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By Barry Choi on October 22, 2020 Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

WestJet’s COVID refunds—can you get your money back?

With the cancellation of WestJet flights during the COVID outbreak, the airline is now giving cash refunds. Do you qualify?

In a somewhat surprising move on October 21, 2020, WestJet announced it will be issuing refunds to the original form of payment to travellers who had their flights cancelled due to COVID-19.

You would think this would have been an obvious move back in March 2020, but airlines are notorious for holding onto your cash for as long as possible. Until the announcement was made, WestJet, and most airlines simply provide travel credits/vouchers.

Before you jump on the phone and demand your money back, it’s best to understand what’s going on and why this decision was finally made.

How to get your WestJet refund if you qualify for one

To be clear, the refunds are available to travellers who had WestJet or Swoop flights cancelled on them due to COVID-19. If you cancelled a flight on your own and accepted the travel bank credit, you would not be eligible for the cash refund.

WestJet will contact those people it deems eligible for refunds as of November 2, 2020, but it is taking a phased approach, starting with flights cancelled in March and will continue from there. WestJet expects the process to take six to nine months to fully complete.

For context, my WestJet flight to Hawaii was cancelled in May and I didn’t get notice until October that I could see a refund applied to my credit card. Waiting five months to get $3,500 might be a lot of money for many people.

You need to wait for an email from WestJet before your refund is processed. Calling WestJet now will not do anything, so be patient and monitor your inbox.

Flights booked via a travel agency or a website would also be eligible for refunds, but you’d have to contact where you purchased your tickets directly. ( Also, five things your airline isn’t telling you. )

What took so long?

In Canada, there are limited rules when it comes to passenger rights. Airlines were not obligated to give cash refunds as long as customers are offered a travel voucher worth an equal amount of what was paid. ( Find out more about passenger rights here. )

The reality is that airlines don’t have a vault-load of cash. It’s one of the few industries that depend on future sales to float current operating expenses. When ticket sales drop, cash flow becomes an issue. A worldwide pandemic that significantly reduces air travel can be catastrophic to the travel industry and airline businesses. 

South African Airways, Cathay Dragon and Avianca Airlines have declared bankruptcy or have ceased operations, so you can see why issuing travel vouchers is more beneficial to airlines compared to refunds.

Initially, WestJet tried to keep customers happy by extending their travel credit expiry date to two years, up from one. While this was a decent offer, it’s safe to say that most people would prefer cash.

In a press release , Ed Sims, WestJet president and CEO said “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.”

It may have taken seven months for the response, but WestJet is the first national carrier in Canada to voluntarily provide refunds to the original form of payment on all fare classes.

Wait, what about Air Canada ’ s refunds?

Shortly after the announcement was made, Air Canada chimed in on Twitter and said the statement was misleading. Air Canada claimed it had already refunded over $1.2 Billion in refundable fares to date. Implying that WestJet wasn’t the first to issue refunds. 

I can’t verify that number, but the last time I checked, Air Canada wasn’t giving refunds to everyone who had their flights cancelled. What I suspect Air Canada is saying is that it had given cash refunds when legally obligated.

For example, the United States, United Kingdom, and parts of the European Union have stricter passenger rights laws. If you were flying to one of those destinations and your flight was cancelled by the airline, local rules state that airlines have to provide a refund. After being pressured by the local governments, Air Canada and WestJet have now been following those laws. 

It’s also worth noting that Air Canada’s comfort and business flexible fares are fully refundable by default. I imagine Air Canada isn’t wrong when it says it already refunded that money, but it doesn’t apply to all of its fares. 

That’s where the difference is. WestJet is refunding all guests of COVID-cancelled flights, including those with the low-fare tickets. 

Hopefully, Air Canada follows WestJet’s lead, but I wouldn’t hold my breath over it.

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Seems that WestJet vacations are not offering refund and are staying within the 2 yr extension – seems unfair that after the 2 year period (which is now 18 mos) we lose all our money. Who is to say if it is safe to travel to other countries by 18 months or if we will be covered for insurance.

My issue is with WJ companion vouchers and I’m not sure why NO ONE is actually talking about this issue. I’ve had a WJ Mastercard since inception and loved the benefits with the exception of the lack of trip cancellation insurance.

I cancelled our May 2020 flight two weeks before WJ did as it was obvious this pandemic wasn’t going to be over by our flight time and I had a car and hotel reservation to cancel as well. We got a credit which we were okay with as we only fly WJ and my February 2020 voucher was returned to my travel account.

I rebooked again shortly afterwards as we like to book ahead for planning purposes and my WJ travel voucher was going to expire in February 2021. There was also a guarantee that the flight could be cancelled for covid reasons at that future date so all seemed good.

Our flight is now booked for May 2021 and if we don’t want to fly with covid still active at that time, we can cancel but we assume we are going to lose this voucher that was issued February 2020 and will be expired. My travel companion also has a voucher dated May 2020 expiring May 2021 (not used so we have to book another trip by then) and we both will have another one in February and May 2021 that will expire in 2022.

Since these vouchers are paid for by your $119 annual fee, they should NOT expire at all or WJ should at least extend the dates for ALL VOUCHERS issued in 2020 and those issued in 2021 for at least 2 years until all this covid thing is under control and a vaccine is available.

