WestJet is making changes to its domestic flight schedule to address significantly reduced guest demand during the COVID-19 crisis.
While demand remains low and some city pairings have been temporarily removed, we are maintaining critical lifelines to all 38 Canadian airports that we currently operate to, ensuring that those with essential travel requirements can get where they need to be and that cargo goods like blood, medical products and food supplies can continue to flow. The overall demand for travel remains fluid during this ongoing pandemic and we continue to evaluate further reductions.
For guests with travel after April 16 through May 4, we are proactively notifying them of their travel options.
The following city pairs have been temporarily removed:
Vancouver – Fort St. John 1x daily
Edmonton – Kelowna 1x daily
Edmonton – Saskatoon 3x weekly
Edmonton – Regina 4x weekly
Edmonton – Winnipeg 1x daily
Bookings and full schedule details are available at westjet.com.
REPATRIATION FLIGHT SCHEDULE
Tuesday, April 14 from Port of Spain (POS), Trinidad and Tobago to Toronto (YYZ), Canada on WestJet’s 737-800.
Friday, April 17 from Guatemala City (GUA), Guatemala to Toronto (YYZ), Canada on WestJet’s 737-800.
FLEXIBLE/CHANGE CANCEL POLICY NOW INCLUDES JUNE
We continue to offer our guests flexible change/cancel policies for travel in April, May and June with refund to travel bank for use within 24-months.
Stricter COVID-19 traveller screening that was announced Wednesday in British Columbia will mean international flights will temporarily be suspended at Kelowna International Airport (YLW).
Starting Friday, all international flights arriving in B.C. will be diverted to Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
“There were flights coming in to Kelowna and Victoria from areas in the U.S. in particular and those will all be diverted to YVR to make this an easier process for us,” B.C.’s chief provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said. “We are hearing that people are continuing to come back and, as a matter of fact, there’s a groundswell of many people in the U.S., for example, wanting to get home as the crisis continues there.”
“This document, which can be submitted online or completed in person on arrival, must show that returning travellers have supports in place to safely self-isolate,” according to the province.
At YVR, if the self-isolation plan is approved by officials, travellers can head directly home. Travellers with inadequate plans will be brought to an approved quarantine site for 14 days.
Major land border crossings will also be manned by officials ensuring those returning home to B.C. have plans in place.
At the Osoyoos, Douglas, Pacific and Boundary Bay border crossings, individuals with inadequate plans will still be sent home and officials will follow up. Travellers with no plans will be directed to approved quarantine sites for self-isolation.
“The federal government will continue to use its authority under the Quarantine Act to ensure compliance with the emergency order requiring individuals entering Canada to self-isolate for 14 days, enforceable by the RCMP. Maximum penalties for breaking the federal emergency order include fines of up to $750,000 and/or imprisonment for six months, or up to $1 million and/or imprisonment up to three years for a person who causes a risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm.”
Speaking from outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the federal government has now formalized its updated rules for domestic travel across Canada. Anyone showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus will now be banned from boarding domestic flights and intercity passenger trains, the prime minister announced at a press conference March 28.
The BC Centre for Disease Control has added three more international flights and five domestic flights in the past week to its list of COVID-19 in-flight exposures involving passengers who later tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The new international flights with a COVID-19 case on board include:
March 11 – Air Canada 37 Vancouver to Melbourne, rows n/a
March 17 – Delta (unknown flight number) Seattle to Vancouver, rows n/a
March 21 – Air Canada 855 London to Vancouver, rows n/a
The new domestic flights with a COVID-19 case on board include:
March 10 – Air Canada 102 Vancouver to Toronto, rows n/a
March 10 – Air Canada 416 Toronto to Montreal, rows n/a
March 15 – WestJet 3103 Calgary to Nanaimo, rows n/a
March 21 – Air Canada 8420 Vancouver to Kelowna, rows n/a
March 24 – Air Canada 8245 Terrace to Vancouver, rows n/a
STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT
The BCCDC says as of March 27, B.C. no longer directly contacts passengers from domestic flights who were seated near a confirmed case during the flight.
Passengers in the affected seats may have been exposed to COVID-19 and should self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days following the flight.
Other passengers are not required to self-isolate but should self-monitor for onset of symptoms for 14 days after the flight.Coronavirus outbreak: Passengers on virus-stricken cruise ships board chartered flights home
For flights with affected seats not specified, the BCCDC recommends that flight passengers self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days following the flight.
There are now 17 international flights taking off or landing at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in which a passenger tested positive for the novel coronavirus after arrival.
