Westjet Flights Strike Update" - What To Do If You’re Travelling With WestJet In The Coming Days in 2026

WestJet pilots walked off the job at 00:01 Eastern on July 17. By noon that same day, over 180 flights had been cancelled. Another 200-plus followed on July 18. If you're holding a ticket for the next week, you're probably refreshing the app every twenty minutes wondering what comes next.

The short version: this isn't ending tomorrow. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and WestJet management are still miles apart on wages, scheduling, and scope clauses. Federal mediators have been in the room since Tuesday. No breakthrough yet.

Here's what you actually need to know — and what to do right now. What's Actually Happening With the WestJet Strike WestJet's 1,800 pilots — represented by ALPA — voted 96% in favor of strike action back in May. The union served 72-hour notice on July 14. Management didn't blink.

Neither did the pilots. As of this morning, the airline is operating roughly 30% of its normal schedule. Mostly transborder and international routes where they've wet-leased aircraft from other carriers. Domestic network?

Gutted. Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton — all running skeleton crews on borrowed metal. WestJet Encore (the regional subsidiary) isn't struck. Their pilots have a separate contract.

But Encore only covers about 15% of the network. You can't build a recovery on that. The federal government could* legislate binding arbitration. Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan has said he's "monitoring closely" — which is politician-speak for "I don't want to intervene unless I have to.

" Historically, Ottawa steps in after 7-10 days of major disruption. We're at day three. What Are Your Rights as a Passenger This is where it gets messy. The Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) apply — but they treat labour disputes differently than mechanical delays or weather.

If your flight is cancelled WestJet must rebook you on the next available flight on their own network* at no extra cost. That's the baseline. But here's the catch: "next available" might be three days from now. The APPR doesn't force them to put you on a competitor.

If the rebooked flight doesn't work for you, you can request a full refund — including non-refundable fares. Cash, not travel credit. They'll push the credit. Don't take it unless you're certain you'll fly WestJet again before the credit expires.

• Meal vouchers after 2 hours
• Hotel + transport if delayed overnight
• $400 compensation (3-6 hours), $700 (6-9 hours), $1,000 (9+ hours) But — and this is critical — the airline can deny compensation if the delay is "outside their control." They're already arguing the strike qualifies. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ruled both ways on this in past disputes. Expect a fight. What about hotels and meals right now*? WestJet's customer service commitment says they'll provide "reasonable" care. they're issuing $15 meal vouchers and directing people to airport cots. If you book your own hotel, keep every receipt. Submit through their claims portal later. No guarantee of full reimbursement, but documentation helps. What to Do Right Now — Step by Step 1. Check your flight status before* leaving for the airport The app updates faster than the website. Turn on push notifications. If your flight shows "cancelled," don't go to the airport hoping for a miracle. You'll just join a 4-hour customer service line. 2. Rebook yourself online if possible The self-serve tool works better than the phone lines right now. Log in, pull up your booking, hit "change flight." The system will show available inventory. If nothing works, you'll see the refund option. Pro tip: check nearby airports. If you're flying YYC-YVR, look at YYC-YLW or YYC-YYJ. Sometimes inventory opens on routes the main search misses. 3. Call — but use the callback feature Hold times are 3-5 hours. The callback feature actually works. Request a callback, keep your phone charged and nearby. When they call, you'll have maybe 90 seconds before they move to the next person. Have your booking reference, preferred dates, and alternative airports ready. 4. Check other carriers before* you accept a refund Air Canada, Flair, Porter, Sunwing — they're all adding capacity on key routes. But they're also raising fares. A YYC-YYZ one-way that was $280 last week is $650+ today. If you can absorb the difference and need to be somewhere, book it. Then chase WestJet for the difference through the APPR complaint process. 5. If you have travel insurance — read the fine print Most policies cover "travel delay" after 6-12 hours. Some exclude labour disputes. Credit card travel insurance (Amex Platinum, TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, etc.) often has better strike coverage than standalone policies. Call the number on the back of your card. Common Mistakes People Are Making Right Now Waiting at the airport for a "standby" seat There are no standby seats. The struck flights aren't operating. The non-struck flights are oversold by 200%. Going to the airport without a confirmed rebooking wastes your time and adds stress. Accepting the first rebooking offer The system defaults to the next* available WestJet flight. That might be July 22. You can ask for July 20 on a partner airline. They can do it — they just won't offer it unless you push. Be polite but specific: "Can you check Air Canada availability for the 20th? I'll take whatever gets me there closest to my original arrival time." Assuming your connecting flight will wait It won't. If you're rebooked on a later flight that misconnects, the system doesn't auto-protect the onward segment. You have to call and fix each leg. Do it in one call if possible. Throwing away receipts Every meal, Uber, hotel, parking charge — photograph the receipt immediately. Email it to yourself. The claims portal times out, crashes, loses uploads. Your inbox doesn't. Practical Tips That Actually Work Use the "multi-city" search hack Instead of searching YYC-YYZ, search YYC-YUL and YUL-YYZ as separate legs. Sometimes inventory appears on connecting itineraries that doesn't show on nonstop searches. Same for WestJet's partner airlines (Delta, Air France, KLM, Qantas) — they may have protected seats not visible on WestJet's site. Consider ground transport for short hops YYC-YEG is 3 hours driving. YVR-YYJ is a 35-minute flight but 4 hours with ferry. If you're stuck for 2+ days, renting a car one-way (Enterprise, National, Budget all allow cross-province drops) might be faster and cheaper than waiting. Split the cost with other stranded passengers — there are Facebook groups forming for every major route. take advantage of social media — strategically WestJet's Twitter/X team (@WestJet) responds faster than phone support. DM them your booking reference and a specific* ask: "Booking ABC123, need YYC-YYZ July 20, open to Air Canada codeshare." Don't vent. They're humans reading hundreds of angry messages. Clear asks get action. If you're travelling internationally — check entry requirements for your new dates Rebooked 3 days later? Your visa, eTA, or passport validity might be calculated from the new arrival date. Some countries require 6 months validity from entry. Don't discover this at the gate. Pack medications and