Winnipeggers detail misery of WestJet baggage delays, last-minute vacation-package changes

While a Winnipeg newlywed on his honeymoon waits a fifth day for his delayed luggage from a WestJet flight to Mexico, another city man found himself in the same situation, and waited four days in Cancun.

Alicja Szarkiewicz said when she and her husband John Moncek finally arrived in Cancun on Jan. 3 — their flight took off more than six hours late — they discovered that his luggage was still in Winnipeg.

Szarkiewicz said the bag was delivered to them four days later.

“He was without his clothes, shoes and various personal items for four days — absolutely horrific,” she said Thursday.

“Our wonderful two-week vacation turned into a four- to five-day disaster. And don’t get me started on the lack of legroom in the new WestJet flights.”

Szarkiewicz said they weren’t told that more than two dozen suitcases had been removed from the plane before it left Winnipeg.

“We immediately filed a delayed baggage claim with WestJet to no avail,” she said. “(We) made numerous phone calls to WestJet and Sunwing (the vacation-package airline WestJet purchased in 2023) — again nothing. No one would help us.”

The frustrating situation is similar to what happened in recent days to Roger Ward, who is still without his luggage five days into his seven-day honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta. A WestJet spokesperson told the Free Press Wednesday Ward would be getting his luggage by Thursday, at the latest.

He said he is getting tired of waiting.

“The whole situation has been sickening — I’ve been in a depressive slump all day,” he said. “It’s the lack of communication that irks me the most. I can’t believe that the airline is willing to tell you about my luggage before they’re willing to reach out to me about the situation. After all, it’s my luggage.”

Ward was among numerous passengers on the Jan. 3 flight who were without their bags when the plane landed. Some Mexico-bound vacationers flying from Regina had the same experience.

The Air Passenger Rights organization said earlier this week it believes WestJet is removing the luggage to reduce weight in order to ensure its planes can fly non-stop between Winnipeg and Mexican destinations.

Vincent Turgeon, a spokesman for the quasi-judicial Canadian Transportation Agency, said the federal government tribunal “is aware and has reached out to the carrier for information.

“We continue to monitor this ongoing situation and stand ready to take appropriate action as necessary.”

Turgeon said when the CTA is made aware of an incident, including through media reports, its enforcement team will review the matter and could conduct a full investigation.

Meanwhile, another Winnipegger said WestJet contacted him just four hours before his family’s planned weeklong Mexican vacation last month to inform him that it would be four days, and he would have to spend one night in Detroit.

Al Sansregret, who calls WestJet “a horribly run outfit,” said he booked and paid for the Dec. 19-26 holiday trip to Puerto Vallarta in October after ensuring they would be on direct flights both ways.

“Four hours before we were to leave, I received an email informing me of an itinerary change,” he said. “The new itinerary had us flying out on Dec. 22 to St. Paul, Minnesota, then from St. Paul to Detroit. On Dec. 23, Detroit to Puerto Vallarta and coming home on Dec. 26.

“This would shorten our vacation by three days without an offer of a refund or other travel arrangements.”

Sansregret said when he contacted WestJet they said he could file a claim under the Canadian Transportation Act.

“I told them I don’t have that much time, at 65 years of age, to wait for a claim that may or may not come to fruition,” he said.

“Long story short, I put a claim in with my credit card company, saying that Sunwing/WestJet is not delivering the product I paid for, and was given a full refund. We booked a new vacation on Dec. 19 with Air Canada and we had a wonderful vacation that started on Dec. 21 to 28 without any glitches.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca