Flight Change Question

[buyerbrad]

Received an email this morning that my previously booked WestJet direct flights have been changed to a connecting flight through Calgary. AirMiles customer service is closed today.

Do you know what my options will be? Full refund? Ability to switch dates at no cost? Ability to switch dates with a cost? Stuck with what I now have? Other?

Thanks for your insights!

 

[ottawamom]

From the WestJet site.

Changes to your flight schedule​

Schedule changes are adjustments to flight times and destinations. Unfortunately, even though we prefer not to make schedule changes, they do happen. Generally, schedule changes are made because of adjustments to air traffic routes, airport requests, construction at airport facilities, security constraints, market forces, partner airline schedules and so on.

Should you experience a schedule change, WestJet will make every effort to contact you in a timely manner (via email) to advise you of a change. The email will contain information about your old flight itinerary and your new flight itinerary. Depending on the magnitude of the schedule change, the email may also include the option to accept the change, decline the change (and request a refund), or instructions on how to make a change to your new flight itinerary.

For flights booked directly with WestJet (westjet.com, contact centre, etc.), Please refer to the chart below, which displays how WestJet contacts guests in most schedule change situations.


Looks like you can request a refund if the flight through Calgary doesn't work. You can probably also get them to change the dates if that works better for you. You will of course have to do this through AM which adds another level of complexity to the whole thing. I suggest going on the WestJet website and line up your options. When AM opens on Monday get back to them with option 1, 2, 3. Good luck.

 

[badiggio]

This is typical WJ

 

[deedubb]

I just received an email today about a flight change. Both flights were moved later by about 9 hours so I called this morning to cancel for a refund, even though I did not purchase refundable tickets. I purchased directly from WJ though, and not through AM. The other options they provided were to accept the new changes, or move to another flight at no charge.

 

[Lesverts]

This is typical WJ

Air Canada, Porter and Westjet are all substantially changing and redirecting their schedules at very short notice. Routes have been cancelled or downgraded. Planes have been swapped to smaller ones. Jetblue has halted expansion in Canada. Alaskan has as well. It is only a matter of time before you start seeing the big 3 American carriers also downgrade service.

This is going to be a fact of life for transborder travel for the foreseeable future until the airlines come to grips with the new normal of demand.

 

[ottawamom]

How far out were your flights when they made the change. I have a flight home from Boston at the end of the month that I'm now beginning to worry about. It's on Porter so a small plane already.