Gilbert Proulx stated he practically could not think it when he took a look at his phone.
He had actually simply landed in Calgary on Sunday afternoon after a flight from Toronto. Proulx, his partner and 2 boys, 9 and 6, were returning from a journey to the Bahamas.
As the household prepared to rush off the airplane to make their last connection to Regina, Proulx got a ping from WestJet.
Due to unscheduled upkeep, their flight had actually been cancelled, the e-mail stated. To get guests house, ground transport would be supplied.
“I needed to do a double take,” stated Proulx, an instructor in Regina, in an interview onThe Homestretchon Monday.
“I was sitting there, like, is this really occurring today? You understand, you pay great cash to these airline companies to offer you with transport, and I’m sitting there, like, this is the very best they can do for us today?”
In an emailed declaration to CBC Calgary, Denise Kenny, supervisor of public relations with WestJet, stated the airline company excuses the interruption to guests’ itinerary.
“Unfortunately, reaccommodation choices were restricted due to the high need for travel over the weekend and substantial weather condition occasions throughout Vancouver and Vancouver Island, which triggered intensifying functional effects and restricted airplane accessibility,” the declaration checked out.
“In order to finest assistance affected visitors in reaching their location as rapidly as possible, ground transport was organized to supply an instant travel choice for those who were not able to wait on an alternative flight choice.”
For some travelers, the swap suggested a one-hour flight ended up being about an eight-hour bus flight through the night.
Vacation Eight-hour trip
Proulx stated that after getting the message, his partner and kids went to discover some food — which the airline company had actually sent out coupons for — while he scoped out the bus circumstance. The e-mail advised travelers to fulfill at Gate 1 for 4:30 p.m. MT, about a half hour after they ‘d landed.
“By the time I arrived, there was a stack of travelers currently sort of simply loafing,” he stated.
“I was in fact truly pleased with the general ambiance of a group of guests being informed that this was the only manner in which they were going to get house.”
Proulx stated personnel on the ground informed him the next readily available flight to Regina would leave 3 days later on, on March 1.
“They essentially stated this is your only alternative. If you wish to get house, you require to get on the bus.”
The group left Calgary at about 5 p.m. MT, Proulx stated. They took a 10-minute rest stop in Medicine Hat and shown up in Regina at about 1 a.m. MT.
“Part of me is grateful I got house,” he stated. “But I have such a tough time covering my head around that was their response. We’re going to put everybody on a bus.”
LISTEN| Gilbert Proulx explains his travel experience on Sunday:
The Homestretch9:30WestJet travelers board a bus to Regina
After a cancelled WestJet flight from Calgary to Regina, the airline company used tourists an uncommon alternative to get house: an eight-hour bus journey. Gilbert Proulx and his household were shepherded on to a charter bus for a long-distance drive to Regina’s airport. Proulx joins us to speak about the experience.
Chris Henderson, an artist from Regina, got the exact same e-mail alerting him about the cancelled flight after landing in Calgary from Grande Prairie, Alta. He ‘d prepared to take a connection house from there.
Rather of boarding the bus, he checked out the customer support counter, wanting to snag another flight.
Given that he was taking a trip solo, he stated he had the ability to reserve the only seat left on a WestJet flight to Regina on Monday early morning. He stated he’ll be attempting to get his hotel remain in Calgary repaid.
“I understand there were a lot of other individuals that were trying to find options since they were rebooked to fly out on Wednesday or Thursday,” he stated.
“It was simply type of a mess … I’ve never ever been used a bus trip from an airline company prior to.”
Vacation ‘Really inappropriate’
Proulx stated he will be following up with WestJet to attempt to get a complete refund for his household’s journey.
“It was not what we had actually spent for,” he stated. “I’m going to do what I can to ensure that we’re relatively made up for, I suggest, what in my viewpoint is an actually inappropriate thing on an airline company’s part.”
He stated the airline company may’ve assisted relieve some disappointment if it had actually much better interacted with travelers throughout the night.
“I constantly like to provide individuals the advantage of the doubt, however I will be tough pushed to book another flight with WestJet.”
The absence of offered seats follows Air Canada cut service in between Calgary and Regina and Calgary and Saskatoon, leaving Prairie tourists reliant on WestJet.
WestJet stated last month it would ramp up service in between Alberta’s biggest city and Saskatchewan beginning Feb. 16, with one more everyday flight in between Calgary and Regina, amounting to as lots of as 7 flights each day.
It likewise stated it would add 3 more everyday flights in between Calgary and Saskatoon, amounting to 9 direct flights a day.