Yesterday, in a phone conversation with a customer service rep from Air Transat, I was informed that Transat is still declining refunds, and continuing to offer only no time limit vouchers. Furthermore, she indicated that WJ and AC refunds were being limited to the “travel portion” only. So, if you had purchased a vacation package from them, your refund will not include the portion of the cost that was allocated to the accommodation. The arrogance of these people is beyond comprehension.

I would be interested to hear if any of your readers have had any success in securing a refund via a credit card “chargeback” or a small claims court action.

Air Canada refused to refund our 4 return flights from Toronto to Phoenix in May, 2020 when they cancelled the flight. I even tried the appeal process with no change.

What about Air Transat? Our six UK flights yvr to the uk for sep/oct were cancelled and initially we we offered 2 year vouchers. Subsequently they said they would give refunds since they no longer fly yvr to Europe. Still waiting. No date promise. If the sell out to Air Canada I assume we are sol.

Hello, It is true that AIR Canada has almost never accepted to refund non refundable or even partially refundable tickets. It is useless for them to mention they refunded refundable tickets: by definition, they have to !!!

However, at least in Quebec where consumers are more protected, it is possible to get refund through your credit cards. Actually both the Civil Code and the Law protecting consumers (provincial laws) say very clearly that they have to refund unrendered services. For this to enforce, you have to formally request your credit card bank a retro-billing, with your documents. They have 45 days to refund. In my case it worked for a AC partially refundable ticket. I got back all my money back through Master Card which dealt with Air Canada. I was also successful to get refund for non refundable air tickets within South America, with SKY airlines. Refund would not have been possible by the airline company directly.

Attempts to get refunds from AC directly were unsuccessful, and an irritating process: they make you wait weeks, never say yes or no, and it is impossible to speak to a manager or a director of their ”customer service”. Extremely time consuming process that I will not forget.

In the case MC or Visa would deny the refund, it is still possible to go to Quebec small claims court but it may be a long process, although likely to succeed. I wish the laws would be similar in other provincial juridictions. And perhaps that the Federal Transportation Office implement a law to enforce all refunds, not credits, when services cannot be rendered. Every one can eventually write his/her MP to demand this fair and just rule, as is the case in many developped countries. Consumers should not be forced to loan money for free to a corporation, with a risk of not being refunded ever.

I believe that the date of the refund offer just happens to be the same date that courts will begin allowing class action lawsuits against airlines for not refunding money for cancelled flights.

Air Canada is right! They gave me a refund months ago after initially offering only a voucher!

Air Transat???

I’m just glad Westjet is finally doing the decent and Legal thing, especially since CoVid-19 was NOT the customers fault. Unfortunately, CoVid-19 is an act of the universe and not a purposeful event that a customer created in order to Cancel their flight! If you read thru the many page’s of Westjet’s legal documents and their flight/ticket policies, it was actually against the law for them to Not give us our money back due to CoVid-19 being an unnatural event and out of the passengers control…

I am very upset with WestJet! when I heard about the refunds I was excited but I just recently found out that I don’t qualify because I cancelled my trip 2 weeks before my trip date but I didn’t have a choice! the government of Canada released the travel advisory on March 13th and I cancelled on the 16th!! I’m sure I am not the only one who was forced to make the same decision. When Trudeau announced the travel advisory and also stated that any Canadians outside of Canada needed to come back as soon as possible, I was not going to risk the health of my family and also when the government is saying not to leave the country I think that says something!!!! this refund is a joke and completely unfair to those who had no choice but to cancel their trips because of covid 19. They have given me a credit that expires April of 2022 but honestly with the way this pandemic is going, I will not be flying anywhere until I know it is 100% safe to do so. I think WestJet needs to do the right thing and refund everyone who was affected by Covid 19 regardless if the client cancelled or they cancelled the flights.

WHEN is the Canadian Government going to step in and make these airlines refund our money? Heck, the feds have ‘bailed out’ that poorly managed Quebec company Bombardier so many times it’s not even funny. The least they can do is bail out the airlines so they can refund everyone’s cash.

Why do we have to wait 7-10 days before the departure to have Westjet or Air Canada cancel the flight? If we’re in an area that has been locked down by the provincial health officer, then come’on! Enough of the games!

I don’t want a voucher that expires! I want my cash back!

I’m going to fill out their refund request form but not going to hold my breath.

I had international flights booked in august and instead of cancelling them, Westjet just moved their dates to basically make our vacation go from 7 days down to 1.5 days. So they effectively forced us to cancel since it’d make no sense to take their rescheduled flights.

I suspect they will say we cancelled on our own volition and deny refunds.

Is it true that westjet isn’t refunding vacation packages ? On the website it’s say they are or maybe I’m misunderstanding what they wrote? I did not cancel my flight westjet did and I booked through redtag. No one can tell me anything except send me the same email over and over again that state’s I can only get a refund if it was cancelled 45 days prior to departure. My flight was suppose to leave April 21. This can’t be legal.

Time for WestJet to start offering some proper customer service. I had a domestic flight booked for April 2020 with Air Canada $ 2,000. for coach travel and had to cancel because of lock-down and travel advisory warnings. This was not a case of Air Canada canceling a flight. It was my decision not to risk travel. Unlike WestJet, I was issued a voucher (like a gift card) that I can use whenever & wherever with no expiry date. I know that they still have my money, but I don’t feel that I’m subjected to nimerous and harsh conditions. This I considered proper customer service. When will WestJet follow suit?

