TORONTO — With some cancellations already on the board and potentially many more to come, Air Transat and its pilots union are taking negotiations right down to the wire.

The strike could start in the very early hours tomorrow, Dec. 10.

In a media statement Air Transat said it is hoping to reach an agreement today.

Meanwhile the airline pre-emptively cancelled several Dec. 9 flights, including …

TS986 YYZ-PUJ

TS987 PUJ-YYZ

TS426 YYZ-CUN

TS427 CUN-YYZ

TS498 YUL-PUJ

TS499 PUJ-YUL

Air Transat also arranged four extra flights to repatriate some passengers back from Cancun, Punta Cana and Cuba.

The airline’s Strike Notice page with a full list of FAQs – and also a list of cancelled flights – can be found here.

“We are working tirelessly and still hope to reach an agreement during the day to minimize disruptions to operations. We aim to find a reasonable consensus, and it is now up to the union to move towards us, considering the generous offer we have put forward,” said Air Transat in a media statement.

“A VACATION IS SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO”

Angie Waite with Direct Travel in Ottawa is doing her best to get vacationers to Jamaica as it kickstarts tourism post-Melissa – but at least for one family, the Air Transat situation is making things tricky to say the least.

Waite says she has a family booked to the island with Transat, with flights scheduled to depart next Friday. “Really hoping they will not be affected but a little too early to know for next week. My fingers are crossed,” she told Travelweek.

Michelle Whalen with Michelle Whalen Travel by Uniglobe Enterprise Travel Ltd. in London, ON has clients scheduled to fly with Air Transat on Dec. 12.

“A vacation is supposed to be something to look forward to, not be full of stress,” said Whalen, acknowledging the emotions vacationers face in these situations as they nervously watch and wait for any breakthrough in the negotiations. “And after they’ve looked forward to this for so long.”

Whalen says she knows what vacationers are going through, and she emailed her client on Sunday to offer perspective, and counselling. She advises any Air Transat clients to stay off the Internet and check only Transat’s Strike Notice page for updates.

She also encouraged her client “not to click on the Cancel or Change button herself but to go through me, as the wording can be very specific, confusing and once it’s clicked it can’t be undone.”

As Whalen notes, “if Transat cancels on her there will be a refund, but if she cancels or changes it’s a credit to which she’s beholden.”

Whalen then followed up with a Sunday phone call to her client, “to talk about it, and to be sure she understands everything, and to just listen to how she’s feeling.”

It’s times like these that a travel advisor’s skills – from problem-solving, to counselling, and even comforting – really shine through.

“I suggested she not check a bag to expedite the airport process better, as likely it’s going to be chaotic. I assured her that I believed that the airline and the pilots were working nonstop at negotiations. Fortunately she has family she’s going to stay with in Toronto the night before they’re supposed to fly.

“But what about [other travellers] that have hotels booked, private transfers in-destination and other expenses that Transat won’t cover?

“I reiterated to her to stay off the Internet, stay off those other sites that are just grabbing headlines and creating panic.”

For Air Transat’s Strike Notice page with a full list of FAQs and cancelled flights click here.