‘It’s shameful’: Regina WestJet flight cancellation leaves passenger in disbelief

Another WestJet flight cancellation, another Saskatchewan resident paying the price. John Nelson was on a flight back from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Feb. 25 when things started to go wrong right from the get-go.His flight was supposed to leave from Fort Lauderdale and head to Calgary at 3:30 p.m., but that got pushed back two hours.The flight from Calgary to Regina was supposed to happen at 9:40 p.m., but they didn’t get into the airport until much later, and then they were told the flight had been cancelled.“Well, you could hear the groans. At first, there was this laughter, but it was not laughter of joy, it was laughter of disbelief,” Nelson said. Story continues below advertisement He said some passengers were told there was nothing available until March 2 or 3.They received their baggage and got hotel vouchers over their phones, but Nelson said they still had to pay the $50 to get a cab down to the hotel.Nelson said children were crying, and the disbelief continued.“We were all left to fend for ourselves.” Trending Now Nelson said there’s a lack of compassion from WestJet, as well as a lack of understanding and integrity.He noted that he’s hearing more and more horror stories regarding air travel in Canada.Nelson said the next day they got a notice for a 9 a.m. flight, but pointed out the long wait times to go through security and baggage.He added that all they received was a statement from WestJet.“I just think it’s horrific. I think it’s shameful that there’s not more accountability on the part of airlines.”Justin Reves, the manager of customer experience and marketing for the Regina Airport Authority, said airlines are saying there’s a shortage of pilots, noting they aren’t able to put on as many flights as they’d like to. Story continues below advertisement He said planes are full, and they’ve been having discussions on how to get more capacity into the market.“It’s definitely a challenge for them, because they’re constrained on even the amount of flights they can put on.”He said that poor weather exacerbates the already struggling conditions.Global News has reached out to WestJet for a response. 2:29 Dozens of flights at Vancouver International Airport cancelled, delayed &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.