Passenger rights group takes WestJet to court claiming ‘deceptive’ reimbursement policy

A rider rights is going to tribunal to effort and artifact what it claims are deceptive reimbursement practices by 1 of Canada’s biggest airlines.

Air Passenger Rights is seeking an injunction against WestJet to artifact the alleged policy, up of a aboriginal trial.

At contented is however overmuch passengers tin assertion for reimbursement aft being stranded.

When delays oregon cancellations permission passengers waiting and successful request of meals oregon accommodations, they tin record a assertion with WestJet, successful the lawsuit vouchers weren’t disposable oregon provided.

Until recently, the company’s website said home passengers could assertion up to $150 a nighttime and planetary passengers could assertion up to $200 a nighttime for hotels. It besides said passengers could assertion $45 a time for meals.

But Air Passenger Rights says nary specified limits beryllium nether either the Montreal Convention oregon Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations.

“WestJet’s excuse to debar reimbursing passengers truly boils down to WestJet’s unwillingness to wage based connected a self-imposed ‘guideline,'” the radical said successful a announcement of exertion filed successful B.C. Supreme Court successful October.

“It is not overmuch antithetic than WestJet simply stating, “I volition not reimburse you, arsenic I bash not privation to,” with the Guidelines added arsenic a mendacious consciousness of legitimacy to deceive passengers.”

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The radical alleges that aft it sent a cease-and-desist missive to WestJet, the hose “surreptitiously” removed the guidelines from its website.

But it alleges WestJet continues to use the argumentation “behind the scenes.”

“What is wide is that passengers should not beryllium spending a nighttime astatine the airdrome conscionable due to the fact that WestJet it is not capable to find a bully woody with its ain vendors — In specified situations, passengers should beryllium capable to get a edifice country and walk the nighttime successful a due room, aforesaid happening astir meals,” Air Passenger Rights president Gabor Lukacs said.

“We are not talking astir eating caviar. We’re not talking astir eating 10 portions of lobster, but a mean lunch, mean dinner, a mean breakfast, main course, dessert, immoderate beverage, not alcoholic, conscionable thing wholly normal, wholly mean is good wrong reason.”

Air Passenger Rights lawyer Simon Lin told the B.C. Supreme Court successful New Westminster the radical is trying to “shine a spotlight connected allegation of shabby firm conduct,” and that an injunction is indispensable since the institution allegedly continues to use the argumentation contempt changes to its website.

While WestJet has removed the reimbursement disbursal limits from its website, the institution has said it is not an admittance of wrongdoing.

The company’s representatives are acceptable to marque their ain arguments earlier the tribunal connected Wednesday.

A proceedings connected the substance is scheduled for January 2026.