A local travel agency says it’s a busy time as a potential strike at Air Canada is looming.
Sarah Hupalo, the owner of Elite Travel Windsor, says there a number of people who are affected that are leaving soon on a trip, and many others who are currently at their destination that are worried about their return.
Hupalo says at this time, the agency is asking everyone to be patient as they try to navigate through the potential strike to ensure all travellers are protected.
The union representing roughly 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants issued 72-hour strike notice and could walk off the job on Saturday with the airline saying it will gradually suspend flights starting on Thursday.
Hupalo says the good news locally is that Air Canada flights out of Windsor are operated by Jazz – which will continue operation as normal but that those who are on vacation planes to the Caribbean, Mexico, or overseas may be impacted.
She says her message to travellers is to be patient.
“Check your spam folders for any email notifications from the airline, reach out to your travel agent, be patient – but reach our to your travel agent – and they should be able to assist you in finding alternate travel, if necessary. We’re all kind of on standby at this moment.”
Hupalo says some local flights won’t be impacted.
“If you’re just going on Air Canada Jazz which are like the Windsor to Toronto flights, or sometimes the Toronto to Montreal, then you probably won’t be affected unless air craft is moved around, that’s also a possibility. It’s only the Air Canada main flights, and the Air Canada Rouge flights which could be some of the vacation planes.”
She says the travel agencies are on standby right now.
“Realistically all we can do is work with people travelling in the next few days – that’s our priority right now – or people in destination that are there right now, and then we kind of work moving forward over the next few days, and into the coming weeks, to see if we need to protect them with some refundable flights as a back up plan.”
Hupalo is reminding travellers to not cancel their flights, or accept refunds unless it is offered by the airline.
Those who have their flights and resort stays booked together are reminded to contact the resort before cancelling because sometimes cancelling the hotel portion is non-refundable.
More flights are expected to be cancelled on Friday with a complete cessation of flying by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge by the weekend if it doesn’t reach a last-minute deal with the union.
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