How do you contact someone from West jet about a refund for a flight cancelled in March because of covid .

I was excited to hear we would be getting a refund instead of credits. We have been waiting but found out we don’t qualify because we booked a holiday package and they are only giving refunds for flights. I hope it still comes. It feels now like that announcement that they were giving refunds was just a lie.

I am mad with West jet because I cancelled my own flight to Moncton in March 2020 not thinking that West Jet would cancelled it. Now my money is in a travel bank that I can not use anyway because there is no travel to New Brunswick. I could of used that money right now for Christmas.

Hi, I am senior retired 75 years old, my 2-way return ticket to Santa Clara-Cuba canceled by WestJet, and offering to save my money for 24 months & advised that I am able to benefit from that in the future!

Since I am in very poor health conditions & I have no hope to be alive until next year due to my sickness, so what should I do with this corruptor, who grab the people money and using the money for their operations? I am wondering why the Canadian authorities not stopping such corruptions, and why allowing them to operate? Even we know the majority of the shareholders are a ring of VIP and has too many influences, and when it’s come to law, regular passenger unable to do anything, unfortunately.

I hereby request the Canadian authorities, RCMP, and the Ministery of the Transporation to take acttion accordingly, thanks.

I’m in the same boat as many who have commented. I had a flight booked for 4 people for April 2020. I cancelled it once the government announced travel was restricted. WestJet is refusing to refund me because I cancelled. Wasn’t that the RIGHT thing to do? We were in a pandemic and told by our government to stay home! I THOUGHT that the sooner I cancelled the better for processing. I was supposed to wait it out?? Until when?? No! You take action and the proper steps to cancel and start a refund process. That’s the responsible thing to do. I waited patiently for a refund process and received my declined refund email today. I called westjet and was still told that I would not receive a refund. My flight was in the heart of covid and the major restrictions first implemented – how can you deny that westjet!!? I literally could not go even if I wanted to! I believe they are hanging on to any little technicality they can to avoid payouts and it is disgusting customer service! I encourage all to file a complaint with the Canadian travel agency! I did today. A travel credit would be awesome IF it was ok to travel. We are still in a pandemic – we still have national and provincial restrictions. I still have employment restrictions around travel. We still have restrictions around health care if we travel. A travel credit right now is pointless! Give your customers their money back and they will HAPPILY RE-BOOK once they can!

I filled out the form in October and I am still waiting. I will be really annoyed if they don’t refund the money. Yes I cancelled the trip but it was after the federal government put the travel advisory in place and a number of things were shutting down. I had to cancel because I had to cancel other bookings that I had in place. Also, my relatives where I was staying are older and I did not want to risk their health. And my flight would have been cancelled at any rate. Besides, I paid extra for cancellation insurance and told them at the time of cancellation I wanted my money refunded. I didn’t accept the travel credit, it was given to me despite my objections.

I previously commented on WJ’s companion vouchers which they extended for 4 months which still makes it useless as I will not be booking by June 2021. I cancelled two flights booked for 2020. One was for a medical issue where we paid fees and got a travel credit and I also cancelled our covid affected flights 3 days before WJ did so only got another travel bank credit. I was okay with this because usually travel a couple of times a year. BUT today I checked my account and noticed that these travel bank credits EXPIRE!! What? This is MY money and WJ gets to keep it if I don’t use part of it by April 22?? I’m not travelling until all these covid-19 testing requirements are gone and everyone is vaccinated. So I’ve got $1800 sitting there that they can keep if I don’t book and I will lose if they go bankrupt. Time to seek out the Government agency that handles this stuff.

My wife are in the same predicament as Allison, we knew that things were going arwray with our trip and Covid 19, so to beat the panic we cancelled the trip a couple of weeks before the Canadian government inforced the no travel clause. At the time we were given WestJet dollars instead and the 2 year limit. We want our money back into our account. We have no idea if they are going to extend the 2 year limit or not. I’m afraid we will loose on both ends. Is there a class action lawsuit against WestJet that we don’t know about.

Thank you for the question and we are sorry to hear about your travel struggles. Due to the large volume of comments we receive, we regret that we are unable to respond directly to each one. We invite you to email your question to [email protected] , where it will be considered for a future response by one of our expert columnists. For personal advice, we suggest consulting with your financial institution or a qualified advisor.

I booked a trip to Disneyland California for Christmas 2020 and when it was clear that we would not be able to go I cancelled the trip that I paid for eight full tickets and 2 infants. Because I used my brains and new we wouldn’t be going and cancelled they won’t refund me because they had not cancelled first. To me this is discrimination and that money could have been well used by me during this pandemic instead of west jet sitting on it. This was a family holiday that who knows when we can go. Refund money or make the tickets so they don’t expire. When I called and spoke with a west jet employee she was rude and wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say.

My daughter Booked with Air Canada and she cancelled her FLIGHTS and Air Canada gave her ALL her monies back. West Jet refuses to give back our money because we cancelled the flights During COVID. What a JOKE. Also how long do we Have before they take All the flight credits completely? Is that how they plan on trying to compensate some of their loss by only giving us so much time to use the credits before they take them?? Again What a joke !!!!!

