January 28 - As WestJet and other airlines across Canada continue to struggle through the pandemic, much has been said and written on the response to COVID-19, particularly when it comes to refunds. WestJet is hoping to answer some questions and help set the record straight.

 

WestJet sells different fares for different needs

Like most airlines, WestJet sells different kinds of fares for the same flight including Econo, Premium and Business, each of which offers unique features and benefits to the travelling public. To keep the prices as low as possible, we provide a variety of fare choices that best meet the needs of the guest, some of whom value things such as extra flexibility, a business pod or priority boarding and some of whom value the lowest price possible.

 

When booking a ticket with us either through WestJet website or a travel agent, guests are given the option to buy a refundable ticket which is available with the PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex fares. These fares give nearly complete flexibility to change or cancel the guest’s travel and still receive a refund to original form of payment. For those guests who are reasonably confident they won’t need to change their travel plans and are looking for a lower fare, many choose a more affordable option such as Basic, Econo, Premium or Business without the “flex”.

 

It’s worth noting that basic fares are not for everyone due to their lack of flexibility, which is why WestJet advises their guests of the fare restrictions along with alternative fare options through multiple prompts at the time of booking. In normal circumstances, this means the ticket may be forfeited on a basic fare or a voucher will be provided on other non-refundable fares if the trip is cancelled by the guest. In these cases, the price of the ticket is more important than flexibility.

 

How has the pandemic impacted your tickets?

The speed and breadth of the impact of COVID-19 was impossible to predict and had no reference point in the history of commercial aviation. WestJet has been impacted by COVID-19 as much as any enterprise and when the pandemic hit, WestJet's guest bookings dropped by 95 per cent, while cancellations outstripped the numbers of bookings. At no other time have WestJet had to ground two-thirds of their fleet, furlough 9,000 of 14,000 employees, repatriate thousands of citizens and shut down most of their network aside from domestic flying. These were massive changes, implemented swiftly in the name of safety and protecting WestJet business in a short period of time.

 

A lot changed overnight due to the pandemic. What did not change were the guests’ tickets. Guests who had purchased refundable tickets like PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex were immediately entitled to refunds. In jurisdictions like the UK, the European Union and the U.S., WestJet was required to provide refunds to guests when they cancelled their flights. It is worth noting that in each of the jurisdictions where refunds were required by law, those governments had provided some measure of financial support to their home airlines. Canada remains the exception where no sector-specific funding has yet been provided to the aviation industry.

 

In Canada, many of WestJet’s guests were not eligible for refunds because of the fare class of the ticket they purchased, and some guests would have entirely forfeited their tickets because of the Econo basic fare they had purchased. WestJet made the decision to provide all of their domestic guests vouchers for the full price of the ticket so they could use this voucher for future travel. I am not your lawyer and I cannot provide you with legal advice, however, I would encourage you to review the guidance provided by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on March 25, 2020 stating that airline tariffs do not always provide for cash refunds especially in cases beyond an airline’s control, such as the pandemic. WestJet did not provide vouchers because were required to provide them – WestJet provided vouchers because they believed it was the right thing to do and WestJet hopes that their guests will fly with them as soon as circumstances permit.

 

WestJet has always been the airline that has put the interests of the guests first and this was far from a perfect solution. Airline heard from many guests whose lives have been impacted, many dealing with financial hardship and it’s why, as soon as it was possible, WestJet decided to go one step further. On October 21, 2020, Airline unilaterally began processing refunds to all guests whose flights had been cancelled by WestJet no matter the fare class they had purchased, including those who had purchased the Econo Basic fare.

 

WestJet remains the only national airline in Canada to have undertaken refunds in this manner and to-date, more than $450 million is eligible for refunding or has already been refunded to the guests. The process is a bit slower than would otherwise be the case, but WestJet’s workforce remains a fraction of what it once was, and they are working through the backlog as quickly as they can.

 

Vouchers – not perfect but will be there when you need them

As WestJet works through their refund process, they do have many guests who are asking to keep their refunds in the form of the travel bank vouchers. And for this, WestJet thanks you. Vouchers for future travel can help protect their guests from losing the full value of their flights, and improve the odds that over the longer term, consumer choice and diverse service offerings will remain in Canada’s air transportation sector.

 

As a result of this long-term crisis, WestJet has also extended the vouchers so that they can be used for up to 24 months. They know it is possible that many of their guests may need a little more time before they can use them, and WestJet is committed to honouring these when the time is right for you.

 

It’s been a bumpy road and almost a year after the pandemic took hold in Canada, WestJet continues to proactively and responsibly manage their business through this crisis so that they can hasten their return to service and let the guests utilize these vouchers as soon as safely possible.

 

As noted above, and worth repeating, Canada is now the only country with a major airline industry where the federal government has not provided sector specific support. Every country where there are refunds to original form of payment, there has been support beyond wage subsidies from the federal government.

 

To those of you directly affected, thank you for your patience. We remain as committed as we have ever been to keeping Canadian air fares fair, and to ensuring you will always have competition and choice. We look forward to welcoming you on board when the time is right.

 

 

---

More Travel News:

TIAC Tourism Advocacy Update
Sandos announces free PCR testing for those staying 7 nights or more for guests from countries requiring a negative COVID-19 test to re-enter their countries
The TreadRight Foundation unveils first-ever USA projects with New Partners, Green Bronx Machine and Flourish Forever
Support the new ACTA advocacy campaign!