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Excited woman regarding WestJet deciding to offer COVID-19 refunds

Canadians who purchased WestJet airline tickets prior to the COVID-19 pandemic may soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief, as the airline has announced that it will provide refunds to some customers whose flights were cancelled due to the pandemic.

“We are an airline that has built its reputation on putting people first,” WestJet president and CEO Ed Sims said in an emailed statement. “We have heard loud and clear from the travelling public that in this COVID world they are looking for reassurance on two fronts: the safest possible travel environment, and refunds.”

WestJet’s refund policy will reportedly take effect on November 2. It applies to flights that were cancelled by WestJet and Swoop as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WestJet Claims It’s the First Airline in Canada to Offer COVID-19 Refunds

According to WestJet, it is the first national airline in Canada to issue refunds to customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Air Canada disputes this assertion and says it has been reimbursing refundable tickets since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CBC News states that both Air Canada and WestJet began offering refunds in June to some passengers whose flights originated outside of Canada, but not to those whose flights originated in Canada.

Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations reportedly state that airlines that are unable to provide customers with a reasonable alternative itinerary must provide refunds “paid by the method used for the original payment and to the person who purchased the ticket or additional service.”

However, the Canadian Transportation Agency stated in April that the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic made vouchers a reasonable alternative to refunds. Airlines in Canada have not received financial assistance from Ottawa.

Who Is Entitled to a WestJet Refund?

Not all WestJet customers will receive refunds, according to WestJet’s website. Customers who cancelled their flights on their own or who purchased basic fares will reportedly not be entitled to a refund.

Richard Bartrem, WestJet’s vice president of corporate communications, told McLaughlin On Your Side that customers who purchase basic fares must acknowledge during booking that the tickets are non-refundable.

“Those people who bought a basic fare recognized, at the time, that they were buying a fare that came with certain restrictions and as a result also came with a lower price,” Bartrem reportedly said.WestJet plane regarding the announcement of refunds

WestJet says it will begin contacting eligible customers starting on Monday, Nov. 2. The airline notes that customers will be contacted in chronological order of cancellation, starting with flights that were cancelled at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WestJet estimates that it will take up to nine months to process refund requests.

Passenger rights Gabor Lukacs said this timeframe is “ridiculous” and excessive. He also argues that WestJet’s refusal to issue refunds for basic fares is a violation of consumer rights.

“It doesn’t matter whether it was a business class elite fare or a basic fare, they have to refund it equally,” Lukacs says.

Hours after the Oct. 21 announcement was made, a WestJet spokesperson reportedly reached out to McLaughlin On Your Side to say that basic fares would also be included in the refunds and an update with this information would be posted on the WestJet website.

At the time of publication, the WestJet announcement had not yet been updated to include information about refunds for basic fares.

Class Action Lawsuits Say Flight Vouchers Aren’t Good Enough

COVID-19 has caused massive disruptions in the travel industry. The airline industry in Canada has reportedly lost billions of dollars due to grounded flights and border closures implemented during the pandemic.

Most Canadian airlines have offered travel vouchers that are redeemable for two years to passengers whose flights were cancelled. Angry consumers have begun taking legal action against airlines for failing to offer refunds for the cancelled flights.

Both WestJet and Air Canada are facing at least two airfare refund class action lawsuits filed on behalf of passengers seeking refunds for the airline tickets they can no longer use due to COVID-19 restrictions.

A Vancouver woman who booked a WestJet flight to New York in April says she is entitled to a refund under the terms of her ticket purchase.

What do you think about WestJet announcing it will begin to process refunds? Are you waiting on a refund from a cancelled flight due to COVID-19? Tell us your story in the comment section below! 

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13 thoughts onWestJet to Provide COVID-19 Refunds Amid Class Action Lawsuits

  1. Miranda says:

    They wouldn’t give me a refund. If anyone is suing, contact me and I’ll join them. highmiranda@live.ca.
    I’m so sick of getting ripped off by “reputable” companies and nobody does a thing about it!

  2. Mike says:

    Me an my wife booked out wedding In Mexico and 50 friends and family also did 6 months before the pandemic for the May the pandemic started and we were not aloud to go they refused us a refund and westjet gave us credit I have 7000 dollars sitting in there and he a time limit on it and god knows how much more money between the other 50 people it’s absolutely b.s

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