Westjet CEO to the rescue…NOT

[tgropp]

Last Friday we flew out to Abbotsford via Swoop. Upon approaching Abbotsford Airport, we were advised that we could not land there and would be going to Victoria or Vancouver. After 20 minutes of circling Abbotsford we were then directed to Vancouver. After landing and waiting on the tarmac for 25 minutes we approached a gate. Another 15 minutes elapsed with the pilot announcing that they had no plan on what was going to happen as fog was still bad at Abbotsford. People wanted to get off of the plane but were warned that they could not re board the plane. Miraculously the Westjet CEO, who happened to be at the airport to commemorate National Reconciliation day came aboard telling the passengers that whoever wanted to get off could and that they would get their luggage and offer free ground transportation to Abbotsford airport. Approximately 75% of the people getting off a plane and after waiting for 15 minutes, we quickly found out that there would be no luggage unloaded and no transportation back to Abbotsford airport. We rented a car to go to Abbotsford but had no car seat for our grandson. After my son in law told the Westjet agent that they would be sued if his son got injured in the car with no car seat, they retrieved it for us. Obviously the WJ CEO was no where to be found. I understand that it was not the airlines fault for the fog but don’t make empty promises. They will not reply back to passengers that have written them to complain

 

[Marc D]

Clearly a bad idea for the WJ CEO to make promises that are not under his control. Availability of a gate to unload the plane (something that was being negotiated when you waited on the tarmac) or a ground crew to unload luggage from the plane are things that are managed daily by flight operations and, whatever weight he may have, he could not force a solution, especially at a time of crew shortages.

That being said, WJ could not have been sued for consequences of a car accident. BC adopted a no-fault system that came into effect in May 2021.

 

[Susan2771]

That is horrible. Why on earth why he board the plane and say all that and not deliver? So strange.