Sunwing grounded many Canadian travellers over the holiday season, citing severe weather disruptions, but a Saskatchewan law firm is looking at whether a class action lawsuit is needed for financial compensation.
Merchant Law Group LLP said in a statement that it is evaluating the potential for class action litigation on behalf of Canadians who experienced a flight cancellation or delays longer than nine hours that can’t be attributed to weather issues or aircraft safety.
The firm added that it’s also looking for anyone who had a trip cancellation, rerouting, or delay longer than nine hours due to Sunwing’s blanket cancellations in Saskatchewan. Any Canadian who experienced these things between Dec. 29 and Feb. 3 can join the contact list, noting more information about the class action will be coming in the following months.
Meanwhile, Sunwing has sent out a lengthy statement addressing its “clear failures in execution.”
“We had clear failures in execution, particularly in responding to weather-related delays and the aftermath of severe weather disruptions, which limited our ability to reposition aircraft and crew to other airports to help alleviate the backlog in flights,” the statement read.
The airline said it has a plan and roadmap in place to ensure it doesn’t repeat the same mistake.
“This includes proactively working on a mitigation plan to address some technical issues with flight alert notifications and enhancing the communication flow to our customers in destination through the collaboration and support of our airline and destination management teams. We have also reduced some capacity during the month of January to ensure that we can execute to the highest standards with the least disruption to customers as we move through the winter season.”
Sunwing cancelled operations across Saskatchewan up to Feb. 3 at the beginning of the new year.
The airline noted it is accepting eligible claims for compensation, adding that people can submit their claims on the Sunwing website.
Sunwing said people can also submit receipts for related expenses on the Sunwing Cares site for things like expenses to buy necessities due to baggage delays, noting it is actively working to reunite people with their luggage.
Barb Crowe of Ixtapa Travel in Saskatoon told Global News that trying to deal with Sunwing’s cancellations was “utter chaos and just a real nightmare.”
“You take the busiest time of the year, and you dump on a huge snowstorm which causes all these cancellations, misplaced aircraft, misplaced crew, stranded passengers, add on a few operational problems, communication breakdowns, baggage carousel breakdowns, and yes, you just have utter chaos,” Crowe said.
She said this scenario emphasizes the need for a travel advisor, noting that many travel agents were working to find other flights for their customers.
Crowe said it’s a quieter season right now, made even quieter with Sunwing’s decision to halt flights in Saskatchewan temporarily.
She suggested that people need trip interruption and baggage insurance.
Crowe also suggested getting an air tag, which allows you to track where your baggage is.