The union representing striking Air Canada flight attendants announced a tentative deal on Aug. 19 and flights began restarting the same day, but for some families, the cancellation of flights during the strike led to disappointment and ruined plans that are too late to fix.
Robert Walicki of Sarnia, Ont., says his son, Jan Walicki, is one of the estimated 500,000 people affected by the flight cancellations, which caused Jan to miss a long-planned trip with Robert and other relatives to explore their family’s roots in Poland.
Walicki and his family members were scheduled to leave Toronto on Aug. 17. Jan was supposed to join them by flying from Edmonton on an Air Canada flight, however, Walicki says Jan was only notified at 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 16 that his connecting flight from Edmonton to Toronto was cancelled.
“My brother and I, we tried to find a solution, but at that point was impossible. I do not believe that my son managed to talk to a human at Air Canada yet,” Walicki said in an Aug. 19 interview with The Epoch Times. At that point, the family had left Toronto without Jan, who was left trying to contact Air Canada for alternate options.
Although the Air Canada chapter of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) still has to vote on whether to accept a deal, the union says it’s reached a tentative agreement with Air Canada and flights resumed on Aug. 19. The airline says flights will ramp back up to full capacity over the next nine days.
The union, which represents around 10,000 flight attendants, has been in a labour dispute with Air Canada since the beginning of the year over unpaid work performed by flight attendants prior to takeoff and after landing.
Walicki said the trip to explore family roots was one of the last chances to have everyone together on a special trip, including to historical sites and family history locations that may not be intact or accessible in years to come, adding that it has caused a lot of “tears” and “disappointment” for his son and the whole family.
“My 83-year-old mom decided to come with us to spend 2-3 days sharing with my son some of our family’s rich traditions and history. With my mom at the age that she is, there will not be another occasion to pull something like this,” Walicki said, adding that his son has suffered from heart problems in the past and likely won’t be able to come in the future because of the impact on his health.
Walicki, who’s currently in the central Polish city of Łódź, said the whole trip was organized around having his son there, and not having him come has brought down the mood and hurt everyone involved. Walicki said the Air Canada system for rebooking or receiving a refund didn’t work for his son, with the online system directing him to call an agent and phone calls, featuring transfers and long holds, ended unsuccessfully with no connection to an agent.
“Air Canada was of no help. You get caught in this infinite loop. In this twilight zone, you never could get to interact with any human being,” Walicki said, adding that his son has still received no help in getting a potential refund.
