I just got off of the phone with Chase Benefits (1-888-320-9961 if anyone needs to call them).
1. They will reimburse the difference in airfare if we have to rebook with another carrier, but Westjet needs to cancel first. After reading through the "policy" (which still feels like more of a summary, not an actual policy) I didn't see where this was covered so I called Chase again. The new agent (very thick foreign accent so I am hopeful that I understood) said that the difference in airfare *wasn't* covered. Both agents were very confident of their answers, so I don't know what to believe now. I didn't want to leave this info up and have anyone rely on it, so I edited it. It appears now that there is a possibility that it won't be covered under the trip interruption or delay, but once Westjet cancels and doesn't rebook us on another carrier, the cancellation coverage would cover us. Apparently they would prefer to pay out all of the nonrefundable costs ($2000+) vs a few hundred dollars to preserve our trip. That is an odd choice.
Btw, the last woman that I spoke to insisted that this coverage through Chase Sapphire was NOT travel insurance. I couldn't get anywhere with her on that point so I gave up. It was weird.
2. They will reimburse hotel costs if we are delayed and miss any nights due to the delay.
3. They will NOT reimburse any hotel costs if we choose to extend the trip.
RE: hotel costs - Our trip was booked through Worldmark using Monday Madness i.e. a prepaid cash reservation, so I have no idea how this would have been handled if I had used Worldmark credits. That said, our nightly cost was a bargain and if I had to rebook additional nights to make up for lost nights at the beginning of the trip it will probably cost double or triple. It looks like that additional cost would be out of pocket for us.
Our return flight is also on Westjet but our tickets were booked as two one way flights, so that is another issue that will have to be watched in case there is a strike and it goes on long enough to affect us. For now, I am not going to worry about that.
This was posted on flyertalk - fingers crossed that you will not be affected:
The WestJet Group begins flight cancellations in anticipation of WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and other Tech Ops employees' strike
June 18, 2024
This action enables proactive communication with guests and crew to minimize the potential for being stranded and ensures the airline can avoid abandoning aircraft in remote locations.
As the WestJet Group prepares for labour action by WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and other Tech Ops employees,
the airline has started cancelling and consolidating flights, in order to park aircraft in a safe and organized manner. This action enables proactive communication with guests and crew to minimize the potential for being stranded and ensures the airline can avoid abandoning aircraft in remote locations.
The decision to cancel flights comes as the WestJet Group awaits a response on behalf of the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to intervene under the Canada Labour Code. If accepted, this action would refer both WestJet and AMFA to arbitration for a first collective agreement and prevent labour action by either party.
“We are immensely disheartened that we are in a position where we must activate our contingency plan and begin parking aircraft, as a result of the strike notice served by AMFA. We deeply regret the disruption this will have on the travel plans of our guests, communities and businesses that rely on our critical air service,” said Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer. “Following the memberships’ nearly unanimous decision to reject a generous tentative agreement that would have made our Aircraft Maintenance Engineers the highest paid in the country, with a take-home pay increase of 30 to 40 per cent in the first year of the proposed agreement, it is clear that the bargaining process has broken down.”
In the coming 48-hours the WestJet Group will work to park aircraft, in a measured, phased and safe approach, resulting in the following cancellations.
Total cancellation summary
Tuesday, June 18 – Wednesday, June 19:
Guest impact*
*WestJet is making every effort to reaccommodate all impacted guests
“We will continue to manage our operations to the highest degree of safety and will never compromise in this area,” concluded Pen.
Guests travelling are advised to check the
status of their flight prior to leaving for the airport. Please visit WestJet’s
Guest Updates page for more information regarding flight status, travel changes and more.
Cancellations for YYC-YYZ and YYC-YVR are now starting to show for Wednesday 6/19.
