WestJet is not yet back to normal after a one-day strike by flight attendants plunged travel plans for thousands of people into chaos, according to CBC News. The broadcaster reported that the airline is now working to get its schedule back on track, a process that will take time.
The airline and the union have reached a tentative agreement, CBC News reported. Both sides are being tight-lipped about what is in it, but flight attendants had been pushing for better pay.
According to CBC News, the deal improves on the long-standing flight credit system by recognizing more of the work that cabin crew are required to perform and increasing the compensation for that work. Neither CUPE nor WestJet is saying exactly what is in the agreement.
Getting paid more for groundwork done before flights take off and after they land was a key union demand, the broadcaster reported. CBC News noted that last year, Air Canada flight attendants went on strike for a similar reason.
The flight attendants still have to approve the tentative agreement, according to CBC News. The broadcaster reported that the picket lines are down and the first customers are lining up as WestJet flights take off again.
Even with the strike over, the disruption continues, CBC News reported. Some travelers were told that the earliest WestJet can find them a flight is five days from now, and destinations like Europe are already canceled through Tuesday.
For passengers with a WestJet flight between now and Thursday, the company will let them make a change or cancel it without a fee, though they will want to do that online, according to CBC News. The broadcaster reported that some passengers spent six hours just trying to get through to an agent, and some could not get through at all.