them regardless of their skills and experience.

 

Why?

 

Because business is fundamentally about getting other people to do things—getting employees to be productive, getting customers to buy your products or services, and getting vendors to agree to a counteroffer price. In business, as in life in general, you can’t make anything happen without effective communication; this is especially true when job searching when your writing is often an employer’s first impression of you.

 

Think of all the writing you engage in during a job search (resumes, cover letters, emails, texts) and all your other writing (LinkedIn profile, as well as posts and comments, blogs, articles, tweets, etc.) employers will read when they Google you to determine if you’re interview-worthy.

 

With so much of our communication today taking place via writing (email, text, collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, ClickUp, WhatsApp and Rocket.Chat), the importance of proficient writing skills can’t be overstated.

 

When assessing a candidate’s writing skills, you probably think I’m looking for grammar and spelling errors. Although error-free writing is important—it shows professionalism and attention to detail—it’s not the primary reason I look at a candidate’s writing skills.

 

The way someone writes reveals how they think.

 

  • Clear writing = Clear thinking
  • Structured paragraphs = Structured mind
  • Impactful sentences = Impactful ideas

 

Effective writing isn’t about using sophisticated vocabulary. Hemingway demonstrated that deceptively simple, stripped-down prose can captivate readers. Effective writing takes intricate thoughts and presents them in a way that makes the reader think, “Damn! Why didn’t I see it that way?” A good writer is a dead giveaway for a good thinker. More than ever, the business world needs “good thinkers.”

 

Therefore, when I come across a candidate who’s a good writer, hence a good thinker, I know they’re likely to be able to write:

 

  • Emails that don’t get deleted immediately and are responded to
  • Simple, concise, and unambiguous instructions
  • Pitches that are likely to get read
  • Social media content that stops thumbs
  • Human-sounding website copy
  • Persuasively, while attuned to the reader’s possible sensitivities

 

Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: AI, which job seekers are using en masse. Earlier this year, I wrote that AI’s ability to hyper-increase an employee’s productivity—AI is still in its infancy; we’ve seen nothing yet—in certain professions, such as writing, sales and marketing, computer programming, office and admin, and customer service, makes it a “fewer employees needed” tool, which understandably greatly appeals to employers. In my opinion, the recent layoffs aren’t related to the economy; they’re due to employers adopting AI. Additionally, companies are trying to balance investing in AI with cost-cutting measures. CEOs who’ve previously said, “Our people are everything,” have arguably created today’s job market by obsessively focusing on AI to gain competitive advantages and reduce their largest expense, their payroll.

 

It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that most AI usage involves generating written content, content that’s obvious to me, and likely to you as well, to have been written by AI. However, here’s the twist: I don’t particularly care.

 

Why?

 

Because the fundamental skill I’m looking for is the ability to organize thoughts and communicate effectively. What I care about is whether the candidate can take AI-generated content and transform it into something uniquely valuable. If they can, they’re demonstrating the skills of being a good thinker and communicator. It’s like being a great DJ; anyone can push play, but it takes skill to read a room and mix music that gets people pumped.

 

Using AI requires prompting effectively, which requires good writing skills to write clear and precise instructions that guide the AI to produce desired outcomes. Prompting AI effectively requires understanding structure, flow and impact. You need to know how to shape raw information, such as milestones throughout your career when you achieved quantitative results, into a compelling narrative.

So, what’s the best way to gain and enhance your writing skills? As with any skill, you’ve got to work at it.

Two rules guide my writing:

 

  • Use strong verbs and nouns instead of relying on adverbs, such as “She dashed to the store.” instead of “She ran quickly to the store.” or “He whispered to the child.” instead of “He spoke softly to the child.”
  • Avoid using long words when a shorter one will do, such as “use” instead of “utilize” or “ask” instead of “inquire.” As attention spans get shorter, I aim for clarity, simplicity and, most importantly, brevity in my writing.

 

Don’t just string words together; learn to organize your thoughts, think critically, and communicate clearly. Solid writing skills will significantly set you apart from your competition, giving you an advantage in your job search and career.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

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Politics likely pushed Air Canada toward deal with ‘unheard of’ gains for pilots

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24 hours ago

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September 16, 2024

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MONTREAL – Politics, public opinion and salary hikes south of the border helped push Air Canada toward a deal that secures major pay gains for pilots, experts say.

Hammered out over the weekend, the would-be agreement includes a cumulative wage hike of nearly 42 per cent over four years — an enormous bump by historical standards — according to one source who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The previous 10-year contract granted increases of just two per cent annually.

The federal government’s stated unwillingness to step in paved the way for a deal, noted John Gradek, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it plain the two sides should hash one out themselves.