There are also 18 domestic flights involving Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops, Nanaimo, Terrace and Prince George airports where a passenger later tested positive for the disease.
As of March 25, it is mandatory under the Quarantine Act that anyone arriving in B.C. from outside of Canada is required to stay home for 14 days upon their arrival.Canadians stuck in Nepal look to federal government for help getting home
Returning travellers that develop respiratory symptoms are also required to self-isolate for a period of 10 days after the onset of symptoms.
For a full list of affected international and domestic flights, click here.
For advice on self-isolation and self-monitoring, click here.
If you believe you have COVID-19 symptoms, you’re asked to do a self-assessment.
NETWORK AND SCHEDULE CHANGES – WestJet announces schedule updates through May 4 and select seasonal route start dates
On Thursday, March 26 WestJet marked the last day of our planned transborder (U.S.) and international (Europe, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean) flying due to the COVID-19 crisis and the closing of international borders.
This is a difficult time as we temporarily say goodbye to these airports that have helped WestJet grow beyond our domestic borders and brought the pleasure and ease of worldwide travel to millions of Canadians.
We thank all of our airport partners, our contractors and our guests for their support and we look forward to resuming flights when we emerge from these turbulent times.
INTERNATIONAL AND TRANSBORDER
As the crisis continues, we have now updated our international and transborder schedule to temporarily remove flying through May 4, 2020. For our guests who have booked their travel after April 22 through May 4, we are proactively notifying you of your travel options.
Seasonal international route starts dates have been updated as follows:
Toronto – Barcelona starts June 5, 2020
Calgary – Rome starts June 4, 2020
Halifax – Manchester has been cancelled for summer 2020. WestJet will be reaccomodating guests on Halifax – London (Gatwick)
DOMESTIC
Our domestic schedule has also now been updated through May 4. Details remain the same as communicated earlier this week (see schedule below) with the exception of Grande Prairie. Due to newly reduced airport operating hours, we have reduced the daily Calgary – Grand Prairie schedule by two flights. WestJet will continue to fly once daily. In addition, Edmonton – Grande Prairie has been suspended until further notice.
Select seasonal domestic routes will start July 3, 2020 including:
Calgary – Whitehorse
Calgary – Dawson Creek
Calgary – Windsor
Toronto – Deer Lake
Halifax – Gander
For our guests who have booked their travel prior to July 3, we are proactively notifying you of your travel options.
We understand the uncertainty our guests, WestJetters and partners face, and we thank them for their continued patience.
BY KLAUDIA VAN EMMERIK GLOBAL NEWS, Posted March 27, 2020
Despite many flight cancellations, Alaska Airlines is still flying between Kelowna and Seattle. File / Global News
While traffic at Kelowna International Airport has dropped significantly, YLW is still receiving flights from the United States — which now leads the world in the number of coronavirus infections. “As of today, we have one flight a day which comes from Seattle with Alaska [Airlines],” said airport director Sam Samaddar. “Of course, with the rapidly changing conditions that we have globally and locally with the airline business, they may choose to cancel further routes as they see fit.”
Last week, the federal government announced that only four Canadian airports would be allowed to receive international flights to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Exemptions were given to flights coming from the U.S., the Caribbean and Mexico.
“At the time, there were still a lot of Canadians that were still abroad,” Samaddar said.
“You look at the sun destinations, you look at Phoenix, you look at Vegas, they were really returning Canadians allowed that to continue to allow those people to get back home.”
While there are no longer flights from the Caribbean or Mexico coming into YLW, the Alaska Airlines flight is still operating between the Okanagan and Seattle.
“The further order that was then issued after that was really travel between the U.S. and Canada would only be allowed for emergency business reasons,” Samaddar said.
Samaddar said passengers getting off that flight are being screened and mandated to self-isolate for 14 days.
“The screening protocols they have are the same as you would have at any of those restricted international airports,” he said.
“The Canada Border Services Agency here in Kelowna is working very closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada and so the passengers are interviewed, they have to sign a declaration, and they’re also given information directly about having to self-quarantine as they move out into the general population.”
As for any passengers who may have been exposed to the virus on board a flight, that’s something Samaddar said the airlines and public health officials are working on together.
“The only way we would find out is if the airline advised us, but the airlines are advised to work very closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada,” said Samaddar.
“So if a passenger was to develop symptoms let’s say three or four days after a flight, the information on the manifest would be shared between the airline and the Public Health Agency of Canada to notify those passengers.”
