B.C. travellers stuck at Calgary airport for week due to heavy snow

Travellers at the Calgary International Airport (YYC) are continuing to have trouble as heavy snowstorms are setting in across the country.

CityNews spoke with a couple from B.C. about airport challenges they have been experiencing.

Chris and Cindy Jackson were travelling back to Kamloops, B.C., from a holiday in Phoenix, Ariz.

When they arrived in Calgary on Dec. 19 at 9:30 p.m. to continue on their trip home, they learned their connector flight had been cancelled once they got off the plane.

“My wife cannot function without a wheelchair. So, to … make things more fun or difficult or whatever you want to look at, it is minus 30 below,” Chris said.

They made their way to the Marriott Hotel at YYC after making reservations, but the couple was left stranded as the reservations were “somehow” lost.

“So, that night when all chaos was happening, our reservation [was lost],” Chris said.

The couple doesn’t have their luggage, including Cindy’s wheelchair, and they’ve been wearing the same clothes for days. “It’s been a struggle.”

WestJet’s earliest booking for the couple is Dec. 24. It also provided the couple with $150 for three nights at the hotel, but the rooms at the Mariott are closer to $400 to $900 a night.

“Unfortunately, we can’t go to another hotel, because of taxis and our inability to move around,” Chris said.

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Despite the situation the couple finds themselves in, Cindy is grateful that they have an accessible hotel room, let alone a room at all.

“People are on the floor, lying with their families and everything. So we understand that we were lucky to have a hotel room, and it’s a handicapped hotel room,” she said.

When it comes to the flight, while happy with having a flight booked, they are concerned with the storm currently hitting much of southern B.C.

“We’ve been watching the weather in Kamloops, and no guarantees on whether we make it home Saturday — we’re hoping — but we really don’t know,” Chris said.

“We’re trying to make the best of it.”

WestJet flights continue to see cancellations, 50% of schedule is planned

WestJet is reporting 300 proactive cancellations Friday as snowfall continues across the country.

The flights were issued on Thursday for the Vancouver region, Vancouver Island, Southern Ontario, and Quebec.

It says that “despite significant cancellations,” two out of three of its hubs are operating at 50 per cent of its planned schedule.

Christmas eve already has 15 cancellations across WestJet’s network.

Vancouver is seeing 126 proactive cancellations, while Southern Ontario and Quebec are seeing around 140. WestJet cancelled all flights arriving or departing at the Vancouver International Airport Thursday evening, saying it will last until Friday evening “dependent on weather conditions.”

It says that all flights scheduled out of Toronto Pearson International Airport starting at 9 a.m. Friday will be cancelled until Dec. 24, also dependent on the weather.

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WestJet CEO Diedrick Pen issued a statement Thursday, saying WestJet knows “how important” people’s travel plans are this holiday.

“We sincerely apologize for the continued disruption many have or will experience and appreciate your continued patience and understanding. Our teams on the ground, in the air and behind the scenes are working tirelessly to recover our operations, while trying to limit further disruption to important holiday travel plans,” Pen’s statement read.

“The prolonged and extreme weather events that continue to impact multiple regions across Canada are unlike anything we’ve experienced. With the additional storms forecasted to impact British Columbia, Southern Ontario and Quebec, we are taking a proactive and measured approach to protect our operations and prioritize recovery flying this weekend. The decision to stand down more flights is extremely difficult, but it is necessary, so that we can be best prepared to safely fly as many guests, with as little disruption as possible when the weather improves.”

The Jacksons have their fingers crossed that they’ll be on a flight to Kamloops on Saturday, adding that everyone they’ve dealt with in Calgary has been helpful and wonderful.

“It’s been a struggle. It’s been a learning [curve], especially for people with handicaps. And we have to say that if you have a handicap, make sure you have a plan,” Chris said.

-With files from Jonathan Muma and Pete Curtis