How do I go about rebooking a flight that was cancelled due to virus I was told I had 2 years Flight was booked for April 2020

I’am disgusted in the way WestJet has treated me!! Booked trip and can’t seem to talk with any live agent except for 345am What the heck WestJet!! Give me back MY money!!!!

Filled in the request for refund 3 times, it seems it falls in the black hole, no phone request are answered, 6 hr wait, on messenger it’s a robot called Julie, West jet is not taking calls directly regarding refunds. WHAT IS gOING ON, ?????they took my money via phone when I booked the flights on my Mastercard. Why can’t I get a refund? They ignore calls, hang up, robot, no phone number. The Ceo went on cbc and said all refunds will be answered well mine has not! I want my 1700$, its Allot of money! MY MP ignored all Twitter, my government bailed them out, no refunds to customers

Still waiting for a refund 18 months later. Filled out the refund request form many weeks ago and I have not received any response. They have 7000$ dollars of my money and I am destitute now because of the pandemic.

Hi I’ve been waiting for one year now for my refund and still not heard anything from WestJet.

My flight was scheduled for end of April 2020

It’s so fustrating

I applied for my refund many months ago. I received an email tonight from WestJet inviting me to phone the WestJet 1-888 number, provide my credit card number and WestJet rewards number and get my refund. HOWEVER, there is no menu option for this and NO ONE answers the phone anyway! What’s worse is that they have zeroed out my Travel Bank, so it looks like I don’t even have a travel credit anymore! It’s obvious WestJet has no intention of paying back any money to its customers. WestJet has lost ALL credibility.

In our case we cancelled our flights through to Halifax and back from Boston when it became obvious that Holland America was going to cancel our late summer cruise. Got a $2300 credit from WestJet put into our TravelBank. Now things are opening up we thought about using them except we cannot get travel insurance now because of an unstable medical condition. Left high and dry. Thanks WestJet! This what happens when a hedge fund (Onex) runs an airline!

I would like the refund of my first class ticket November 23 ,2021

Well I’m furious with Westjet! I booked a vacation package for 9 people (family) they have close to $25,000 in their pockets. I can’t get thru to anyone who could answer some questions and have a listen to us! I booked January 2020to fly out March 18, 2020. We kept putting off waiting for the airlines to cancel as we were afraid we’d lose our money. So 5 days before the flight was to leave March 13th we made a scary decision to cancel .. either that nite or next day they cancelled all flights! They won’t give us our money. We hv not been able to fly since… due to CoVid and health issues. We lost our son prior to our booking so we decided to take the grandkids etc on a vacation. One we had all planned. I just don’t understand WESTJET! Any suggestion for some help/guidance? We are raising his 2 children … twins and we are retired grandparents! This puts us in a horrible financial position!!! Please WESTJET… GM

WestJet is refusing to refund use our fair in cash. Our original flight was cancelled at the start of COVID and WestJet “refunded” us as a credit (money bank). We used these funds to book a trip for this March break and the flight was cancelled by WestJet. As a result, we had to book another airline. They refunded this trip to the money bank, but refuse to refund us in cash. The argument is that they refund to the original form of payment, however, the original trip cancelled due to COVID they refused to refund in cash.

Any suggestions on how to proceed?

I tried to fine out what was going on I got answers like they couldn’t fined my booking then next time after 4 or 5 hrs I was told she could not hear me. The last time I got through the girl found my fill but I was to late to get anything from Westjet she said my bank insurance may help after Westjet gets government handout.

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Some WestJet customers still waiting on refunds for flights cancelled in 2020

Westjet apologized for the delay, blaming the pandemic and the busy travel season.

Social Sharing

Two years after the pandemic ruined their travel plans, several frustrated WestJet customers say they're still waiting for refunds — or confirmation they even qualify for one — after the airline cancelled their flights or vacation packages in 2020.

The customers complained of difficulties trying to communicate with WestJet about their cases and suggested the airline was trying to make it hard for them to collect their cash. 

"I think they're just trying to hang on to our money," said Sue Andrews of Mississauga, Ont.

Andrews and her husband, Jim Scott, paid $7,031 for a vacation package for themselves and two family members to Cancun, departing in April 2020. Due to the pandemic, WestJet cancelled the trip and gave the couple a travel credit. 

They wanted a refund instead and have been trying to collect it for almost two years.

"We feel completely ripped off," said Andrews. "They don't care about us."

Effective Monday, November 2, we will begin to provide refunds to guests whose flights were cancelled by WestJet as a result of COVID-19. Learn more - <a href="https://t.co/PSV4bxcYn0">https://t.co/PSV4bxcYn0</a> <a href="https://t.co/97939lpSlD">pic.twitter.com/97939lpSlD</a> &mdash; @WestJet

When the pandemic was declared in March 2020, WestJet suspended all international flights and provided affected customers with credit for a future trip.  Following public outcry , the airline changed its tune in October 2020, announcing it would offer customers refunds for flights the airline had cancelled. 

"We are an airline that has built its reputation on putting people first," said then-CEO Ed Sims  in a statement . 

In July 2021, the airline extended the refund offer to people whose vacation packages had been cancelled.

WestJet apologizes for long delays

Andrews and her husband initially applied for a refund in June 2020, but it was rejected. They reapplied in November 2021. 