As the Kelowna airport adjusts to new protocols, it’s also seen a dramatic decrease in traffic as the vast majority of the public stays close to home.
“We used to have 66 flights a day, we are down to 14 flights a day and changing,” Samaddar said. “It’s very, very quiet.”
Provided directly from WESTJET, an Alberta Partnership
WESTJET DAILY MEDIA BRIEF – March 25, 2020
COVID-19 AIRCRAFT FOGGING
WestJet is now fogging all 737 and Q400 aircraft in YYC with disinfection spray as part of our enhanced overnight cleaning and sanitization regimen for COVID-19.
We expect to bring this process to Edmonton (end of week) and Toronto (early next week).
This process consists of fogging an entire aircraft (inside) to provide a complete disinfection using a hydrogen peroxide-based solution cleaner.
The process takes 15 minutes to complete and product dissipates within 20 minutes.
Fogging enables us to thoroughly disinfect an aircraft due to a possible COVID-19 case and allows us to load guests and continue flying with little disruption.
CHANGES TO INFLIGHT SERVICE
As of yesterday (March 24), we have made changes to our inflight service:
Hot drinks, hot meals and fresh food service has been suspended – mini buy-on-board are now available on demand only.
Guests in Economy will receive water service and complimentary snack.
Crews will continue to serve drinks and cold food in Premium using single-use cutlery and cups.
AIRCRAFT PARKING BY THE NUMBERS (please note this list is inclusive of the MAX)
Calgary, YYC: 56
Toronto, YYZ: 25
Vancouver, YVR: 14
Edmonton, YEG: 11
Arizona, MZJ: 10 (Boeing MAX)
Kelowna, YLW: 5
Winnipeg, YWG: 2
Northwest Regional Airport, YXT: 1
Sault Ste. Marie, YAM: 1
Halifax, YHZ: 1
AFFECTED FLIGHTS – visit the blog
The safety of our guests and crews is our top priority. It is our goal to be open and transparent throughout this rapidly evolving situation. This page will be updated regularly with information on COVID-19 impacted flights in our network.
Guests in affected rows of the below flights are considered close contacts and may be at risk for exposure. Public health officials recommend that affected individuals self-isolate for 14 days after arrival and monitor symptoms. Guests are advised to contact their primary care provider, or their local public health unit if they are concerned that they may have been exposed to or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
All guests who were on the listed flights, but not in the affected rows are advised to self-monitor for signs of cough, fever or respiratory issues and to call their local health authorities if symptoms arise within the next 14 days.
March 19
WestJet Flight 10 (WS10) Calgary (YYC) to Paris (CDG) Affected rows: N/A
March 16
WestJet Flight 9 (WS9) Paris (CDG) to Calgary (YYC) Affected rows: 2-6
WestJet Flight 2311 (WS2311) Cancun (CUN) to Calgary (YYC) Affected rows: ALL
WestJet Flight 3456 (WS3456) Toronto (YYZ) to Moncton (YQM) Affected rows: ALL
March 15
WestJet Flight 3016 (WS3016) Calgary (YYC) to Medicine Hat (YXH) Affected rows: 8-14
WestJet Flight 1571 (WS1571) Denver (DEN) to Calgary (YYC) Affected rows: ALL
March 14
WestJet Flight 3300 (WS3300) Calgary (YYC) to Regina (YQR) Affected rows: ALL
We recently updated our affected flights blog as the safety of our guests and crews is our top priority. It is our goal to be open and transparent throughout this rapidly evolving situation.
BY DOYLE POTENTEAU GLOBAL NEWS Posted March 19, 2020
Kelowna International Airport says travelers should check online to see if their flight schedules have been changed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Global News
Two flights at Kelowna International Airport have been suspended because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
This week, Air Canada announced that the Kelowna to Edmonton flight and the Kelowna to Toronto flight will undergo temporary suspensions, both from March 23 to April 30.
The suspensions were just two of many announced by Air Canada.
In a press release, Kelowna International Airport (YLW) said other routes are operating, but that they may be on a reduced schedule.
YLW also said WestJet announced the suspension of all commercial, international and transborder operations for a 30-day period, starting Sunday, March 22.
“The safety of airport employees, passengers and our greater community is our top priority,” airport director Sam Samaddar, adding YLW is committed to keeping the public informed about the constantly changing landscape caused by COVID-19.
YLW said Swoop’s service to Las Vegas will be suspended as of Monday, March 23, and that Sunwing Vacations has already suspended all southbound flight (March 17 to April 9).
