Avoiding Another Disaster: Travel Advisors Prep for Air Canada Strike

After the Westjet mechanics strike led to hundreds of cancellations over the Canada Day long weekend, travel advisors in Canada are “preparing for the worst” ahead of the looming Air Canada pilots strike.

TMR spoke with some advisors at Travel Market Place Calgary about the potential strike and its impact on the industry. Calgary’s main airline is Westjet, which had a chaotic summer marked by the strike, Hurricane Beryl, and the Calgary hailstorm that grounded 16 Westjet aircraft.

Cathy Wiechnik, CTC, Xcursions, told TMR she was grateful none of her clients had Air Canada flights on the books for September. “I suffered through the WestJet strike—that was a nightmare. You just do what you can do, prepare your clients, and tell them to prepare for the worst.”

This sentiment was shared by Diane Mason, Mountain City Travel, who said she’s on “high alert,” despite not currently being directly impacted by the expected strike window. “I am dialed into my client list and whose traveling what, when, where, how—being proactive where I can be,” she said.

Laura Tempan, CTC, Sun Touch Travel, hasn’t been so lucky. “I’ve already rebooked probably half a dozen clients a backup plan that they can cancel if they need to, just so that they can still get to their destinations,” she told TMR. “It’s going to impact [the industry] big time.”

Trying to avoid another disaster

Carol LeSann, a travel advisor from West Kelowna, BC Canada, told TMR she is trying to avoid “another disaster.”

“I got caught up in the WestJet strike, and had a disaster with clients going to Punta Cana,” said LeSann. LeSann had eight clients flying to the Dominican Republic on Westjet. After spending her birthday weekend on the phone fighting with the airline, eventually, her clients were flown down four days later. “Westjet wouldn’t refund them their last days,” she recalled.

LeSann has two clients flying to Zurich via Air Canada on the 24th for a cruise. Now, she’s not taking any chances: She already rebooked on KLM, but unfortunately, because the flight is outside of Air Canada’s flexible change window (Sept. 13 to 23), her clients were charged a $600 cancellation penalty.

Sandy Slemp, Elite Travel Escapes, told TMR that airlines are “the most unreliable part of the industry.” Although she’s thankful she hasn’t been personally affected by the potential Air Canada strike, she noted just how frustrating it can be dealing with the airlines. “If you’re going on a cruise you now have to spend three extra days to get there.”

How Ontario advisors are coping

In Ontario where Air Canada is more prominent, advisors are busily setting up contingency plans.

Air Canada is the airline that advisor Jakki Prince, Prince Adventures, books most frequently. “I worry that there could be chaos,” she told TMR. “I know travellers I’m speaking with are happy they have me as their advisor in their corner to talk through the options and discuss possible changes to their itinerary.”

Abdul Nazarali, a luxury travel specialist, told TMR the potential strike is “stressful and overwhelming,” pointing to all the unpaid additional work this situation has created across the industry. “Given the vast flight network Air Canada has, the impact is huge and I am surely concerned about the additional hours that have been put in on my part.”

“I think it will impact the reputation of Air Canada for a while, as well as clients seeking alternative airlines,” he added.

On the leisure side, Andrea Heagney​​​​ shared similar sentiments. With 20 files to address (and very little time to do it), she is working longer hours—using her workday to “fix existing travel and calm clients,” and her evenings to quote new travel. “Not an ideal situation,” she said.

“The plans range from holding firm with crossed fingers all the way to moving an entire trip to next year. This has already caused a lot of work (for no extra pay), frustrated clients, and stress,” she said.