Andrews said the couple has reached out to WestJet numerous times, and when they finally made contact with the company on social media, they were only told that their application is in the queue and has yet to be reviewed. WestJet told CBC News this week that's still the case.

"I've been in the customer service industry my whole life and have never seen anything like this," said Andrews, a semi-retired insurance agent. 

Customers frustrated after WestJet didn’t give refunds for cancelled flights

In an email to CBC News, WestJet acknowledged it has "a backlog of refund requests," and blamed the pandemic and a busy holiday travel season. It offered an apology to customers who have experienced long delays. 

"We recognize the frustration being felt by some of our guests as we work to expedite outstanding refund requests," said Madison Kruger, a WestJet spokesperson. 

Airline 'just playing games,' says waiting customer

There's no question Julie Jalbert of Minnedosa, Man., is entitled to a refund for a cancelled round-trip flight from Winnipeg to St. Maarten that was supposed to depart in October 2020. 

She initially received a travel voucher for the $769 she paid for the flight. Instead, Jalbert applied for a refund in November 2020, and one year later WestJet confirmed by email that she would be reimbursed. 

But in order to claim her cash, Jalbert was told she would have to call WestJet customer service. She said she tried to do so numerous times, but her call always got disconnected, sometimes after she had waited on hold for hours.

"I just believe they are trying to take advantage of the client and hoping that we just give up because this is too complicated," said Jalbert, who eventually reached out to CBC News for help. 

WestJet told CBC News it has prioritized the urgent hiring of contact centre agents and that call wait times have "drastically improved." 

The airline also asked for Jalbert's phone number and said it would "contact her urgently."

On Tuesday morning, CBC provided WestJet with the number. By Friday afternoon, Jalbert said she was still waiting to hear from the airline. 

"To me, they're just playing games."

Refund requests in holding pattern

WestJet customer Neil Tucker of Edmonton is also in a holding pattern.

The airline cancelled a $4,027 vacation package from Edmonton to Cancun that Tucker booked for his family. It was supposed to depart on March 24, 2020.

In October 2021, after learning that WestJet was offering refunds for cancelled flights, Tucker applied for one and is still waiting for his cash. 

"Why is it taking so long?" he asked. "I think they want me to use their credits that they offered."

• WestJet sparks customer fury after refusing refunds for cancelled flights — again
• WestJet admits it was wrong to refuse customer refunds for rebooked flights

WestJet told CBC News on Monday that it appears Tucker's refund request is missing some details and suggested he should resubmit his request form.

When CBC informed Tucker of this information, he was surprised and called the situation "absolutely ridiculous."

"What more information do they need from me? They have my contact information."

Tucker said he contacted WestJet on Tuesday and waited four hours on hold before he was able to speak with a customer service agent. He said the agent told him his form had no missing information and that his case has yet to be reviewed due to a backlog.

"I'm sick of the time I'm spending without compensation trying to get this sorted out," said a frustrated Tucker.

"I really just want this to come to an end."

Other options

Daniel Tsai, a consumer advocate and Toronto-based business lawyer, said the long delays are unacceptable.

He said customers can pursue other options to try to get a refund such as filing a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency, disputing the charge with their credit card company or disputing the charge under consumer protection legislation in their province.

But Tsai said those options may also involve a lengthy or cumbersome process, or, in the case of credit card disputes, customers typically face a strict time limit for filing a claim. 

Customers should be able to "get their money back for flights that never happened ... without making them go through onerous procedures," said Tsai.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Business Reporter

Based in Toronto, Sophia Harris covers consumer and business for CBC News web, radio and TV. She previously worked as a CBC videojournalist in the Maritimes, where she won an Atlantic Journalism Award for her work. Got a story idea? Contact: [email protected]

• @sophiaharrisCBC

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Here’s what agents are saying about WestJet’s cuts – and will there be refunds?

Post date: Oct 16 2020

Date: Oct 16 2020

By: Kathryn Folliott

TORONTO — WestJet isn’t the first airline to pull its flights from a once-robust market amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and it likely won’t be the last.

After WestJet  announced that it was cutting 80% of its capacity in Atlantic Canada effective Nov. 2 , local travel agents we spoke to said they were sympathetic to WestJet’s plight, noting that the airline’s cuts came on the heels of  Air Canada’s route suspensions, announced in June 2020 and primarily in Atlantic Canada , and  Transat’s July 2020 decision to cancel its USA and South program out of Western Canada .

Many agents say they are hoping these latest cuts will get the attention of the federal government, as the industry continues to lose jobs and millions of dollars, and entire regions lose airline service on major carriers.

Others wondered, will WestJet offer refunds instead of FTCs for the cancelled routes, since service has been suspended indefinitely with no restart date in sight?

THE REFUNDS QUESTION

The federal government is in the midst of the ultimate balancing act, protecting the country’s economy and health amid an unprecedented pandemic, and there are no easy answers.

But there is an answer to the refunds question. At this point, WestJet says it will not be offering refunds on the cancelled Atlantic Canada flights.

“We appreciate there are Atlantic Canadians who are voicing their desire for refunds in light of this announcement,” WestJet spokesperson Lauren Stewart told Travelweek.

“We fully anticipate returning to the region when the situation improves and will extend the travel credit expiry date beyond the current 24-month window should it be required,” she said.

