WestJet Under Fire for Alleged Compensation Dodge
Canada's second-largest airline is facing mounting scrutiny after a CBC Go Public investigation revealed that more than 30 passengers were denied compensation for flight cancellations — and the way those cancellations unfolded raises serious questions about intent.
According to the investigation, WestJet attributed the cancellations to safety-related maintenance issues, which under Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) allows airlines to avoid paying compensation. The catch? Safety-related disruptions are classified as outside an airline's control — meaning passengers get nothing, even when a cancellation upends their travel plans.
The Aircraft Swap Allegation
Here's where it gets more troubling. Flight data analyzed by Go Public suggests WestJet swapped in aircraft that were already known to require maintenance shortly before the affected flights were cancelled. If accurate, that would mean the airline wasn't responding to an unexpected mechanical problem — it was effectively setting up the conditions for a cancellation that could be labeled as safety-related.
This isn't a brand new concern. Canada's Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) called out this exact type of practice four years ago, warning airlines that deliberately engineering maintenance-related cancellations to sidestep compensation rules would not be tolerated. Despite that, the behaviour appears to have continued.
What Passengers Are Owed
Under Canada's air passenger protection rules, travellers are entitled to compensation of up to $1,000 when a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed for reasons within an airline's control — things like overbooking or operational scheduling decisions. But when an airline successfully argues the cancellation was safety-related, that obligation disappears entirely.
For affected passengers, the difference is significant. Many of the 30-plus travellers identified by Go Public say they were simply told their claim was denied with little explanation. Some spent hundreds of dollars on rebooking, hotels, and missed connections.
A Pattern of Pushback
WestJet is no stranger to passenger compensation disputes. The airline has faced repeated criticism from consumer advocates and the CTA over how it handles APPR claims. Critics argue the regulations — while stronger than what existed before 2019 — still leave too many loopholes for airlines to exploit, and that enforcement is too slow and under-resourced to be a real deterrent.
Aviation analysts have noted that airlines in Canada routinely contest compensation claims, knowing that many passengers won't pursue the process through to a formal CTA complaint.
What You Can Do If This Happened to You
If your WestJet flight was cancelled and your compensation claim was denied on safety grounds, you have options. You can file a complaint directly with the Canadian Transportation Agency at otc-cta.gc.ca. The process can be slow, but the CTA has ruled in favour of passengers in similar cases.
Keep all your documentation — your boarding pass, the cancellation notice, any communication from the airline, and receipts for out-of-pocket expenses. The more evidence you have, the stronger your case.
As pressure mounts on Ottawa to strengthen air passenger protections, this latest investigation is a reminder that the rules on paper don't always translate to the experience at the gate.
Source: CBC News Go Public. Read the original investigation.
