Family stranded at London, Ont. airport spend thousands to get home
By the time they got to Toronto Sunday night, Krystle Linic and her grandmother could smile, but to get to that point had been an ordeal.
Linic, her parents, and grandmother had booked a roundtrip flight from Edmonton to London so they could be at Linic's great-aunt's funeral over the weekend. Getting out of Edmonton was no issue, but flying back home became a frustrating, expensive process.
"We couldn't talk to anybody," says Linic. "There was nobody to talk to, nobody to call."
The family had checked in for their Swoop flight Saturday night, only to learn in the morning it had been cancelled, Linic explains.
Swoop, and its parent airline, WestJet, had experienced what it called a "severe disruption" to its service because of a system-wide outage. Hundreds of flights across the country were cancelled as a result.
Krystle and her family at her great aunt's funeral near London, Ont. on Nov. 5, 2022. (Source: Krystle Linic)
Linic and her family were rebooked on a flight for Tuesday morning, which was not a reasonable option for her.
"My mom and I are both teachers, and I didn't have any more days off," says Linic. "So it would be at my expense for the substitute teacher, plus loss of wages."
"It was going to be in the thousands of dollars for me to stay [in London] for two days," explains Linic, so they rented a car and drove to Toronto and caught an Air Canada flight.
It was an expensive decision that cost about $3,800, but she says it was cheaper than waiting in London.
Swoop Airlines Boeing 737 on display during their media event, Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at John C. Munro International Airport in Hamilton, Ont. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tara Walton
"[Swoop] responded via Facebook Messenger," says Linic. "I responded with what my issue was and they said, 'Well we gave you a flight home, so tough luck.'"
Since that rebooking offer, Linic says her messages have gone unanswered.
WestJet issued a statement Monday saying it is trying to help customers as quickly as possible, and accommodation information would be shared through email.
A request for comment from CTV News London to WestJet Wednesday was not returned.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING 122 active wildfires burning across Canada, 32 considered 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
Miller scores late as Canucks grind out 3-2 win over Oilers in Game 5
J.T. Miller scored in the final minute of the game and the Vancouver Canucks came back for a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Thursday.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
Police issue Canada-wide warrant for Regina homicide suspect
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man wanted in a homicide which occurred in Regina on May 12.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Kevin Spacey receives star support as he fights to get his career back
Kevin Spacey is pushing back on the 'rush to judgment' against him and is being backed by some big names as he seeks to reclaim his acting career.
Speaker cuts ties with Sask. Party, alleges he faced threats, harassment from gov't MLAs
The Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature Randy Weekes has severed ties with the Sask. Party after accusing some members of harassment and intimidation tactics, including a situation he claimed saw the Government House Leader bring a hunting rifle to the legislative building.