Stewart added that the Canadian Transportation Agency has determined that refunds to travel credits is acceptable in light of the situation brought about by COVID-19.

WestJet announced its cuts to the Atlantic Canada region earlier this week. Service to and from Moncton, Fredericton, Sydney and Charlottetown will be suspended indefinitely. Quebec City flights will also be discontinued.

Service to and from Halifax and St. John’s will be reduced, to 2x daily service between Halifax and Toronto, 9x weekly service between Halifax and Calgary, and 11x weekly service between Halifax and St. John’s. All changes take effect Nov. 2.

Until now WestJet was the only Canadian airline that serviced 100% of its pre-COVID domestic network.

“We understand this news will be devastating to the communities, our airport partners and the WestJetters who rely on our service,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. “While we remain committed to the Atlantic region, it’s impossible to say when there will be a return to service without support for a coordinated domestic approach. Our intent is to return as soon as it becomes economically viable to do so.”

RETAILER REACTION

Since July 3 Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI and New Brunswick have maintained an ‘Atlantic bubble’ in an effort to keep COVID-19 transmission and caseloads to a minimum. Air travel to and from Canada has also been severely impacted by the federal government’s 14-day quarantine requirement and its advisory against all non-essential travel, now into its eighth month.

With the Atlantic bubble in place, “no one is travelling to and from Atlantic Canada. As a result both WestJet and Air Canada have reduced their capacity. Unfortunately a negative economic impact of keeping Atlantic Canadians safe,” says Gary Gaudry, President, Maritime Travel.

While the route suspensions are disappointing, Gaudry adds, his first concern upon hearing the news about WestJet’s cuts was for Maritime Travel’s clients. “When Air Canada ceased serving a market they had refunded the customers who had credit as the customers had no way to use their credit. Hopefully WestJet will see fit to do the same.”

Gaudry notes that the federal government did announce recently that it plans to support regional airline routes, so as not to isolate cities.

He adds: “We are hoping that when the government provides the necessary support, the airlines will return to the markets they have exited.”

While the Canadian government stepped up with a long list of financial aid programs like CEWS and CERB, providing strong economic support for Canadians in these extremely challenging times, it has so far not provided industry-specific assistance for airlines.

WestJet’s Sims said that while WestJet worked to keep essential air service to all of its domestic airports, demand for travel is being severely limited by restrictive policies and third-party fee increases “that have left us out of runway without sector-specific support.”

Joel Ostrov, President, Canada East Region – Direct Travel, says his reaction to WestJet’s decision echoes his reaction to other cuts made by airlines around the world, including here in Canada, in the wake of COVID-19. “Air Canada made similar cuts to their regional network serving smaller communities in Canada,” says Ostrov. “These cuts are made for the most part because of the Canadian government’s refusal to give assistance to the airline industry in this country. If you contrast this to other countries, almost all of them have given billions of dollars to assist the airline industry to get through the COVID-19 crisis, but Prime Minister Trudeau has refused to offer direct assistance to Canada’s airlines.”

Ostrov said that WestJet’s decision, “although painful to those communities affected, is totally understandable given the current situation, and probably totally necessary to their survival.”

He called on the travel industry to lobby the federal government to provide aid to Canadian airlines to help them survive the pandemic.

ON THE FRONT LINES

In Charlottetown, PEI, The Travel Store owner Paulette Soloman says WestJet’s service suspension was a complete surprise.

“We had no idea this announcement was coming, it was quite out of the blue for us. It’s really unfortunate to see reduced lift coming out of Atlantic Canada,” she said.

WestJet was a welcome addition to the options available to her agency’s clients, says Soloman. “Not only were they offering excellent service within Canada but their expansion into international destinations has been great for travellers as well.”

Like Ostrov, Soloman says these latest route cuts are a clear indication that help is needed from government – not just for airlines but for the entire travel and tourism industry. “When big players like WestJet are cutting service it should not go unnoticed, and I hope very much that attention is given to the effect not just on this airline but also to the trickle-down effect on other industry players such as travel agencies and our advisors, and of course most importantly to travellers,” she said.

Travel Time TPI’s Lois Barbour, in St. John’s, NL, says the focus should be on rapid testing as a means to get air travel back in true recovery mode.

“We have still not moved any closer to a plan to implement that would allow us to travel safely, with quick tests administered on departure and arrival to ensure that travellers with COVID-19 are not moving about undetected,” says Barbour. “That seems like it should be the issue that deserves momentum around it which would then allow us to open up to travel gradually and safely.”

Barbour adds: “The airlines are essential to our economic futures and our travellers deserve more efforts towards the implementation of a plan. It’s a sad day for the industry when after these many months we still cannot have hope of a return to normal operations.”

In Dartmouth, NS, Niche Travel Group owner Faith Sproule says the drop in capacity from Atlantic Canada will hurt WestJet Vacations sales as well. “We only had one direct flight to Halifax to Cancun, but often used WestJet Vacations for Saint Lucia, Antigua, Barbados, etc. I hope they keep two or three flights a day to Toronto so we can still send clients away. One more issue for us to deal with now.”

And it’s not just WestJet. Says Sproule: “Transat cancelled their direct Halifax to Jamaica (our top seller), but right now they still have Cancun, Punta Cana and various parts of Cuba. We have over 150 passengers rebooked for 2021 destination wedding groups to Jamaica and had to go through the full cancellation process again for the second time with them. Total nightmare!”

