WestJet continues to feel the fallout one week after mechanics strike

globalnews.ca:

WestJet continues to feel the effects of a two-day plane mechanics strike that nearly shut down the airline’s network for 29 hours over the Canada Day long weekend and cost it millions of dollars.The work stoppage that began on June 28 forced the airline to cancel more than 1,050 flights during one of the busiest travel windows of the year.Fallout from the unexpected job action continued well into last week, as WestJet called off 244 trips Tuesday through Saturday as well as at least 32 more on Sunday, according to tracking service FlightAware. Figures from the airline suggest at least 170,000 passengers have been affected.The task of fully resuming flights by a nearly grounded fleet of 180 planes across more than 175 destinations is complex, costly and time-consuming.

In an email, WestJet said it was on track to revamp operations promptly.“We sincerely apologize to all guests affected by the strike,” said spokeswoman Madison Kruger. “Our teams across WestJet are working diligently to support all impacted guests as quickly as possible.”Nonetheless, travellers have registered their frustration in a torrent of messages and social media posts, saying the carrier’s customer service remained almost unreachable for days.April Miller of Arizona said she was on hold for 30 hours without getting through.

Another, Harry Eskander, said Friday he hadn’t received a “single email” from the airline since his family’s June 30 flight to Toronto from Cancun, Mexico, was cancelled 16 hours before departure.“WestJet completely ignored us, ruined our vacation and we faced too much stress emotionally and financially,” he said. The family eventually found seats on a Delta Air Lines flight at a cost of $2,500, he said.Many also cited rebooking