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
Robert Pickton to remain in medically induced coma until later this week: police
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
'Five feet nothing': Pickton's safety likely behind Quebec transfer, says ex-prison judge
When serial killer Robert Pickton was transferred from British Columbia's Kent Institution to a maximum security prison in Quebec about six years ago, correctional authorities gave no public explanation or confirmation at the time, citing privacy.
'I feel betrayed': Ottawa-area customers out thousands of dollars warn of bad faith contractor
A group of people from eastern Ontario and western Quebec is issuing a warning about Dennis Walker and his company Vue Windows.
Fancy pigeon outfitted in custom diaper has free rein in B.C. family home
When Chrissy Chin volunteered to take in a fancy pigeon abandoned on a park bench, she never imagined she would one day be ordering custom-made diapers for the bird – who lives in her house and has become a member of the family.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
5 dead and at least 35 hurt in Iowa tornado: officials
Five people died and at least 35 were hurt as powerful tornadoes ripped through Iowa Tuesday, with one carving a path of destruction through the town of Greenfield, officials said.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.