‘I feel abandoned’: Stranded Albertans struggle to return as WestJet resumes Puerto Vallarta flights

Canadian travellers caught in the fallout of cartel‑related violence in Puerto Vallarta are scrambling to return to Alberta, with several accusing WestJet of leaving them in the dark about when they can fly home.

Doug Bellamy, who has been stranded in Puerto Vallarta with his two adult daughters since Sunday, says their scheduled WestJet flight to Calgary was cancelled after the killing of a cartel leader triggered widespread civil unrest.

Despite the airline announcing that flights have resumed, Bellamy says he has received no meaningful communication about rebooking options.

“I feel abandoned by WestJet,” he said. “They tell me there’s absolutely nothing they can do for me. They just basically say you have to wait until WestJet reaches out.”

The family’s situation is becoming increasingly urgent. Their resort has allowed them to extend their stay at no extra cost, but only until Friday. Meanwhile, the medications the trio relies on are running out.

“One of my daughters has run out of her medications and my other daughter will be running out on the weekend,” Bellamy said.

Kiara MacDonald, another Albertan stranded in Puerto Vallarta, is facing similar challenges. She and her daughter are part of a six‑person family group whose Monday flight to Calgary was also cancelled.

After repeated attempts to reach the airline, they were finally offered potential return dates of March 1 and 2, far later than they hoped.

MacDonald says several members of her group depend on daily medication, adding urgency to their efforts to secure an earlier flight.

“One member of our team, he’s on high blood pressure medication, he’s completely out,” she said. “Another member is on diabetes medication. That person has until today or tomorrow. Another member is on heart medication.”

CityNews reached out to WestJet regarding both travellers’ concerns but did not receive a response before deadline.

Air passenger rights advocates say the airline may be falling short of its legal obligations. Under federal regulations, carriers must rebook passengers on the next available flight and, if none is available with the same airline, arrange travel with a partner or competitor.

“The airline would have to explain to a judge how come they did not rebook a passenger even though there were seats,” said Gábor Lukács, founder of Air Passenger Rights.

Lukács says one of the strongest ways for passengers to prove seats were available is to purchase a ticket themselves and present it as evidence.