WestJet offers flexible rebooking as flight attendant strike deadline nears

WestJet is giving travellers with flights booked between July 30 and Aug. 4 added flexibility as the possibility of a flight attendant strike draws closer.

The Calgary-based carrier announced that eligible guests can make a one-time change or cancel their booking without paying a fee, saying the policy is intended to "provide guests with greater flexibility and confidence in their upcoming travel plans" amid the ongoing labour dispute.

The move comes after WestJet flight attendants, represented by CUPE Local 8125, voted 99.4 per cent in favour of strike action earlier this month.

The roughly 4,400 union members could legally walk off the job as early as Aug. 2.

"We believe that an agreement can be reached while avoiding guest disruption. However, we understand that uncertainty around travel plans can be concerning," WestJet said in an email to WestJet Rewards members.

CUPE Local 8125 president Alia Hussain welcomed the airline's decision, telling CBC News that the added flexibility is appropriate given the uncertainty facing passengers.

READ MORE: WestJet strike showdown: Here's what the experts are predicting

"I'm sure [the labour dispute] has introduced a lot of uncertainty for [passengers], and I think it's the responsibility of the organization to allow for flexible changes to the people who pay my mortgage," she told the outlet,

Hussain added that the policy should not be interpreted as confirmation that a strike will take place, describing it instead as "something any responsible business would do."

The issues

The union and airline have been bargaining over a range of issues, including wages, compensation, scheduling, work-life balance and other workplace concerns.

One of the main sticking points in the negotiations are claims of unpaid work.

WestJet flight attendants are currently paid under a credit-hour system, a compensation model widely used by North American airlines.

The framework includes minimum monthly pay guarantees, overtime provisions and other contractual protections.

However, CUPE argues the model no longer reflects the realities of the job.

The union says flight attendants receive a single rate of pay covering both time in the air and work performed on the ground, rather than being compensated separately for all hours spent on duty.

It claims WestJet’s flight attendants are working an average of 35 unpaid hours each month.

However, in an interview with CTV News on July 10, the WestJet Group’s CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said cabin crew are compensated “for every single hour they work,” and that “anything else would be illegal, naturally.”

“They're compensated for everything,” he told CTV. “Even if they don't fly a single hour in a month, they still get a full salary. So, there's a little bit of misleading the public here.”

In a detailer posted to WestJet’s website, the airline breaks down its credit hour system for flight attendants, which it calls “the standard pay model for cabin crew across North America.”

There are also concerns over pay disparities.

According to WestJet, cabin crew currently earn between $28.45 and $53.61 per credit hour, while widebody cabin managers are paid between $37.54 and $69.69 per credit hour.

But the union has also published calculations online that it says show several flight attendant schedules from May and June resulting in pay below the federal minimum wage of $18.15 an hour.

WestJet's mainline flight attendants have been without a collective agreement since their previous contract expired at the end of 2025.

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.