I remember when flying with WestJet felt like traveling with a friend. The crew had a sense of humour, the service was reliable, and you actually felt like a valued customer. But somewhere along the way, something changed. And if you’re trying to get in or out of Fort McMurray, you know exactly what I mean.
It starts with booking a flight—if you can even find one. Direct flights? Forget it. Unless you’re headed to Calgary, you’re probably bouncing through multiple cities, turning what should be a quick trip into an all-day ordeal. And when you do manage to find a flight, you have to brace yourself for delays, cancellations, or the dreaded last-minute schedule change that completely throws off your plans.
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen entire flights disappear with barely an explanation. You book a ticket, you plan your trip, and then suddenly—poof—it’s gone. Rescheduling? Good luck with that. Customer service used to be one of WestJet’s strongest points, but now it feels like an Olympic sport just trying to get a human on the phone. And when you finally do, the poor agent on the other end is usually just as frustrated as you are, left to deliver corporate apologies with no real solutions.
And the baggage situation? Let’s say I’ve started packing my essentials in my carry-on like my life depends on it. There are too many horror stories of suitcases vanishing into the abyss only to reappear days later in some random airport on the other side of the country. The worst part? WestJet used to be better than this. They used to care. Now, it feels like they’re doing everything possible to offer less service while charging more.
And let’s talk about those prices. Somehow, even with fewer flights, less reliability, and more inconvenience, ticket prices keep climbing. I’m not expecting a first-class experience, but considering what WestJet is charging, you’d think they’d at least offer consistency. Instead, we’re stuck paying more for the privilege of stress and uncertainty and crossed fingers that we’ll actually make it to our destination on time.
This isn’t just a Fort McMurray problem. It’s happening all across the country. WestJet used to be a proud Canadian airline that put passengers first, but now it feels like it’s running on autopilot—cutting corners, dropping routes, and hoping no one notices. Well, we notice. We notice when flights disappear. We notice when we’re stranded in airports with no support. We notice when prices go up, and service goes down.
Last year, we booked a family vacation to Mexico, and just days before we were supposed to leave, WestJet cancelled our flight. No backup plan, no genuine apology—just a “sorry, figure it out.” Completely in the dark. Eight-hour wait times on the phone. We decided to try re-booking our vacation but were told we had to go anyway or lose out on our trip entirely. Eventually, we were booked on another flight that week and lost two full days of our trip. No reimbursement, no compensation, just a shrug from WestJet.
It’s not just a one-off, either. On our most recent vacation, just a few weeks ago, every single WestJet flight we took was delayed. Every. Single. One. At this point, we’ve started making bets on how late we’ll actually leave because showing up on time feels like a long shot.
Not only that but on the way back home, we were placed on an aircraft with ZERO amenities. No in-flight entertainment. No Wi-fi. No plugs to charge your phone or iPad. What a joy to entertain an already exhausted toddler on a 3-4 hour flight without some of the stuff we were relying on to get him through. At least they had food, right? I hadn’t had dinner yet because our connection was so tight. WRONG! They had cold snacks only. The plane didn’t even have an oven. Ok. Fine. I’ll just lean back and try to relax…
OH, FOR THE LOVE OF WHATEVER GOD IS LISTENING!!!! The seats don’t recline!!!!!! And don’t even get me started on the overhead light that won’t turn off.
THE BEACONS ARE LIT!!!! Seat 29A calls for aid!!!!!
*sigh*
I don’t know what the answer is. Maybe WestJet needs to take a long, hard look at what made them great in the first place. Perhaps it’s time for another airline to step up and remind them how it’s done. All I know is that I used to love flying WestJet. Now, I just hope to get through the experience without a headache.
And if you’re flying out of Fort McMurray? Pack extra patience. You’re going to need it.
The CJBuzz 