TTAND travel specialist Scott Penney is also based in Dartmouth, NS. He worries about more cuts in the coming months, as the industry heads into winter with no end in sight to the travel restrictions and the pandemic. The industry has rallied like never before in the face of COVID-19. But the concern is real.

“No doubt our Atlantic bubble has had a major impact on WestJet’s decision which is totally understandable,” says Penney. “From a pure economic standpoint, they cannot continue to have planes come into and out of Atlantic Canada that are mostly empty.”

Penney says he’s worried about the lasting impact on lift in and out of the region. “Being such a small part of Canada, I worry that the cutbacks by WestJet may be around for a long time and may have a lasting impact especially on our smaller towns and cities.”

But moving on from the pandemic is the light at the end of the tunnel for this industry, one that has overcome so much especially in the past two decades. Says Penney: “I look forward to when COVID will be just a memory as we look forward to rebuilding our industry … and seeing WestJet and the other airlines start to increase their lift out of Atlantic Canada again.”

Tags: Atlantic Canada Flights, COVID-19, Lead Story, Refunds, WestJet

Kathryn is Editor at Travelweek and has worked for the company since 1995. She has travelled to more than 50 countries and counts Hong Kong, Jerusalem, the Swiss Alps and the Galapagos Islands among her favourite destinations.

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Friday, June 20, 2014

Maykop - the capital of the republic of adygea.

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Maykop city, Russia

The capital city of Adygeya republic .

Maykop - Overview

Maykop (meaning “the city at the mouth of the apple valley” in the Adyghe language) is a city located in the south of European Russia, the capital of the Republic of Adygea.

The population of Maykop is about 139,000 (2022), the area - 69.6 sq. km.

The phone code - +7 8772, the postal codes - 385000-385745.

Maykop city flag

Maykop city coat of arms.

Maykop city map, Russia

Maykop city latest news and posts from our blog:.

18 December, 2021 / Maykop - the view from above .

21 August, 2017 / Walking through the streets of Maykop .

History of Maykop

Foundation of maykop.

The history of Maykop goes back to antiquity. In the 7th-12th centuries AD, the Great Silk Road passed through the territory of Maykop and Adygea. Adyghe, as a separate ethnic group, were first mentioned in the 12th century. In 1557, after the conclusion of the marriage alliance between Ivan the Terrible and the daughter of the Kabardian prince, the Adyghe tribes officially became part of Russia.

The first mention of the Adyghe toponym “Maykop” and related “Maykop heights”,”Maykop gorge”, etc. in Russian documents dates back to 1810. In January - February 1810, a detachment under the command of General of Infantry S.A. Bulgakov made an expedition to these lands. The second time the toponym Maykop was mentioned in documents 15 years later, in the summer of 1825, during an expedition of troops under the command of General A.A. Velyaminov. In the fall of 1825, by his order, a fort was erected on the bank of the Belaya River.

On May 25, 1857, on the site of the present Maykop, a Russian fortress was laid, surrounded by a high rampart and a moat. Until 1864, the year of the end of the Caucasian War, the fortress was an important strategic point during the conquest of Circassia. After the end of the Caucasian War, it gradually lost its military significance and the active development of industry began: pottery, butter, soap, and brick production.

In 1870, Maykop was given the status of a county town. In 1888, the Assumption Cathedral was built on the territory of the town. For a long time it occupied a central place in the Orthodox life of the local residents. Then, one after another, cultural and educational institutions began to appear.

More Historical Facts…

Maykop in the late 19th - 20th centuries

In 1897, Maykop gained world fame with the discovery of the famous burial mound “Oshad”, which was the burial of a tribal leader belonging to the archaeological culture of the second half of the third millennium BC. The objects found in the mound are among the most ancient cultural monuments of the Bronze Age.

At the end of the 19th century, there were about 5,500 houses in Maykop, including 121 stone buildings, five Orthodox churches, a synagogue, two pharmacies, several schools. Industrial production was represented by 112 enterprises including 50 cooperage and 8 pottery workshops, 13 brick factories, an iron foundry, 6 water mills. Agriculture also developed, primarily animal husbandry and tobacco growing. In 1897, the population of Maykop was about 34,300 people.

In 1909, oil fields were discovered southwest of Maykop. On December 12, 1910, the first train arrived from Belorechensk to Maykop. In 1911, the construction of the water supply was completed.

On July 27, 1922, Circassian (Adyghe) Autonomous Oblast was formed. In 1936, the city of Maykop became its administrative center. In 1938, pumping of Maykop oil began through the Grozny-Tuapse pipeline to the Tuapse port and to the oil refinery. In 1939, the population of Maykop was 55,871 people.

During the Second World War, Maykop was occupied by German troops from August 9, 1942 to January 29, 1943. In 1952, the Maykop hydroelectric power station was put into operation on the Belaya River. Today, it is the most powerful hydroelectric power plant in Adygea. In 1960, the development of the Maykop gas condensate field, located 15 kilometers from the city, began. In the 1960s, the number of city residents exceeded 100 thousand.

In 1989, the population of Maykop was about 148,600 people. In 1990, the Adyghe Regional Council of People’s Deputies made a decision to transform Adyghe Autonomous Oblast into the Republic of Adygea.

