Sen. Paula Simons admitted she took concerns about WestJet’s use of Swoop aircraft directly to Canada’s top air passenger regulator but insisted it was about systemic issues and not her own travel experience.“I assure you it was not to lodge a personal complaint nor to jump any queue,” Simons told reporters. “It was to inquire about a systemic problem that affects many WestJet travelers.”Blacklock's Reporter said Access To Information records show Simons met July 30 with Canadian Transportation Agency CEO France Pégeot to discuss enforcement of Air Passenger Protection Regulations. Around the same time, Simons posted on social media criticizing WestJet for charging full fares while putting passengers on Swoop planes with cramped seating, no WiFi, no plugs, and no food service.She said her concerns were prompted by an Edmonton-bound flight in which a woman recovering from hip surgery had paid for a business class seat but was instead put in a Swoop seat she could not fit into. .“The whole flight had to be delayed,” said Simons. “I then investigated, and realized that this was happening across the WestJet fleet. Hundreds of passengers who’d paid full fare for business class were being scrunched into Swoop seats.”The Transportation Agency circulated Simons’ posts internally and to Transport Canada, noting there is no explicit regulation requiring airlines to refund passengers for service downgrades. WestJet has since promised to resolve the issue by the upcoming winter travel season.Airline complaints have surged since passenger protection rules came into force in 2019. The Agency has logged 182,249 complaints, nearly half unresolved. That includes 31,939 against Air Canada, 21,637 against WestJet, 7,662 against Flair, 4,681 against Sunwing, and 1,942 against Porter..Due to a high level of spam content being posted in our comment section below, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
