When Anna and Russell Gurney’s WestJet flight was abruptly canceled due to a crew shortage, their long-planned vacation was chaotic. Forced to rebook with another airline at a $1,500 premium to avoid missing their cruise, the Victoria couple battled for fair compensation. WestJet, however, refused reimbursement and threatened to cut off negotiations after the Gurneys sought advice online in the Air Passenger Rights Facebook group. The airline’s lawyers claimed the couple had shared “privileged and confidential” information by discussing the case publicly.
The Gurneys, undeterred, turned to small claims court. Anna described WestJet’s response as “threatening” but posted the legal correspondence on Facebook to raise awareness of the pressure travelers face when seeking rightful compensation. Advocates like Gábor Lukács, founder of the Air Passenger Rights group, denounce the growing trend of airlines using legal tactics to silence dissatisfied customers.
In a move raising transparency concerns, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has recently restricted public access to case rulings, citing confidentiality — a decision questioned by experts like Paul Daly, an administrative law researcher. Daly argues the lack of transparency could unfairly favor airlines, limiting passengers’ ability to reference previous cases and making each claim an uphill battle.
The Gurneys eventually settled with WestJet, though a non-disclosure agreement bound them. Anna hopes that sharing their story encourages others to stand up against unfair practices and brings about the needed change to air passenger rights in Canada.
Source: Swifteradio.com
