Nanaimo family stranded in Rome after flight cancelled due to near pilot strike at WestJet
A smooth weekend hasn’t been the case for some Island travellers. Many have come to expect busy ferry terminals and roadways, but one Nanaimo family has been caught up in a near strike at WestJet.
The Van De Leur family was supposed to fly home Friday morning from Rome after a three week European vacation.
“And we just got an extended vacation because WestJet cancelled our flight today,” said Godfrey Van De Leur.
1,800 pilots from WestJet and Swoop were ready to walk off the job at 5 a.m. Friday if a deal wasn’t reached between them and their employer.
A last minute agreement was made, but WestJet still cancelled the Van De Lear’s flight home through an email notification. Now the family says they are in complete limbo.
“I tried to call multiple times on different numbers they have on their website, but just can’t get through,” said Van De Leur. “It won’t connect the call to even be put on hold.”
They were given a hotel voucher worth $500 Canadian dollars. That won’t go very far in Rome, Van De Leur said.
“Right now you can’t get a room in Rome for under 500 euros,” said the stranded passenger.
In a statement to CTV News, WestJet said: “We sincerely apologize to every guest whose travel plans were impacted as a result of labour negotiations and appreciate their continued patience during this time.”
The family’s patience is beginning to run out.
“Well, generally the May long weekend is the unofficial kick-off to the summer season,” said Deborah Marshal, executive director of public affairs at BC Ferries.
BC Ferries has added 95-sailings to its major routes.
“So both the Tsawwassen Terminal as well as the Horseshoe Bay Terminal are quite busy today, and we expect that to continue into tomorrow morning,” said Marshal Friday.
On this side of the straight, Monday is expected to be its busiest day with people making their way back to the mainland.
Traffic volumes are expected to increase throughout the weekend on Island roads.
“Drivers really need to be mindful,” said Shabnem Afzal, director of road safety, policy and programs with ICBC.
Afzal says on average, two road deaths are recorded every year in B.C. during the May long weekend.
“Up to 480 people are injured in crashes in B.C. on the Victoria Day weekend,” said Afzal.
She recommends you plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to ensure you make it home safe.
Back in Rome, an update from the Van De Leur family from WestJet.
“They found a flight for us and the flight leaves on Sunday afternoon around 2pm,” said Van De Leur.
However, the airline will not be reimbursing them for another night’s stay in a hotel.
“It was beyond WestJet’s control this labour disruption,” said the stranded man.
They’re out $800 for Saturday night’s hotel stay, and say they will appeal WestJet’s response for reimbursement once they are back home in Nanaimo.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.