A B.C. family is suing WestJet for nearly $7,000 over a missed flight in late December.
According to court documents, Steven Richmond says he was flying from Florida back to B.C. through Alberta when their departure from Orlando was delayed.
Richmond says they boarded WestJet flight 1417 on Dec. 23, 2022, and left at 5:45 p.m., and that they landed in Calgary at 9:27 p.m., two hours before their connecting flight to Kelowna at 11:30 p.m.
“Our journey encountered initial delays in Florida due to a flight crew mix-up, which caused a flight delay in our departure,” Richmond wrote in the notice of claim that was filed on May 29 in Penticton.
“Upon our arrival in Calgary, we discovered that our connecting flight to Kelowna had not yet departed. However, shortly after landing, we received a text notification stating that our tickets to Kelowna had been cancelled.”
Richmond says they approached a WestJet employee who informed them that their tickets had been given to other passengers under the assumption that they might arrive too late.
“We requested alternative arrangements and were informed that no available flights were available for at least four days,” wrote Richmond.
“We were instructed to wait for further communication from WestJet via text or phone call regarding rebooking. Unfortunately, no such communication was ever received.”
Richmond also claimed that they approached a service counter that was distributing hotel vouchers for cancelled flights.
“However, since our flight was not officially cancelled, we were denied a hotel voucher,” wrote Richmond.
“I explained to the staff that my daughter has cerebral palsy and that extended time spent in an airport would adversely affect her health, especially considering the importance of regular sleep.
“Shockingly, we were accused of feigning a disability, and the staff informed us that they would never ‘help us again.’”
Richmond says they secured a hotel room for the night. The next day, they tracked their baggage – two pieces of luggage containing personal items and Christmas presents — and saw that it had arrived in Kelowna.
“Despite presenting this information to WestJet employees, our baggage was unavailable for retrieval,” wrote Richmond.
“Numerous attempts, both via phone and in-person visits, were made to acquire our belongings, but to this day, even after initiating a claim, we have not received our property.”
The family say they rented a car and drove to Kelowna, a trip that cost them $764.51, but added they were required to return it to Calgary.
The family is seeking $6,936.17, including flight fees, $909 for a one-night hotel stay and car rental fee and $2,747 in lost luggage.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
Global News has reached out to WestJet for comment.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. All rights and credits reserved to respective owner(s).
Add Comment