The federal government has issued a travel advisory, asking Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside of the country until further notice.
The government also said listed recommendations for travellers. Those recommendations can be found here.
At YLW, the airport said temporary changes have been made and will stay in effect until further notice.
The changes include:
Most dining services featuring take-out service only.
The drop-off valet service will not be available.
The airport ambassador program has been suspended.
The family adventure zone has been temporarily closed.
Increased sanitization of high-touch points.
More hand sanitizer stations throughout the terminal.
Implemented social distancing measures.
“While the situation with COVID-19 is in flux, our commitment to safety and the well-being of everyone at YLW has not changed,” said Samaddar.
“We remain committed to ensuring a safe environment for everyone who comes into the airport.”
Low-cost carrier takes on Swoop in battle for best deals
ZEBA KHAN – February 5, 2020
Flair Airlines Ltd is offering a three-month unlimited pass from February to May. BRENT LEWIN/BLOOMBERG
Flair Airlines is offering a three-month unlimited travel pass as competition in the discount air space heats up.
Flair’s Go Travel Pass, which runs from Feb. 13 to May 13, offers two options. The basic pass for $499 allows unlimited travel for three months with Fridays and Sundays excluded and some blackout days. The unlimited pass offers unlimited travel for all days of the week at $699 with no blackout dates.
The airline travels to Vancouver, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto. It does not fly to Quebec.
“We are thrilled to offer our passengers the freedom and flexibility to travel with our unlimited pass. Whether you are a student who needs to visit home, a small business owner on a budget, a family needing to connect or an adventure seeker looking for your next thrill; all Canadians deserve to travel without hesitation,” Sarah Riches, director of commercial for Flair Airlines said in a press release Wednesday.
Flair is one of only two ultra-low cost airlines in Canada. WestJet affiliate Swoop Airlines is the second.
And competition has been fierce. Earlier this month Swoop held a loonie seat sale where the base cost for a seat was only a dollar before taxes, fees and extras.
Last year the Competition Bureau launched an investigation into Swoop over allegations that “predatory pricing” was used to try to crowd Flair out of some routes.
Flair last year sold a stake of its company to a U.S. private investment firm in a bid to boost its fleet to compete against its rival.
The snowstorm rolling across B.C.’s southern interior is causing headaches for travellers at Kelowna International Airport (YLW) as low visibility causes flight delays and cancellations.
Airport manager Sam Samaddar says six flights were cancelled Monday morning; three arrivals and three departures to/from Vancouver and Seattle.
The flight schedule board at YLW is also peppered with red “delayed” markings as passengers wait an extra hour, in some cases, to catch their flights.
A partial view of the arrivals schedule for YLW on Monday Kelowna International Airport
“It’s certainly been a challenging day so far, we’ve had some low visibility conditions below our minimum,” Samaddar said.
“My suggestion is, go the airport’s website and check the arrivals/departures information and we are showing the delays and/or cancellations as they are occurring,” he said.
A partial view of the departures schedule for YLW on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020 Kelowna International Airport
Sammadar said extra airport staff were scheduled to respond to the significant snow event.
“The teams are doing a fabulous job in terms of the snow clearing. We haven’t had any issues in terms of maintaining the runway, that hasn’t been an issue at all,” he said.
The airport is advising travellers to visit YLW’s website for updated flight information, and to allow extra time for getting to the airport, checking in and going through security.
Atleast one Air Canada flight from Vancouver-Penticton was also cancelled on Monday.
Snowfall and winter storm warnings are in effect for the central and north Okanagan, Similkameen, Boundary, West Kootenay and Arrow Lakes regions.
Two pacific warm fronts are expected to bring 15-25 centimetres of snow to the Okanagan, but will shift to rain on Tuesday as warmer air moves into the region, according to Environment Canada.
Conditions at Kelowna International Airport on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. Nav Canada
Emergency crews were called to Kelowna International Airport on Friday morning for an outbound plane that had to return because of a mechanical issue.
According to the City of Kelowna, Central Mountain Air flight 730 advised air traffic control at 10:40 a.m., that it was returning to the airport because of a mechanical issue.
Emergency response teams were dispatched to the airport as a precaution, with the Kelowna-to-Prince George flight landing safely at 10:51 a.m.
According to Central Mountain Air’s website, the plane was scheduled to leave at 10:10 a.m., and arrive in Prince George at 11:30 a.m.
Coronavirus outbreak: Passengers on virus-stricken cruise ships board chartered flights home
Canadians stuck in Nepal look to federal government for help getting home
