WestJet offers fee-free flight changes amid strike threat

WestJet has implemented a temporary policy allowing passengers to change or cancel flights without fees as a potential strike by its flight attendants threatens to disrupt travel during one of Canada's busiest holiday periods. The airline announced that eligible travelers with bookings from July 30 to August 4 can make a one-time adjustment to their plans. This move comes as negotiations continue between the airline and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 8125, which represents approximately 4,400 mainline flight attendants.

The unionized workers voted overwhelmingly, with 99.4 percent in favor, authorizing a strike. The earliest date they could legally walk off the job is August 2, which falls in the middle of the Civic Holiday long weekend, a peak travel time. A strike would effectively ground Canada's second-largest airline, potentially disrupting an estimated 560 flights per day and impacting between 70,000 and 75,000 passengers daily during the affected period.

Key issues in the negotiations include wages, unpaid work hours, and working conditions. The flight attendants have been working without a collective agreement since the previous one expired at the...