With strike avoided, WestJet may need another 48 hours to get back to 'stable state': aviation expert

It could take at least a couple of days for WestJet to get back to full operations, an aviation expert says, after the airline and its pilots union managed to reach a last-minute deal and avoid possible job action Friday.

WestJet Group and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents WestJet and Swoop pilots, have reached a tentative agreement ahead of a potential strike.

• WestJet offered free flight changes, cancellations in case of strikes -- but should you take it?

"It's going to take them about 48 hours, in my opinion, to get the network back to a stable state," John Gradek, a lecturer at McGill University's School of Aviation Management, told CTV's Your Morning on Friday.

"Crews are out of place, airplanes are out of place because they were parking them, and I think that you want to make sure that everything's in place before you start reopening flights for booking or for operations. So, it could take about a couple of days for it to get back to normal."

WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the agreement with the pilots provides "meaningful improvements to job security and scope, working conditions and wages."

"We appreciate we were able to arrive at a deal, however, recognize the impact on our guests and we sincerely appreciate their patience during this time," he said.

ALPA Canada president Tim Perry says while it did take a while, the deal reached between WestJet and the union is fair and will help with the attraction and retention issues that the airline has faced for some time, as well as scheduling and job security.

"No collective agreement is perfect but it did go a long way to addressing all of those concerns," he told CTV News Channel on Friday.

Perry says he would expect the airline to be back to normal operations by Saturday or Sunday and that he believes the union membership will ratify the agreement once it comes to a vote.

"We were always trying to put our best foot forward and I know that on the eve of a strike or a lockout, that's really the period of time where everyone focuses and sort of redoubles their efforts — and I can say that both parties did that in this case," he said.

Before the agreement had been reached, the airline pre-emptively offered free flight changes and cancellations for certain dates as a possible strike loomed.

These include:

• A one-time fee waiver for flight changes or cancellations on eligible flights booked for May 15-21, as long as a traveller requests a change or cancellation more than two hours prior to departure. 
• Free flight changes and cancellations for Swoop flights from May 19 to 21.
• The fee waivers apply as long as the flight has not been cancelled. Where a flight has been changed or cancelled, the airline says it will provide details on how to request a refund if a passenger no longer wishes to travel.

But rebooking hasn't been a smooth process for everyone.

Muzammil Murad's trip to south Florida was at risk of being upended completely after his family's WestJet flight was cancelled about 14 hours before the plane was due to take off.

He says because he booked his flight through an external website, he was told to contact them about rebooking, but they weren't able to help him.

Information posted to WestJet's website says for a changed or cancelled flight, a traveller can request a refund if the booking was made directly with WestJet.

"My options were to either forfeit my whole vacation on the whole cost or repay out of pocket and see if we can make something out of it," Murad said.

Murad says he eventually paid to book a flight with another airline and he, his wife and their two small children made it to Miami.

And while he congratulated WestJet and the pilots association for reaching a tentative deal, Murad says he and his family were "left high and dry."

Once he returns home, he says he plans to look at his options, including through a lawyer if possible, to see if he can get some of those extra costs back.

"At this point, I don't think I'd look at WestJet ever again," he said.

As for the tentative deal, the ALPA said in a statement that the agreement "delivers on the goals of better job security, enhanced compensation and more flexible schedules," allowing for a better work-life balance that is in line with the contracts of its other pilot groups.

Bernard Lewall, who heads ALPA's WestJet contingent, said in the statement from the union that WestJet has become "nothing more than a training ground for pilots looking to leave for better opportunities."

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He has said previously that pilots earn roughly half of what some of their U.S. counterparts make.

"This contract will change that and make WestJet a career destination once again," Lewall said.

The union membership is expected to vote on the agreement in the coming days.

In a video posted to YouTube, von Hoensbroech said, "This agreement is just one of many steps we are taking to re-establish WestJet as the friendly, reliable and affordable airline that you know and love."

A separate statement from WestJet says that while it is "ramping up its operations as quickly and efficiently as possible," it would take time to resume full operations.

"Guests remain encouraged to continue to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport," the statement said.

WestJet cancelled more than 100 flights on Thursday as talks failed to produce a deal, with von Hoensbroech saying the airline planned to lock out all pilots by the strike deadline if an agreement could not be reached.

With files from The Canadian Press