Family Demands Compensation After WestJet Flight Delay Strands Them for 40 Hours
A Calgary family is seeking answers and compensation after WestJet denied their request following a grueling 40-hour delay on their return flight from Palm Springs last month. Lara Smith and Shane Dungy, along with their son Tanner Smith, faced a series of disruptions that turned their planned journey home into an exhausting ordeal.
The Initial Delay and Rebooking
The family had spent a relaxing week in Palm Springs and was scheduled to return to Calgary on March 2. Their flight was originally set to depart at approximately 10 a.m., but delays began to accumulate while they waited at the gate. Due to what WestJet described as crew-related and scheduling issues, passengers were informed that the flight would be rebooked for 8 a.m. the following day.
Further Complications and Aborted Takeoffs
The next day, the flight finally boarded, but the troubles were far from over. After two aborted takeoffs and spending three hours on the tarmac, passengers were forced to disembark when pilots identified that the aircraft required unscheduled maintenance. This development left travelers scrambling for alternative ways to reach their destination.
Dungy managed to get through to WestJet customer support after a 45-minute hold, where a representative advised them that their plane was unlikely to depart that day. She helped rebook them on a flight through Vancouver, confirming they should use their original paper boarding passes and instructing them to proceed to the gate if the original flight somehow took off.
Confusion and Misinformation
While retagging their luggage for the Vancouver flight, the family was told that their original flight was now departing and their bags would be placed back on that plane. However, when they attempted to board, their passes were no longer valid, forcing them to proceed with the Vancouver route. Upon landing in Calgary at 2 a.m., they discovered their luggage had not been transferred as requested and was still on the other plane, requiring a trip to the international terminal to retrieve it.
"At that point our son stepped around the desk and said 'they’re right here.' So we grabbed our bags and left. We were quite frustrated with the misinformation that we were continually receiving," Dungy recounted, highlighting the communication breakdowns throughout the experience.
Compensation Claim and Airline Response
Smith submitted an Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) claim, seeking $900 per person as stipulated for delays over nine hours, plus reimbursement for $583 in expenses incurred due to the disruptions. She also directly contacted WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech to address the situation.
In response, WestJet issued a statement after reviewing the flight records, attributing the delays to unscheduled aircraft maintenance. The airline categorized this under APPR as a disruption within the carrier’s control but necessary for safety, which does not qualify for compensation for inconvenience.
The family remains determined in their pursuit of compensation, citing the significant impact of the delay on their travel plans and the ongoing frustration with how the situation was handled by the airline.
