TORONTO — As the Canadian travel industry faces down the possibility of another major airline strike – the second in less than a year – two Calgary-based travel advisors tell Travelweek they’re giving their best guidance to concerned clients.
The good news: there’s still time for WestJet to reach a deal with its flight attendants. And travel advisors tell Travelweek just a few clients so far are worried, and not to the point of panic.
The bad news: the clock is ticking, and strike action could start Aug. 2. That’s just 16 days away, and it’s the Sunday of a long weekend in much of the country. The usual 72-hours notice is required, meaning the union could give the heads up for strike action in the early hours of July 30, precipitating a wind-down of flight operations.
As reported yesterday, WestJet flight attendants voted 99% in favour of strike action. More than 97% of WestJet Component members cast their ballot in the July 8-15 vote. WestJet and CUPE have been negotiating a new collective agreement since late 2025 after the previous contract expired at the end of last year, with what flight attendants say is unpaid work as one of the key sticking points.
“BE PREPARED FOR ANY EVENTUALITY”
“So far, I’ve only had a handful of clients ask about the situation. I’ve been reassuring everyone that the information we are getting is allowing us to be prepared for any eventuality,” says Heidi Hurst with Heidiway Travel.
She says it’s all about contingency plans, not panicked and rash decisions. She says she helps clients “consider what a Plan B might look like, versus making changes pre-emptively or with very little notice.”
Hurst adds that she thinks it’s “vital to support workers rights to bargain in good faith. Nobody should be expected to do unpaid work no matter their industry.”
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE 2025 AIR CANADA STRIKE
It’s been less than 12 months since the August 2025 strike by Air Canada’s flight attendants, also waged largely over unpaid work.
It was a strike that seemed unthinkable – until negotiations fizzled out at the last hour. Air Canada flights were grounded for three days with wind-down cancellations in the days leading up to Aug. 16.
From that tumultuous experience, travellers learned just how good it is to have a travel advisor in their corner. “What I have heard [from clients] is how happy they are to have a person to look to in these scenarios and not just a chatbot or phone line that won’t connect,” says Hurst.
The industry and travellers also learned that while most airline strikes are averted, job action can happen, and the chaos is real.
“STILL SINKING IN”
Lesley Keyter with Calgary’s South Travel Inc. – operating and better known as The Travel Lady Agency – tells Travelweek she hasn’t had a huge amount of client calls about the possibility of a WestJet strike. But she knows more queries will come in now with the news of the strike vote mandate.
“A couple of people with travel in mid-August and September have asked when the strike was rumoured,” says Keyter. “Now that the union has voted in favour I am sure we will get some more questions. I think it is still sinking in.”
Keyter’s advice to clients ahead of the Air Canada strike in 2025, which she’s now doubling down on again with the potential WestJet strike, is three-fold …
1. “If booked already you can always protect your travel by purchasing a fully refundable ticket on another airline but that will be expensive. I have had people do this in the past.”
2. “If you have not booked yet, then you can book on another airline – even if the routing is not as convenient – but bear in mind if you book a non-refundable ticket you are stuck with that if the strike does not go ahead.”
3. “Travel insurance does not cover a pre-existing condition.”
Keyter is hopeful a deal will be reached. “Airlines work quickly to resolve this as soon as possible as it is economically not viable for them to cancel flights for weeks or even days.”
The entire industry is hoping for a quick resolution too.