“Public opinion basically pressed the federal cabinet, including the prime minister, to keep their hands clear of negotiations and looking at imposing a settlement,” said Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill University.

After late-night talks at a hotel near Toronto’s Pearson airport, the country’s biggest airline and the union representing 5,200-plus aviators announced early Sunday morning they had reached a tentative agreement, averting a strike that would have grounded flights and affected some 110,000 passengers daily.

The relative precariousness of the Liberal minority government as well as a push to appear more pro-labour underlay the prime minister’s hands-off approach to the negotiations.

Trudeau said Friday the government would not step in to fix the impasse — unlike during a massive railway work stoppage last month and a strike by WestJet mechanics over the Canada Day long weekend that workers claimed road roughshod over their constitutional right to collective bargaining. Trudeau said the government respects the right to strike and would only intervene if it became apparent no negotiated deal was possible.

“They felt that they really didn’t want to try for a third attempt at intervention and basically said, ‘Let’s let the airline decide how they want to deal with this one,'” said Gradek.

“Air Canada ran out of support as the week wore on, and by the time they got to Friday night, Saturday morning, there was nothing left for them to do but to basically try to get a deal set up and accepted by ALPA (Air Line Pilots Association).”

Trudeau’s government was also unlikely to consider back-to-work legislation after the NDP tore up its agreement to support the Liberal minority in Parliament, Gradek said. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, whose party has traditionally toed a more pro-business line, also said last week that Tories “stand with the pilots” and swore off “pre-empting” the negotiations.

Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau had asked Ottawa on Thursday to impose binding arbitration pre-emptively — “before any travel disruption starts” — if talks failed. Backed by business leaders, he’d hoped for an effective repeat of the Conservatives’ move to head off a strike in 2012 by legislating Air Canada pilots and ground crew to stick to their posts before any work stoppage could start.

The request may have fallen flat, however. Gradek said he believes there was less anxiety over the fallout from an airline strike than from the countrywide railway shutdown.

He also speculated that public frustration over thousands of cancelled flights would have flowed toward Air Canada rather than Ottawa, prompting the carrier to concede to a deal yielding “unheard of” gains for employees.

“It really was a total collapse of the Air Canada bargaining position,” he said.

Pilots are slated to vote in the coming weeks on the four-year contract.

Last year, pilots at Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines secured agreements that included four-year pay boosts ranging from 34 per cent to 40 per cent, ramping up pressure on other carriers to raise wages.

After more than a year of bargaining, Air Canada put forward an offer in August centred around a 30 per cent wage hike over four years.

But the final deal, should union members approve it, grants a 26 per cent increase in the first year alone, retroactive to September 2023, according to the source. Three wage bumps of four per cent would follow in 2024 through 2026.

Passengers may wind up shouldering some of that financial load, one expert noted.

“At the end of the day, it’s all us consumers who are paying,” said Barry Prentice, who heads the University of Manitoba’s transport institute.

Higher fares may be mitigated by the persistence of budget carrier Flair Airlines and the rapid expansion of Porter Airlines — a growing Air Canada rival — as well as waning demand for leisure trips. Corporate travel also remains below pre-COVID-19 levels.

Air Canada said Sunday the tentative contract “recognizes the contributions and professionalism of Air Canada’s pilot group, while providing a framework for the future growth of the airline.”

The union issued a statement saying that, if ratified, the agreement will generate about $1.9 billion of additional value for Air Canada pilots over the course of the deal.

Meanwhile, labour tension with cabin crew looms on the horizon. Air Canada is poised to kick off negotiations with the union representing more than 10,000 flight attendants this year before the contract expires on March 31.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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Federal $500M bailout for Muskrat Falls power delays to keep N.S. rate hikes in check

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1 day ago

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September 16, 2024

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HALIFAX – Ottawa is negotiating a $500-million bailout for Nova Scotia’s privately owned electric utility, saying the money will be used to prevent a big spike in electricity rates.

Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson made the announcement today in Halifax, saying Nova Scotia Power Inc. needs the money to cover higher costs resulting from the delayed delivery of electricity from the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric plant in Labrador.

Wilkinson says that without the money, the subsidiary of Emera Inc. would have had to increase rates by 19 per cent over “the short term.”

Nova Scotia Power CEO Peter Gregg says the deal, once approved by the province’s energy regulator, will keep rate increases limited “to be around the rate of inflation,” as costs are spread over a number of years.

The utility helped pay for construction of an underwater transmission link between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, but the Muskrat Falls project has not been consistent in delivering electricity over the past five years.

Those delays forced Nova Scotia Power to spend more on generating its own electricity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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