Thousands of cancellations potentially loom for WestJet passengers in the coming days. Flight attendants and their union have so far been unable to reach an agreement over pay and working conditions after the Canadian carrier announced it would allow customers to cancel or reschedule their journeys at no cost.
Cabin crew issued a 72-hour lockout notice early Thursday morning during the peak of the busy summer travel season if a deal cannot be reached within the deadline.
WestJet Passengers Could Face Cancellations From August 2
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said Canada’s second-largest airline could see flight attendant strikes as early as August 2 at 2:01 AM EST if discussions fail to yield an agreement on unpaid work disputes.
In a statement released early on Thursday morning, WestJet issued a 72-hour lockout notice and said it would take all necessary measures in the coming days to mitigate potential impact on passengers. Aviation expert John Gradek told CTV News that WestJet’s pending shutdown this week could impact 75,000 passengers if mass cancellations occur.
Still, the airline and the union said they were actively negotiating to achieve an agreement. The union also asked the Canadian government not to intervene in the talks, and said that it does not wish for a strike to occur.
“We’ve been clear from the start that we want to reach a fair deal without a strike,” said Alia Hussain, president of the local CUPE union.
The union is asking the Calgary-based carrier to pay cabin crew from the time they check in, right through to when they clock out. Currently, this isn’t the case; WestJet’s pay system for flight attendants pays them a set amount of “credit hours.” These hours can change per flight, depending on its length, and the hours don’t account for any delayed takeoffs or other ground delays, such as de-icing.
CUPE, which represents flight attendants at both Air Canada and WestJet, is also demanding higher pay, particularly citing that younger employees have experienced financial hardships when working in expensive cities like Toronto.
Any strike action may also damage WestJet’s recent accolade for North America’s best on-time performance. As negotiations between WestJet and CUPE continue, the airline is allowing travelers to cancel or rebook their reservations, but only for a certain period.
WestJet Is Still Allowing Some Passengers To Cancel Or Rebook
In anticipation of a looming flight attendant strike, WestJet announced on July 23 that passengers will be allowed to take advantage of flexible rebooking or cancellation over a seven-day period.
“While discussions continue, we are equally committed to providing certainty and reliability for our guests. To provide guests with greater flexibility and confidence in their upcoming travel plans, WestJet has proactively initiated our Flexible Change/Cancel policies for scheduled travel between July 30, 2026 and August 4, 2026,” WestJet wrote.
“Given the high volume of summer travel, we are providing guests with additional flexibility so they can make the travel decisions that best meet their needs,” the airline added.
The carrier also clarified that WestJet Encore flights booked on a Q400 and WestJet codeshare flights operated by its airline partners will not be affected in the event of a strike.
The fresh labor tensions at WestJet, which represents around 30% of Canada’s domestic market share, have emerged after rival carrier Air Canada’s flight attendants staged a four-day strike in August 2025, which left half a million passengers stranded.
WestJet’s looming potential strike follows actions last year by Air Canada cabin crew, which caused significant disruptions, so much so that the carrier’s American partner, United Airlines, stepped in to assist stranded passengers. At the time, the Canadian government intervened to stop Air Canada flight attendants’ walkout, although they went ahead with it anyway.
The 2025 Air Canada strike saw around 700 daily flights grounded, affecting approximately 500,000 passengers. Disruptions aside, the walkout was a major step for flight attendants in Canada and the United States in challenging compensation structures that mostly only pay flight crew when an aircraft is in motion.
For the time being, WestJet customers can access timely information regarding flight disruptions on the carrier’s Travel Advisory page. The airline also directs the public to view its cabin crew compensation information page for the latest updates on the ongoing bargaining process.
WestJet said its team “remains actively engaged in negotiations and is fully prepared to make meaningful improvements that work for cabin crew while balancing the future sustainability of WestJet.” Only the next few days will reveal whether that statement holds true enough for the satisfaction of employees. If not, travelers will pay the price very soon.
