With a looming May 19 strike threatened by approximately 1,600 pilots of WestJet Airlines and its subsidiary Swoop, thousands of passengers travelling on the May long weekend could be affected by a work stoppage.
Air Passenger Rights, an advocacy organization headed by Gabor Lukacs, provided a statement on May 7 to advise Canadian passengers of their rights if pilots go on strike. It says that specific rights for compensation and rebooking of flights depend on the itinerary, but Canadian legislation dictates that the airline must always offer a choice between continuing to travel or receiving a refund.
If a passenger wants to continue their travel they must be rebooked free of charge on the next available flight operated by any carrier to the planned destination on the original ticket; this includes Westjet or Swoop competitors on any reasonable air route from the passenger’s closest airport or one that is a reasonable distance away….