Streets of Maykop

At the pedestrian crossing in Maykop

Author: Asker Koshubaev

Maykop is a green city

Author: Konstantin Seryshev

MiG-23 jet fighter in Maykop

Author: Aleksey Pogoryansky

Maykop - Features

Maykop is located on the right bank of the Belaya River (a tributary of the Kuban River) at an altitude of 210-230 meters above sea level about 1,400 south of Moscow and 130 km southeast of Krasnodar. This city is one of the greenest in Russia - there are a lot of parks and green spaces. According to the 2010 census, Russians made up about 71% of the city’s population, the Adyghe people - 18%.

The current coat of arms of Maykop was adopted in 1972. It depicts gold figurines of bulls found during excavations of the Maykop mound in 1897. Today, they are kept in the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.

This area is characterized by a temperate continental climate with mild winters, warm summer months and significant rainfall. The summer period lasts 180-198 days. The average temperature in January is minus 0.5 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 22.8 degrees Celsius.

The system of intercity bus transportation connects Maykop with Krasnodar, Sochi, Gelendzhik, Nalchik, Stavropol, Makhachkala, Rostov, Armavir, Belorechensk, Tuapse, Astrakhan, and other cities. Buses and trolleybuses are used for passenger transportation on intracity routes.

The main sectors of the Maykop industry are food, woodworking, pulp and paper, machine building. The tourism industry is actively developing, hiking, horse, and bicycle routes are being created that run through the territory of the Northwest Caucasus. In the village of Pobeda, on the southern outskirts of the city, there is a balneological institution. Mineral water from local springs is used for medical procedures.

Today, Maykop is, first of all, the main cultural center of Adygea. The city has a lot of preserved historical and architectural monuments. In addition, it is easy to get to a number of beautiful natural sights of the Caucasus from the capital of the Adygea Republic.

Main Attractions of Maykop

National Museum of the Republic of Adygea . The museum has unique collections numbering more than 270 thousand exhibits: collections of clothing, musical instruments, porcelain, precious stones, coins, sculpture, graphics, fine arts of the 20th-21st centuries, arts and crafts, art of the countries of the East, natural science, historical-household, ethnographic collections, and much more. This is the only museum in Russia with a sector of the Adyghe diaspora, which is devoted to the life of the Adygs (Circassians) living abroad. Sovetskaya Street, 229.

Maykop Mosque - the main mosque of Maykop and the seat of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Adygea and Krasnodar Krai. The construction of the mosque was started in April 1999 and completed in October 2000. It is crowned with a huge azure dome. One of the characteristic features of this religious site is that non-Muslim tourists are allowed to visit it. Sovetskaya Street, 200.

Monument of Memory and Unity - a monument dedicated to the victims of the Caucasian War of 1817-1864, the symbol of unity of all residents of the republic. This original 20-meter building has the shape of a traditional Adyghe hearth. Its facade is decorated with high reliefs based on the national epic, images of mythological and cult scenes, portraits of famous cultural figures, famous historical figures. The monument is surrounded by a park and is an important component in the architectural composition that unites the Maykop Mosque, the Philharmonic Society, the National Museum of Adygea. Pobedy Street, 36.

Maykop Park of Culture and Recreation - one of the most beautiful places in the city. This park was laid out in the center of Maykop in 1966. In 2009, a full-scale reconstruction was carried out. Among other things, a light and music fountain was installed. During the summer season, a large open-air pool 3 meters deep is open (one of the largest outdoor pools in Europe). Nearby, you can have a snack in one of the cafes. Pushkina Street, 278.

Museum of Oriental Art . This museum was created to collect exhibits about the culture of the North Caucasus and preserve the traditions of folk art. The exhibits are divided into the following collections: “Fabrics and Woven Products”, “Precious Metals and Precious Stones”, “Ceramics, Wood, and Metal”, “Painting, Graphics, and Sculpture”, “Archeology”. Pervomayskaya Street, 221.

Picture Gallery of the Republic of Adygea . In total, there are about 1,300 exhibits in this small museum. The collection “Graphics of Adygea” is especially interesting. It also hosts temporary exhibitions of local artists. In one of the halls, you can see the permanent exhibition “Folk crafts and trades of the Adygs”. Krasnooktyabrskaya Street, 27.

Maykop Brewery . The buildings of this large brewery are recognized as architectural monuments. Its malt shop (1910) resembling a castle can be rightfully called the most picturesque building in Maykop (Lenina Street, 1). The main building of the brewery is located at Gogolya Street, 2. There are guided tours of the Maikop brewery.

St. Michael’s Athos Hermitage - a monastery of the Maykop diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Founded in 1877, it is located in the village of Pobeda, about 7 km southeast of the center of Maykop. The buildings of this monastery are an architectural monument. Today, the monastery is visited by thousands of tourists and pilgrims. Excursions are organized around the monastery.

Maykop city of Russia photos

Pictures of maykop.

The House of Communications in Maykop

Movie theater October in Maykop

Polar bear Maykop

Sights of Maykop

Eternal Flame memorial in Maykop - To the Fallen in the Battles for the Soviet Motherland

Philharmonic of Maykop

Main Mosque of Maykop

Author: Radjeb Tsey

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